Faulkner Lifestyle May 2019 Issue

may 2019 

ALSO INSIDE: 

Wampus Cats Hall 

of Fame Inductees 

Travel: Morocco 

Let the ”Sonshine“ In 

Sonshine Academy Celebrates 28 Years in Conway 

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Savvy Shields 

Miss America 2016 

Claudia Raffo 

Miss Arkansas 2018 

Maggie Benton 


Savannah skidmore 


Ashton Campbell Gill 


DR. MICHAEL COOPER • DR. AMY KIRBY

contents 

inside 

12 

31 

ON THE COVER 6 

LET THE “SONSHINE” IN 

GOOD TASTE 12 

MOJO’S HOMETOWN PIZZA 

ROOTED IN TRADITION 

FEATURE 16 

WAMPUS CAT SPORTS HALL OF FAME 

MENTAL HEALTH 24 

TRANSITIONS: EMBRACING THE JOURNEY 

SPOTLIGHT 26 

BEYOND THE BASICS: TUCKER CREEK VET 

THE LOOK 30 

SHOPPING AROUND FAULKNER COUNTY 

TRAVEL 36 

THE KINGDOM OF MOROCCO 

SPOTLIGHT 43 

STEFANIE SCHREKENHOFER-DACE, REALTOR 

BEAUTY 44 

BRAZILIAN WAXING 

AT HOME 46 

DOWNTOWN HOME & GARDEN 

36 

20 

55 

22 

RETAIL SPOTLIGHT 51 

HARWELL DESIGNS 

TRUTH ON THE GO 52 

POWERFUL PROMISES 

SCENE | HEARD 54 

“DREAMING OF A VETTER WORLD” 

MOVIE SCREENING 

HARBOR HOME GALA 

CHS 60TH HIGH SCHOOL REUNION 

A TOTAL SIT SHOW 

JOURNEY TRIBUTE CONCERT 

STEPLOCK WINS 1ST PLACE AT FBLA 

FAULKNER LIFESTYLE 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY 

OUR FAULKNER FAM 64 

THE RATLIFF FAMILY 

4 faulkner lifestyle | may 2O19

Mary Ruth Marotte, Andrea Lennon, Jennifer Stanley, Mary Etta Qualls, Lindsey Jones, Xochilt Hawks, Detra Clark, Patrick Jamerson, 

Brandy Strain-Dayer, Lori Quinn, Drew Spurgers, Raegan Moore, Jackie Mahar, Colleen Holt, Linda Mars, Robin Stauffer and Leah Ashby 

OUR PEOPLE 

PUBLISHERS / OWNERS 

Lori Quinn, Editor 

Brandy Strain-Dayer, Photography Director 

ART DIRECTOR 

Robin Stauffer 

ADVERTISING SALES 

Jackie Mahar 

Raegan Moore 

FEATURE WRITERS 

Jennifer Stanley 

Leah Ashby 

Colleen Holt 

FEATURE / FOOD WRITER / COPY EDITOR 

Leah Ashby 

FOOD ENTHUSIAST / CONTRIBUTOR 

Linda Mars 

FEATURE WRITER / ARTS CONTRIBUTOR 

Mary Ruth Marotte 

WELLNESS CONTRIBUTOR 

Detra Clark 

SPIRITUAL CONTRIBUTOR 

Andrea Lennon 

FITNESS CONTRIBUTOR 

Patrick Jamerson aka Dr. FiT 

TRAVEL CONTRIBUTOR 

Mary Etta Qualls 

CULTURAL COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR 

Xochilt Hawks 

EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR 

Lindsey Jones 

Conway Arkansas 

EMAIL faulknerlifestyle@gmail.com 

faulknerlifestyle.com 

Brandy Strain-Dayer 

and Lori Quinn 

Faulkner Lifestyle 

Publishers / Owners 

Welcome to Faulkner Lifestyle! 

The Faulkner Lifestyle mission is to entertain, inspire, educate 

and inform our community with a variety of articles that 

will provide something of interest for everyone. People, 

business, travel, food, home, wellness, spirituality, style, 

events, and the arts will be just a few of our featured topics. 

We will have a strong online and social media presence. 

Not only will we be distributed as a printed magazine in 

high-traffic retail and service locations — like medical and 

dental offices, fitness facilities, boutiques, salons, coffee 

shops, and restaurants throughout our community — but 

will also have live videos and regular interactions with our 

advertisers and our community, both in person and through 

social media. We will saturate the market on all levels so 

our advertisers will see direct results and our audience will 

stay connected. Owners and publishers, Brandy Strain- 

Dayer and Lori Quinn have more than 14 years of invaluable 

experience in the magazine, marketing, and advertising 

industry that they will lend to this publication. 

Faulkner Lifestyle celebrates our one year anniversary! We are 

so thankful for our wonderful advertisers, staff, and people we 

feature each month who make this magazine what it is. Can’t 

wait to see what next year holds! #faulknerlifestyle 

faulknerlifestyle.com 5

on the cover 

Scott and Elsie Rose Wright 


Let the ”Sonshine“ In 

“...We thank each 

of you for sharing 

your children with us. 

They are all treasures, 

and we consider it 

a privilege to be a 

part of their lives. 

” 

—Elsie Rose & Scott 

BY JENNIFER STANLEY 

PHOTOS BY BRANDY STRAIN-DAYER 

AND SUBMITTED PHOTO 

”If Scott and Elsie Rose had only one 

dime, and you needed ten cents, 

they would give it to you. They are 

the kindest people,“ says Esther Mitchell, 

a long-time employee and friend of the 

Sonshine Academy owners. 

Scott and Elsie Rose Wright have been 

married for 36 years. Their children 

include Erik, who is married to Jessie; 

they are parents to Landon and Nova. 

Their son Zach is married to Ashley, 

and they have two children, Hallie and 

Emery. Daughter Rosemary Suggs is 

married to Nick, and daughter Sarah Jo 

Freeland is married to Wesley; they will 

soon welcome son, Owen. They are 

also “grafted into the family of Michael 

Sawyer,” says Elsie Rose. 

They moved to Conway from Houston, 

Texas. The relocation was a memorable 

experience. “We moved in January 

1988, during a terrible snow storm, for 

Scott to work as a coach. It was very 

difficult for me to leave Texas, because 

that is where my family lives. However, 

after much prayer and seeking God’s 

direction, we felt we were absolutely 

being called to move to Arkansas. It 

should come as no surprise that God 

had our best interests in mind. Conway 

is an incredible place to build a business, 

raise a family, and be part of a 

community. We are so thankful for the 

amazing place we live,” says Elsie Rose. 

Opening Sonshine Academy was a 

logical move for the Wrights. “We both 

grew up playing sports, and over the 

years, we had been personally impacted 

and influenced in such a powerful way 

by our own coaches. As a result, we 

knew we wanted to live out our gifts 

and calling by investing in area youth. 

Sonshine Academy began with a dream 

and a promise in 1991. The dream 

was to have a place where children 


could develop their skills, coordination, 

strength, and agility and feel special 

about who they were in a good, safe, 

Christian environment. The promise, 

which gave us the courage to pursue 

the dream, we received from God. It 

came from the book of Isaiah: ‘Thus 

says the Lord your God, who teaches 

you to profit, who leads you in the way 

that you should go.’” 

It is said a dream without a plan is 

just a wish. Elsie Rose and Scott were 

determined to see their vision come 

to fruition, spending countless hours 

locating a facility, perfecting its design, 

developing the curriculum, and drafting 

written materials. The payoff occurred 

when Sonshine officially began classes 

on November 1, 1991 at 803 Harkrider 

Street in Conway. The original offerings 

included gymnastics, dance, judo, 

fitness, and tumbling. 

The building was 9,000 square feet, 

including a small reception area, an 

office, one dance room, and one 

tumbling floor for all class types. 

“We broke in the facility well that night 

as we hosted our first ever Parent’s 

Night Out. We had 90 children for that 

first event!” says Elsie Rose. During 

their time in the first facility, the 

Wrights modified programs, classes, 

and equipment, eventually adding a pro 

shop and a second dance room across 

the parking lot. The biggest change, 

however, came with the addition of 

their youngest daughter in 1994. “She 

came to work with her mom and dad. 

Everything livened up at that point!” 

The gym grew along with the young 

Wright family. Realizing the programs 

had outgrown their current facility, 

they purchased 7.5 acres at the corner 

of Meadowlake and Donaghey. They 

began construction on a new 20,000 

square foot building in spring 2001 

and, with the help of parent volunteers, 

staff, and family, moved into the new 

gym just after Labor Day that same 

year. “This was our dream place – room 

for everyone and space for lots more 

equipment and programs,” said Elsie 

Rose and Scott. 

That extra space was utilized in no time. 

“We added another 12,000 square feet, 

which provided a third dance room, a 

preschool gym, a cheer gym, and another 

party room. That area opened in October 

2004.” The Wrights added 20,000 square 

feet in spring 2012, which expanded 

the pro shop and added a fourth dance 

room, the preschool jungle gym, and a 

cheerleading/tumbling gym. By January 

2013, “Our total footprint was 52,000 

square feet. We also remodeled various 

equipment from 2014 to 2018, which 

involved moving equipment and adding 

the Ninja Zone course.” 

Yet another construction project began 

in spring 2018 when plans were drawn 

and building started on an addition 

that provided another dance room, 

child care space, and climate-controlled 


viewing for swim lessons. “That project 

was completed just prior to the beginning 

of school, allowing them to begin 

the remodel which allowed us to open 

the Shine Café.” 

Today, Sonshine offers a plethora of 

programs, including the following: 

• Gymnastics (preschool, school–age, 

and competitive teams) 

• Dance (preschool, school–age, and 

competitive teams) 

• Cheer/Tumble (preschool and 

college cheer, tumbling classes, and 

all-star squads 

• Ninja (preschool and school–age) 

• Kid Care (after school care, summer 

day camp) 

• Swim 

• Parties 

• Homeschool Enrichment 

When asked about their most popular 

offering, the couple says, “That answer 

depends on which child or which 

staff member you ask! Having fun 

and learning are the goals in every 

program. We have several children 

who do multiple programs, and they 

get a little testy when someone asks 

which is their favorite, because the 

answer is all of them!” 

Speaking of staff, their employee count 

varies based on the time of year and 

their needs. “There are lots of amazing, 

energetic, enthusiastic, and incredibly 

knowledgeable staff all over this 

building in the different programs. We 

have 19 program leaders who oversee 

their various departments. Words do 

not adequately describe the level of 

awesomeness we get to experience daily 

with the people we are privileged to 

work alongside. They love their students 

and love teaching, and their level of 

commitment is so inspirational. They 

truly make Sonshine Academy a place of 

wonder and awe,” says Elsie Rose. 

Of their own roles in the business of 

running Sonshine, Elsie Rose says, “If 

you want the short version, running a 

small business means you do anything 

that is needed. We work closely 

with our program leaders and divide 

programs between us daily. We also 

work alongside our staff in hosting 

lots of special events that bring a 

great number of people to Conway.” 

Examples include at least three annual 

gymnastics meets, multiple dance 

performances, all-star cheer showcase, 

class gymnastics meets, preschool 

shows, and much more. 

Sonshine Academy has always been a 

family business. “All our children and 

their spouses have been involved at 

Sonshine at one time or another. They 

are all so gifted and so much fun! If you 

ask our children, they will share stories 

about the ‘child labor’ they supplied 

growing up,” they laugh. “We tell them 

these experiences made them ‘marketable’ 

for lots of job opportunities!” 

Currently, two of their children are on 

staff: Sarah Jo is a dance teacher, and 

Nick is the strength and fitness coach 

and manages Shine Café. “However, 

any time we need help they are all 

quick to lend a hand.” 

The Wrights and their staff undergo 

continual learning through courses, 

conferences, and individual study. They 

also provide program-specific specialistlead 

training. “We were recently chosen 

by USA Gymnastics Trampoline and 

Tumbling to be an ‘Elite Trampoline 


Development Center.’ This will provide 

coaches’ training for several of our 

programs from preschool gymnastics 

through competitive gymnastics, 

cheerleading, and trampoline. Safety 

and being ‘cutting edge’ are our main 

priorities when it comes to curriculum 

and our facility as a whole.” 

The most recent addition to Sonshine 

Academy is Ninja, which has been a 

sensation. “Our staff is incredible about 

working with kids who have a lot of 

energy. Not only do the kids have an 

outlet, they also learn self-control. Ninja 

classes are gaining popularity around the 

country, but we took it a step further and 

invested in a ninja obstacle course like the 

ones shown on American Ninja Warrior… 

This really sets our program apart.” 

When asked what they most enjoy 

about their work, Scott and Elsie Rose 

say, “We love seeing children grow and 

become accomplished in their respective 

disciplines. More than that, we get 

excited to see the kind of person they 

become. Watching them learn to become 

disciplined, overcome something hard, 

set goals, work with a team, manage their 

time and talents, work hard, fail but get 

back up and try again, and the list goes 

on. In addition, we love seeing former 

students bring their own children to take 

classes. It is so rewarding to see someone 

we taught ‘back in the day’ introduce us 

to their spouse and children.” 

Reflecting on their years at Sonshine, 

Elsie Rose and Scott say, “This has 

been and continues to be an exciting 

adventure. Our thanks must go to our 

Heavenly Father, who indeed kept 

His promise to us and continues to 

do so. We are nothing without Him. 

Second, again we must acknowledge 

the wonderful staff that has been such 

a part of making Sonshine Academy 

what it is today. They are a beautiful 

mosaic of talents and treasures. Next, 

we must bless and thank our children. 

They grew up at Sonshine, and we 

know they shared their parents with 

lots of other children. They are amazing 

young adults, and we love them greatly. 

Last, we thank each of you for sharing 

your children with us. They are all 

treasures, and we consider it a privilege 

to be a part of their lives.” 

“We look forward to the years ahead 

with confident anticipation in God’s 

faithfulness and goodness. We are 

excited about what He has in store for 

Sonshine Academy in the future. It has 

been, and we are sure it will continue to 

be, a wild and wonderful adventure!” 

CONNECT 

Sonshine Academy 

2415 Donaghey Ave 

Conway, AR 72032 

501.327.7742 

info@SonshineAcademy.com 

SonshineAcademy.com 


Add some Sonshine 

to your summer! 

Summer Camps ( Ages 3 - 18 years ) 

Unicorns & Mermaids Dance Camp 

Princesses on Parade Dance Camp 

Disney Preschool Gym Camp 

Defy Gravity Trampoline Camp 

Superstar Cheer Camp 

Girls Gymnastics Camp 

Summer Classes ( Ages 9 mos. - 18 years ) 

Preschool Gymnastics Cheerleading Dance 

Gymnastics 

Tumbling Ninja 

Trampoline 

We offer swim 

lessons! 

All skill levels. Ages 6 mos. - 12 years 

501-327-7742 

2415 Donaghey Ave. 

sonshineacademy.com 

Ninja Nerf Camp 

Fortnite Hip Hop Camp 

And much, much more! 


good taste 

flavor 

Mojo‘s Hometown Pizza 

Rooted in Tradition 


Bryan and Dawne Trent, owners of Mojo’s Hometown 

Pizza, with their children Morgan and John. 

BY LEAH ASHBY AND LINDA MARS 

PHOTOS BY BRANDY-STRAIN-DAYER 

Mojo’s Hometown Pizza is open for business in 

Greenbrier, serving delicious pizza, sandwiches and 

salads for residents of Faulkner County and beyond. 

Bryan and Dawne Trent opened Mojo’s in the location 

previously occupied by Same Ole Joe’s Pizza, which was a 

mainstay in the Greenbrier community for over 25 years. 

“ 

It was of great importance for us to 

get the employees back to work. 

” 

—Dawne Trent, Co-owner 

Mojo‘s Hometown Pizza 

“Our Conway business has owned the building for over 

30 years. After the abrupt closing, we had to find someone 

to run it. We knew it had to reopen quickly to keep the 

employees. We made a quick decision and thought, why 

not us? We have the business experience, are local, and the 

staff knows how to cook the pizzas!” Bryan said. 

The owners, Bryan and Dawne Trent, are both graduates 

of the University of Central Arkansas and managers of 

their family business in Conway, Trent Management 

Group. They have two children, Morgan and John, who 

are twins and juniors at Greenbrier High School. Everyone 

in the family has a lot on their plate, but they are working 

together and dedicated to the success of Mojo’s. 


Morgan and John planted the idea 

to open the restaurant. “We found 

out through our kids, who read on 

social media that Same Ole Joe’s had 

closed. We met with the manager, Lisa, 

and honestly just took a huge leap 

of faith. Literally, on a Wednesday, 

we were going about our daily lives, 

planning our Spring Break trip, and on 

Thursday, we decided to reopen the 

restaurant. That Sunday, we opened 

our doors for Sunday buffet and served 

329 buffets. It was of great importance 

for us to get the employees back to 

work, and waiting for all the details 

would take too long,” Dawne said. 

According to Bryan and Dawne, the 

food quality and menu will remain the 

same but with additions. Fortunately, 

they were able to rehire all the original 

employees who lost their jobs, so the 

familiar, friendly staff the community 

has grown to love will be there to greet 

and serve customers. They also plan 

to have more parking, new outdoor 

seating, daily specials, and social media 

promotions. In addition, they are 

working on a Veteran’s Wall to honor 

veterans, as well as another wall to 

spotlight the current year’s senior class. 

Open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 

p.m., the buffet is available every day 

from 11:00 – 1:30, and on Sunday, a 

nightly buffet is featured from 6:00 – 

8:30. The salad bar, open and refreshed 

throughout the day, is a great value 

at $4.69. Some of the Trent’s favorite 

menu items include The Yogi, Buffalo 

Chicken Pizza, and any variety of their 

famous CheeseStix. The ranch dressing 

is delicious and made in-house. Check 

out their Facebook page each weekday 

for daily specials. The creative 

chefs aim to offer innovative and 

inspiring specials that patrons old and 

new will surely love. 

So, how did they come up with the 

name Mojo’s to replace Joe’s? “In 

the very few hours after deciding to 

do this, we needed a name quickly,” 

Dawne said. “We wrote down 

Morgan and John’s names and Mojo’s 

just popped out at us. It really was 

decided in mere minutes and had no 

relation to the “Joe’s” name. When 

we realized later how it sounded, the 

community responded to it, and we 

were tickled that it was considered 

a clever play on Joe’s. Guess it’s just 

good Mojo after all!” 

Conway residents Leah Ashby and Linda Mars 

are longtime friends who love entertaining family 

and friends. Leah is a business analyst at Acxiom 

Corporation, and Linda is a registered nurse at Circle 

of Friends Clinic at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. 


Mojo’s has a wonderful salad bar. 

You can get a salad with your meal 

while at the restaurant or get one to go! 


feature 

Wampus Cat 

Sports Hall of Fame 

“ 

These inductees represent some of the very 

best to ever wear the blue and white. I’d put 

these 12 from Conway High School up against the 

best dozen from any high school in the state. 

” 

—David Grimes, President, 

Wampus Cat Sports Hall of Fame 

BY DAVID GRIMES 


The inaugural class of inductees 

into the Wampus Cat Sports Hall 

of Fame will be enshrined on 

Thursday, May 16, 2019. 

The honorees are Marvin Delph, 

Henry Hawk, Tim Horton, Julie Jiskra 

Seymour, Greg Lasker, Mike Neuhofel, 

Mike New, J.B. Pendergraft, Lawson 

Pilgrim, Ernest Ruple, Kenny Smith, 

and Dandra Thomas. Members of the 

Wampus Cat Booster Club voted on 

an initial list of finalists, then using the 

results of that vote, the board of the 

WCSHOF finalized the class. 

WCSHOF president David Grimes 

stated, “These inductees represent 

some of the very best to ever wear the 

blue and white. I’d put these 12 from 

Conway High School up against the best 

dozen from any high school in the state.” 


Marvin Delph, ‘74 

Delph helped the Wampus Cats win 

state AAA basketball championships 

in 1973 and 1974. He was voted state 

tournament MVP both years. 

Delph attended the University of 

Arkansas, where he joined Sidney 

Moncrief and Ron Brewer as they 

became known as the famed “Triplets,” 

leading the Hogs to back-to-back 

Southwest Conference championships 

and the 1978 NCAA Final Four. 

While at Arkansas, Delph was known 

for his leaping ability, coolness under 

pressure and outstanding shooting skill 

from long range. 

Delph led the Razorbacks in scoring in 

1976 and 1977. 

Sports Illustrated featured Delph in 1977, 

along with Larry Bird and Phil Ford, in an 

article titled “Hottest of the Hot Shots.” 

Delph finished his career at Arkansas as 

the school’s all-time leading scorer. His 

1,742 points still rank seventh in that 

category, even though he played before 

the three-point line was adopted. 

Named second-team All-SWC in 1976, 

Delph earned first-team All-SWC 

honors in 1977 and 1978. He was 

also a Converse and Sporting News 

All-American in 1978. 

Delph was drafted into the NBA in 1978 

by the Buffalo Braves and in 1979 by 

the Boston Celtics. However, he did 

not play in the NBA, opting to play 

internationally with Athletes in Action, a 

Christian-based team out of California. 

He has been inducted into the 

University of Arkansas Sports Hall of 

Honor, the SWC Hall of Fame and the 

Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. 

In 1999, Delph was selected by Sports 

Illustrated as one of Arkansas’ 50 Greatest 

Sports Figures of the 20th Century. 

Henry Hawk, ‘56 

Hawk won the Frank E. Robins Award 

for outstanding senior athlete in 1956. 

He was named all-state in football and 

basketball, as well as excelling at track 

for the Wampus Cats. Hawk was also 

an outstanding Golden Gloves amateur 

boxer. 

He continued his athletic career at the 

University of Central Arkansas, earning 

all All-AlC honors in both football and 

track. Hawk received the inaugural L.B. 

Jackman Award for outstanding player 

in UCA’s homecoming game. 

In 1959, he was named a football 1st 

team AP Little All-American. That 

year, he was nationally ranked in total 

offense and scoring. He was selected 

to play in the All-American Bowl in 

Tucson, Arizona. 

Hawk signed a contract with the 

Canadian Football League, but returned 

to Arkansas to start a coaching career 

that lasted two decades. As head coach 

at North Little Rock High, he led them to 

a football state championship in 1972. 

Hawk has been a world-class distance 

runner for decades, in multiple events 

from 800 meters to 50 miles. He 

participated in ten straight Boston 

Marathons. He has won dozens of 

national titles over the years. In 1998, 

Hawk set a world record in the 60-64 

age division when he ran a 5:13.38 in 

the 1,600 meters. 

His training and exercise programs have 

been nationally recognized, and he has 

served on the Governor’s Council on 

Physical Fitness. 

Hawk has been inducted into seven 

halls of fame, including the UCA Sports 

Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Track & 

Field Hall of Fame and the Arkansas 

Sports Hall of Fame. 

Marvin Delph, ‘74 

Henry Hawk (right), ‘56 


Tim Horton, ‘86 

Julie Jiskra Seymour, ‘87 

Tim Horton, ‘86 

When Harold Horton took the UCA 

football job in 1982, Conway got one of 

the great coaches in Bear history. 

Conway also got his son Tim, then in 

junior high, who became one of the great 

athletes in Wampus Cat history. 

The younger Horton was a football 

and track star at CHS. He was named 

all-state tailback in 1984 and 1985. 

He was also a standout sprinter, setting 

the school record in the 100-meter 

dash in 1986. 

Horton is the only athlete in school 

history to win the Frank E. Robins 

Award, Kelly Dunlap Award, and Jim 

Case Award. 

When he graduated in 1986, he was 

offered a scholarship to the University 

of Arkansas. Horton was a four-year 

letterman from 1986-1989. He helped 

the Hogs to back-to-back Southwest 

Conference championships in 1988 

and 1989. 

As a senior, he led the team in receptions 

and receiving yards, earning 

second-team All-SWC honors. In 1989, 

he was voted a team captain and was 

named the recipient of the Gordon 

Campbell Senior Spirit Award. 

Sure-handed, Horton is fourth in Hog 

history with 78 career punt returns, and 

fifth with 657 career punt return yards. 

He was also a two-time academic 

all-conference selection. 

Like his dad, Horton got into coaching, 

starting out with Appalachian State in 

1990 before moving on to Air Force 

then Kansas State. 

In 2007, he returned to Arkansas where 

he served as running backs coach for 

the Razorbacks until 2012. 

Horton then went to Auburn and 

is now the running backs coach at 

Vanderbilt. 

Julie Jiskra Seymour, ‘87 

Jiskra became only the second female 

in school history to win the Frank E. 

Robins Award for outstanding senior 

athlete in 1987. 

She was a three-time state cross country 

champion, and a two-time state champion 

in the 800-meters, 1,600 meters, and 

3,200 meters. At the Meet of Champs, 

Jiskra won the 1,600 three consecutive 

years, setting the state record of 5:01.1 as 

a junior in 1986. She helped the Wampus 

Cats win the 1986 state cross country 

championship and state track and field 

titles in 1986 and 1987. She also played 

basketball and golf. 

As a high schooler, she traveled with 

Athletes in Action to China to compete 

in a 3-mile race, finishing 3rd among 

females. 

Jiskra received an athletic scholarship to 

Rice University. 

In 1991, she earned NCAA Division 

I All-American honors in the 10,000 

meters, finishing 4th at the outdoor 

championships. She was also named an 

Academic All-American. 

Jiskra ran the 10,000 meters in the TAC 

Outdoor Championships in New York, 

qualifying for the 1991 Olympic Sports 

Festival. She placed 6th in the Olympic 

Sports Festival 10,000 meters in Los 

Angeles. 

Her senior year, Jiskra was the recipient 

of Joyce Pounds Hardy Award for most 

outstanding female athlete at Rice. She 

was also the recipient of the Fred J. and 

Florence Stancliff Award for academic 

achievement and outstanding track and 

field performance at Rice. 

She competed in the 1992 Olympic Trials 

in New Orleans in the 10,000 meters. 

Still competing, Jiskra was the Cat 2 

Women’s South Carolina State Mountain 

Bike Champion in 2017 and age group 

Marathon Mountain Bike National 

Champion in 2018. 


Gregory Lasker, ‘82 

Lasker won the Frank E. Robins Award 

for outstanding senior athlete in 1982. 

As a junior, he led the Wampus Cats to 

the 1981 AAAA state track championship, 

taking first in the 100 and 220-yard 

dashes and as part of the mile relay. He 

later won the 100 at the Meet of Champs. 

As a senior, Lasker won four events at 

the state meet – the 100, 200 and 400 

meters and as part of the 1,600-meter 

relay. He then won the 100 and 200 at 

the Meet of Champs. 

Lasker still holds Conway High School 

records in the 200 and 400 meters. 

He earned a football scholarship to 

the University of Arkansas where he 

was a four-year starter at safety for the 

Razorbacks from 1982-1985. 

As a freshman, he also did little fill-in 

work for John McDonnell’s track team, 

running a few 1600-meter relays. 

Back on the gridiron, Lasker was named 

a team captain as a senior and won 

the school’s Bruce Mitchell Award for 

toughness. 

He earned AlI-Southwest Conference 

honors and played in the East-West 

Shrine Game following his final season. 

He ranks seventh on the UA’s career 

interception return yards list with 155 

and is tied for 12th in career interceptions 

with nine. 

The New York Giants selected him in 

the second round of the 1986 draft. He 

played three seasons in the NFL. In his 

rookie year, they won Super Bowl XXI 

under head coach Bill Parcells. 

Lasker was named to the Razorback’s 

all-decade team of the 1980’s and has 

been inducted into the University of 

Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor. 

Mike Neuhofel, ‘85 

Like many kids growing up in Conway, 

Neuhofel played a multitude of sports, 

but it was in the pool where he achieved 

a level of success that few can match. 

He began swimming with Bob 

Courtway and the Hendrix Aquakids 

at the relatively late age of 14. He also 

swam for the Little Rock Racquet Club 

Dolphins, travelling throughout the 

United States to compete. 

Standing 6’6”, Neuhofel became a 

high school All-American swimmer at 

Conway High and a four-time junior 

national champion. 

The Arkansas Gazette named him as the 

state’s 1985 high school swimmer of the 

year. That year he broke the state record 

in the 50-meter freestyle. 

After weighing several scholarship 

offers, Neuhofel signed to swim for the 

University of Arkansas. He became a 

ten-time All-American and was named 

the Razorback’s most valuable swimmer 

from 1986-1988. He also set the school 

record in the 50-meter freestyle. 

Nine times he was named All-Southwest 

Conference and was a two-time SWC 

champion. 

While specializing in the freestyle sprints, 

Neuhofel also excelled in the longer 

distances, medleys, and in relays. 

He was a member of the United States 

National Team from 1986-1988 and 

was internationally ranked in 1987 and 

1988. He was a finalist at the 1988 U.S. 

Olympic Trials. 

Neuhofel won a gold medal at the 

National Sports Festival and a silver 

medal at 1987 PanAm Games in the 

50-meter freestyle. 

After graduating from college, he later 

returned to Conway to coach the 

Aquakids for a time. Neuhofel has been 

inducted into the Arkansas Swimming 

Hall of Fame. 

Gregory Lasker, ‘82 

Mike Neuhofel, ‘85 


Mike New, ‘69 

J.B. Pendergraft, ‘66 

Mike New, ‘69 

New won the Frank E. Robins Award for 

outstanding senior athlete in 1969. 

He quarterbacked the Wampus Cats to 

20 wins over two seasons, going 10-1 in 

1967 and 10-2 in 1968. 

The 1967 squad won the Region 3AA 

West conference championship. There 

were no playoffs back then, but the 

Arkansas Gazette ranked Conway High as 

the #1 team in Class AA. 

New was twice an all-state selection in 

football and played in the 1969 all-star 

game. He also earned All-American 

honors as a senior. 

New was an all-state basketball player 

and also ran track. As a senior, his 

teammates selected him as co-captain in 

both football and basketball. 

New was recruited by colleges from all 

over the country, but chose the University 

of Arkansas. Frank Broyles personally flew 

to Conway to sign him to a scholarship. 

As a freshman, New was moved to defensive 

back. Wanting to play quarterback, 

he transferred to the University of Central 

Arkansas where he lettered in 1971. 

New served as an assistant coach at 

Conway High from 1975-1979. 

He had a long and distinguished career 

as a football referee. From 1980-1992, he 

officiated high school games, including 

two state championships. 

In the college ranks, New worked the 

Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference from 

1983-1986 and the Southland Conference 

from 1987-1991. 

From 1992-2009, he worked as a back 

judge in the Southeastern Conference. 

He was selected to officiate the 2000 

SEC Championship Game, as well as 

six bowl games. He still works as an 

SEC replay official. 

New has been inducted into the Arkansas 

Officials Association Hall of Fame. 

J.B. Pendergraft, ‘66 

Pendergraft won the Frank E. Robins 

Award for outstanding senior athlete in 

1966. 

He was one of the best all-around 

athletes to ever come out of Conway 

High School. 

An all-state basketball player, he was also 

an outstanding sprinter on the track team. 

In football, he was a key member of 

the most celebrated team in Wampus 

Cat history. 

As a junior in 1964, Pendergraft was 

a two-way starter for the undefeated 

state champions. 

When Conway beat class AAA 

powerhouse and No. 1 ranked Little 

Rock Central 7-0 late in the season, 

Pendergraft scored the game’s only 

touchdown, going in on fourth and 

goal from the one-yard line. That 

victory propelled the Cats to their first 

state championship. Conway went a 

perfect 11-0 and won the 3AA conference 

title. There were no playoffs back 

then, but Conway became the first AA 

school to be ranked No. 1 overall at 

season’s end. 

Pendergraft was named all-state in 1964 

and 1965 and played in the 1966 all-star 

football game as a senior. He originally 

signed with the University of Arkansas 

and played for their freshman team, the 

Shoats, in 1966. Pendegraft transferred 

to the University of Central Arkansas, 

where he lettered from 1968-1970. 

His versatility was further showcased 

at UCA. As a sophomore in 1968, he 

registered offensive statistics in rushing, 

passing and receiving. On defense, he 

intercepted a pass. On special teams, 

he logged punt return yards and kickoff 

return yards. He even punted once, for 

48 yards. 

Pendergraft later served as a coach in 

the Conway School District. 


Lawson Pilgrim, ‘76 

Pilgrim was simply a winner on 

the basketball court. From the 7th 

through 12th grades, his teams went a 

combined 141-11. 

As a sophomore, he was a starter on 

Conway’s 1974 AAA state championship 

squad. As a senior, he was a part of one 

of the greatest teams in state history. 

The 1976 Wampus Cats captured the 

AAA state championship, with Pilgrim 

earning tournament MVP honors. The 

Cats then won the school’s only Overall 

title, finishing the season a perfect 36-0. 

Pilgrim was named all-state in 1975 

and 1976 and played in the state high 

school all-star game as a senior. 

He signed a scholarship with the 

University of Arkansas, where he 

lettered as a freshman. 

Pilgrim then transferred back home 

to Hendrix College. After a redshirt 

year, he was ready to play for the 

Warriors, but the following season, he 

had tendonitis in both knees and was 

told that he would not be able to play. 

Though well under 100%, Pilgrim did 

play and was the hardest worker on the 

court, helping the Warriors to a runnerup 

finish in the AIC. 

Hendrix coach Cliff Garrison said Pilgrim 

was one of the greatest competitors he 

ever saw in his 41 years of coaching. 

The next two seasons with healthy 

legs, Pilgrim led Hendrix to back-toback 

AIC crowns. 

Twice named All-AlC, he became 

the only Hendrix player ever named 

first-team NAIA All-American in 1981. 

Pilgrim went on to play internationally 

for Athletes in Action. 

He was inducted into the inaugural 

class of the Hendrix Sports Hall of 

Honor. 

Ernest Ruple, ‘63 

Ruple was an all-state football player in 

1962. 

He was also a standout on the track 

team where he set a school record in 

the discus while helping the Wampus 

Cats win the 1963 state championship. 

He accepted a football scholarship to 

the University of Arkansas. Freshmen 

were ineligible to play with the varsity 

in those days, but Ruple was a member 

of the team when the Razorbacks won 

the 1964 national championship. 

Ruple became a three-year letterman 

on the offensive line for the Hogs from 

1965-1967. 

He helped the Razorbacks win the 

Southwest Conference title in 1965 and 

played in the 1966 Cotton Bowl. 

The 1967 Sports Illustrated college 

football preview issue stated, “The 

backs will all run behind Ernest Ruple, 

who is 6’5” and 252 pounds of tackle 

– the only big man in Broyles’ camp. 

Ruple is a relic of the glorious era, just 

ended, when Arkansas was both big 

and fast.” 

That senior season, Ruple was a team 

captain and earned All-SWC honors. 

His outstanding play earned him invitations 

to the East-West Shrine Game and 

to the Senior Bowl. 

Pittsburgh drafted Ruple in the 2nd 

round of the 1968 NFL draft with the 

36th overall selection. He played two 

seasons with the Steelers. 

Ruple later got into coaching. He 

returned to his alma mater as an 

assistant, and was named head football 

coach of the Wampus Cats in 1975. 

Ruple’s 1976 squad finished 9-3, 

winning the AAAA West Conference 

title. His two-year record at Conway 

High was 15-8. 

Lawson Pilgrim, ‘76 

Ernest Ruple, ‘63 


Kenny Smith, ‘67 

Dandra Thomas (right), ‘94 

Kenny Smith, ‘67 

As a football player, Smith was a 

member of Conway High School’s 

1964 state championship team and was 

a co-captain as a senior in 1966. He 

also played basketball for the Cats. 

He later played football at the University 

of Central Arkansas, where he lettered 

for the Bears as a lineman in 1970. 

Smith then began a coaching career 

that took him to stops in North Little 

Rock, Cabot and Magnolia. He retuned 

to his alma mater as an assistant 

football coach in 1984. 

Smith also served as head track & field 

coach for four years during this time, 

winning the AAAA-North conference 

title each season. His team captured the 

AAAA state championship in 1989 and 

finished as state runner-up twice. 

But Smith got his dream job in 1991 

when he was named head football 

coach of the Conway High School 

Wampus Cats. 

He is the longest tenured coach in 

school history, serving 18 years from 

1991-2008. 

His career record is 129-75, good for a 

winning percentage of 63.2. 

His 129 wins are the most in school 

history. That total represented almost 

one-quarter of all Wampus Cat football 

victories at the time. 

Smith had 12 winning seasons, six 

conference championships, and 13 

playoff appearances. His 1993 squad 

finished as AAAAA state runner-up. 

He also coached in two All-Star 

football games. 

All told, Smith coached for 25 years at 

Conway High School. Few have ever 

been more proud to wear the blue 

and white. 

The annual Kenny Smith Wampus 

Cat Open golf tournament is named 

in his honor. 

Dandra Thomas, ‘94 

Thomas was a basketball, volleyball 

and track star at Conway High, 

and was honored in 1994 with the 

inaugural Ruth Doyle Award for 

outstanding female senior athlete. 

Her 9th grade basketball team at 

Conway Junior High began the 

program’s remarkable 140-game 

winning streak. As a sophomore, she 

led the Lady Cats to their first state 

final appearance. 

As a junior, she set the single season 

scoring mark with 470 points, and 

by the time she graduated, she had 

become the program’s career scorer 

leader with 1,279 points. 

Thomas was twice named all-state 

in basketball. The Arkansas Democrat- 

Gazette named her the state’s Female 

Athlete of the Year in 1993. 

She also earned all-state honors in 

volleyball. Her versatility was further 

showcased in track & field, where she 

ran the 400, high jumped and threw 

the discus. 

After high school, Thomas signed to play 

basketball at Oral Roberts University. 

She spent a short time there before 

transferring back home to the 

University of Central Arkansas where 

she would play both basketball and 

volleyball for the Sugar Bears. 

On the hardwood, she was a first 

team All-Gulf South Conference West 

Division selection for the 1996-97 

season. She was also named to the GSC 

All-Tournament team in 1997. 

She was selected as Conway High 

School’s Beauty Review Queen in 1993 

and participated in other pageants where 

she showcased her many talents. It was 

not unusual for her to sing the National 

Anthem at a game before she would play. 

Dandra Thomas passed away in 2003 

at age 27. 


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mental health 

Transitions: 

Embracing the Journey 

BY DETRA CLARK, LCSW 

As I transition from the season of 

winter (my winter literally ended 

last week) into spring, the topic of 

transition seemed fitting for this month’s 

edition of Faulkner Lifestyle. It’s odd to 

write about Spring with its beautiful 

blooms, pastel colors and returning 

greenery as I look at everything covered in 

white snow from my home in Minnesota. 

In my recent relocation from the South 

to the North I am learning much about 

the process of accepting and embracing 

change. The definition of transition is the 

passage from one state, stage, subject or 

place to another. Synonyms – change, 

move, passage, transformation, conversion, 

adaptation, adjustment, alteration, 

changeover, metamorphosis. 

Most commonly change is described as 

hard. As I walk through my own change, 

I can attest that for me this has been a 

true statement. Not hard in the sense 

that my new place isn’t one that I love 

or feel connected to, but hard because of 

the friction of letting go of what’s behind 

me, while reaching for what’s in front of 

me. Hard because fully looking ahead 

is limited if your focal point is behind 

you. Philippians 3:13 describes it this 

way “Forgetting the past and looking 

forward to what lies ahead, I press on to 

reach the end of the race.” 

The question that has continually been 

before me is “how do I forget the past?” 

Picture a dry erase board full of words 

and art completely covered from top 

to bottom. Now visualize erasing it, 

leaving it totally blank. A clean slate. 

Transition can often feel like this. 

Perhaps you are in a transition of your 

own. Maybe not a relocation. Maybe a 

career change, divorce, marriage, new 

friendship, friendship recently ended, 

grieving the loss of a loved one, recently 


diagnosed with an illness, or maybe 

none of the above. Perhaps your transition 

is one of feeling stagnant or unclear 

about your next step. A transition can 

take many forms and is only defined by 

the one experiencing it. I would like to 

encourage you with a few lessons I am 

learning from my present journey. 

• Hold on loosely to your expectations. 

Your plans may turn out 

differently than you imagined. It 

doesn’t mean you are in the wrong 

place or that you have taken the 

wrong path. Loose expectations allow 

for sudden changes, different routes 

and surprises along the way. Often 

our own plans can actually be barriers 

to our destination. Emily P. Freeman 

in her podcast the Next Right Thing 

explains that viewing a transition as 

starting again rather than starting over 

can shift our mindset and our posture. 

This can often be a way to reset, start 

again one day at a time. 

• Don’t be disappointed if others 

don’t understand your transition. 

It doesn’t mean they don’t care or 

are unsupportive. It simply means 

someone who hasn’t experienced 

what you are walking through can’t 

fully appreciate your journey without 

having gone through it themselves. 

• “Trust the process, embrace the 

journey” – author unknown 

• Some days you have clarity 

and know exactly where you 

need to be and how to proceed, 

and other days you do not. Not 

knowing what’s next is not wrong, 

maybe it just means it’s not time to 

do anything yet. 

• Transitions and change can be 

painful. Pain is a change agent. 

Do not numb or ignore your pain. 

Pay attention to it. Find its root. Lean 

into it not away. With almost every 

transition – good or bad, expected 

or unexpected there is always an 

element of grief and loss. It is necessary 

to recognize the presence of 

loss and allow yourself to grieve it. 

Personally, some areas that I needed 

to grieve were recognized almost 

immediately – my church of 10 years, 

my children’s schools, my gym, 

my home, and others were things 

I was not even aware that I would 

need to grieve. For example, the ease 

of driving through town without 

needing to use my GPS, trading 

southern hospitality for Minnesota 

“nice” as they call it, and subtle things 

that I have often taken for granted 

have become more noticeable in this 

season. 

• Talk about it. Allow yourself to 

be vulnerable. It has been a strange 

contradiction for me to feel peace 

and love for the new place we are 

in while grieving what I left behind. 

This contradiction often leaves me 

feeling that if I acknowledge feelings 

of sadness or grief I will be misunderstood 

or seem unhappy. I am 

learning it is possible to experience 

joy and grief at the same time. When 

I give myself permission to process 

what I’m feeling, old friends and new 

acquaintances remind me that my 

feelings are normal. Validation and 

support foster healing. 

A final thought from Nancy Levin, 

“honor the space between no 

longer and not yet.” Blessings and 

courage to you in your transitions. 

Detra Clark’s heart is to bring deep healing that goes beyond the framework of traditional therapy. She incorporates 

a variety of modalities that address the whole person; mind, body, and spirit. By doing so she is able to bring about 

lasting change and help individuals overcome obstacles and unhealthy mindsets they have previously been unable 

to conquer. Detra’s approach is unique in that she incorporates faith and spirituality to help client’s feel grounded 

in a way they have never experienced before. This approach allows clients to identify deep seeded wounds and 

actually bring about healing instead of just learning to cope. She is able to meet each client where they are and 

incorporate their individual and unique beliefs to bring about this change. Detra is a native of Arkansas. Outside of 

Counseling she enjoys spending time with her husband Bryan and their 4 children, exercising, traveling. 

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spotlight 

Beyond the Basics: 

Tucker Creek Vet 

BY JENNIFER STANLEY 


Tucker Creek Vet opened its 

doors in 2016 to rave reviews 

from Conway animal lovers. 

Located at 2725 College Avenue, the 

“companion” animal practice treats 

almost any animal someone would 

have as a pet. “In practical application, 

we see mostly dogs and cats, with the 

occasional rabbit, gerbil, hamster, etc. 

in the mix.” 

Thomas Cabantac is the veterinarian/ 

owner at Tucker Creek Vet, and his wife 

Jenny is the office manager. The couple 

has three daughters: Madden, 12; 

London, 10; and Quinn, 7. They also 

have two miniature schnauzers: Atlas, 

5 and Ollie, 3. “They are definitely fullfledged 

family members,” says Jenny. 

As early as high school, Thomas began 

brainstorming a way to combine his love 

of both animals and science together in 

the field of veterinary medicine. “Once 

he had the thought, he never looked 

back,” says Jenny. He went on to earn 

his undergraduate degree in biology/ 

pre-veterinarian studies from UCA, and 

attended veterinarian school at Tuskegee 

University in Alabama. 

Upon graduating from vet school in 

2005, he started practicing medicine in 

Conway. He was an associate and later 

a partner at St. Francis Veterinary Clinic 

until 2016. “He has always had a dream 

to build and open his own practice, and 

the timing just felt right. After practicing 

veterinary medicine for 11 years, he had 

a really good idea of how he wanted 

the space to evolve. It was really fun 

watching his dreams come to life, first 

via hand-drawn sketches, then with our 

architect, and later as the construction 

process began,” explains Jenny. 

Today, Tucker Creek Vet is a thriving 

business. They offer almost any service 

a pet may need, including general 

medicine, such as exams, dental services, 

diagnostic imaging, and more. They 

also provide preventative care, including 

heartworms, wellness exams, and 

vaccinations. Other offerings include 

reproductive health services and surgical 

procedures. They also offer microchipping, 

boarding, and grooming. For a 


comprehensive list of offerings, visit their 

website at www.TuckerCreekVet.com. 

Beyond the basics, the Cabantacs strive 

to stand out in their practice. “We have 

relationships with our clients/patients. 

We schedule appointments in such a 

way that Dr. C and the technicians have 

time to personally visit with every client. 

We answer questions, share information, 

or just get to know one another better. 

We could see more patients in a day 

if we scheduled differently, but it is 

important to us to not forgo the personal 

connection between the client, patient, 

and veterinary team,” they say. 

Dr. Cabantac 

“Another area where we hope to stand 

out is client education. We feel strongly 

that pet parents should be empowered 

to have as much information as possible 

in taking care of their fur babies. This 

includes breed information, health 

information, diagnostic information, 

treatment options, etc. Our hope is that 

our clients leave every interaction with 

the information needed to make smart 

decisions for the health of their pet.” 

Tucker Creek Vet endeavors to provide 

all services a pet parent needs, a virtual 

one-stop-shop. “By providing grooming 

and boarding services in-house in addition 

to veterinary care, we hope to simplify 

our clients’ lives. We also aim to reduce 

anxiety in our patients having to get used 

to one place for veterinary care, a different 

place for boarding, and yet a third place 

for their grooming needs. We hope (and 

have been told) it is a great benefit to 

our clients when they can, for example, 

have their pet vaccinated while here for 

boarding or have their dog’s ears looked at 

while here for grooming,” says Jenny. 

Jenny works as the practice office 

manager. “In application, I like to think 

of myself as the support person. My job 

is to make sure our staff and our clients 

have everything they need. I deal with 

client issues and concerns, handle our 

human resources, manage the books, 

run payroll, assist with ordering and 

inventory, plan fun outings for our team, 

and on my favorite days, spend plenty 

of minutes loving on new puppies and 

chatting with clients,” she says. 

When asked what he most enjoys about 

his veterinary practice, Thomas shares, 

“After 14 years, I can easily say what 

I most enjoy about my work is the 

opportunity to see a new puppy or kitten 

as they are just joining their family and 

being able to walk beside them through 

their life. I get to watch as they grow. I’m 

able to assist through any injury or illness 

that may occur, and I even have the honor 

to be with them and their family through 

the end of their life in many cases.” 

The Cabantacs agree their workload is 

both a huge blessing and a challenge. 

“We are very busy. I want to be able to 


lo 

“ 

Our hope is that our clients leave every 

interaction with the information needed to make 

smart decisions for the health of their pet. 

” 

see every client and patient as soon as 

they need/want to be seen, and there are 

many days when we simply run out of 

time to be able to fit everyone in. We are 

actively seeking a second veterinarian, 

and we are looking forward to finding 

the perfect fit for our Tucker Creek Vet 

team,” says Thomas. 

When asked of a memorable or comical 

moment from his career, Thomas shares, 

“Probably the funniest story of my career 

occurred when I was two or three years 

into practicing. I was de-scenting a skunk 

– yes, that’s a thing, and yes, people have 

skunks as pets – and we ended up being 

sprayed by the skunk in the process. It 

was as awful as you are imagining. The 

entire clinic smelled like skunk spray for 

at least a week after. This may or may not 

have impacted my decision to not treat 

skunks at Tucker Creek Vet,” he laughs. 

Both Thomas and Jenny agree the most 

surprising outcome since opening Tucker 

Creek Vet has been its quick growth. 

Jenny adds, “We have grown much faster 

than we ever anticipated. Most of our 

new clients come as a personal referral 

from a friend. This means so much to us. 

We are incredibly grateful to our faithful 

clients who not only continue to trust us 

with their fur babies, but to also refer us 

to their friends/neighbors/co-workers. 

We love the City of Conway and feel 

very blessed to own a business in this 

wonderful community of people.” 

28 faulkner lifestyle | may 2O19 

2725 COLLEGE AVE • CONWAY • 501-329-2940 

TUCKERCREEKVET.COM

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travel 

The ancient city of Ait Ben Haddou, a stopping place for the 

caravans traveling from the Sahara thru Morocco to Europe. 

The Kingdom of Morocco 

“ 

I‘ll leave you with 

one last thought: When 

Hitler demanded the 

King turn over the Jews 

living in Morocco, his 

response was, ”We are 

all Moroccans here.“ That 

culture continues today. 

” 

—Mary Etta 

BY MARY ETTA QUALLS 

Hello again Faulkner Lifestyle 

readers, it has been awhile since 

my last article, and I’m excited 

to share with you my adventures in 

Morocco. I have to admit, I was a 

bit apprehensive about traveling to 

Northern Africa. My travel partner 

(husband Bret) had been trying to 

convince me to go for a few years 

so to celebrate his 60th I reluctantly 

agreed to go. Little did I know it 

would be one of the best adventures 

we have had so far. 

How to get there 

There are many travel options to get to 

Morocco once you are in Europe. We 

chose to fly from Paris to Marrakesh, 

an easy short flight and inexpensive 

compared to other flights. But there 

are many regular flights from Spain, 

England and France. We traveled from 

Marrakesh to Casablanca with a driver, 

but there is the famous Marrakesh 

express that goes between the two 

cities. We flew home from Casablanca 

via Madrid, Spain. 


ABOVE: The world famous city square in Marakesh, called Jemaa el-Fnaa. BELOW: Snake charmer and king cobra. 

First impressions 

When we arrived in Marrakesh, I had 

no idea what to expect. I had talked to 

friends who had lived and traveled in 

Morocco, but I was still a bit skeptical. 

My first impression was that we had 

landed in Palm Springs, warm and 

sunny, palm tree lined streets. I knew my 

husband had opted to stay in the historic 

part of the city, the ancient Medina. It 

was a large city, surrounded by a mud 

wall. I was completely fascinated from 

the second we turned into the gates of 

the city. A few blocks into the city, our 

driver stopped in front of a motorcycle 


ABOVE: Ceiling opening up in the 

mosque in Casablanca. BELOW: Koyo 

dancers spin to the hypnotic music of 

the gnawa musicians. 

The minaret tower in Casablanca, tallest tower in the world, fifth largest mosque 

in the world. 

repair shop and an alley. He got out our 

luggage and started down the alley… I 

looked at my husband with a ‘what the 

heck?’ look, like ‘where in the world is 

this guy going with our bags?’ This isn’t 

a resort — this is a very narrow, cobblestone 

alley to nowhere. We stopped at a 

door along the alley and went inside. Let 

me just say WOW! I was not prepared 

for what I saw. This was an historic hotel 

with three restaurants, a traditional spa 

(Hammam), a heated pool, gardens and 

a cooking school. There were Berber 

rugs, antiques, and art, and most of the 

walls were covered in leather. I could 

have stayed here for a month and never 

left the resort. Jackie O and Churchill 

were two notables that stayed here. 

Food 

One of the most notable things about 

Morocco is the food. They prepare 

most of their dishes in a dome shaped 

terra-cotta vessel called a tagine. The 

ingredients are basic: chicken, olives, 

pickled lemons, olive oil. It’s the 

Moroccan spices that make the food so 

special. The tagine spice is made up of 

35 different spices. The main ingredient 

is saffron, but this taste and smell is 

one I’ll never forget. Another famous 

dish was the pastilla. It is a flaky pastry 

layered with either chicken or pigeon, 

cinnamon and sugar. It was so tasty. 

The pigeon is traditional but hard to 

find, so we opted for chicken. For sure 

I’ll try the pigeon next time! 

A day in Marrakesh 

Our first day in Marrakesh we hired a 

guide to take us through the ancient 

market place (souks). We did this 

to ensure we didn’t get lost and to 

help with the language barrier. Most 

everyone spoke English, but it was 

mixed with Arabic and some French. 

Plus, the hotel helped us get someone 

that would give us a history and culture 

lesson as we made our way through 

the shops. 

There is really nothing that describes 

our experience in the souks. Just 

knowing we were walking through 

ancient alleys was fascinating. It was 

sensory overload with the smells, 

38 faulkner lifestyle | may 2019

Marble bathing rooms in the basement of the mosque. 

Inside the mosque. 

colors, Arabic art, antiques, silver, 

handmade Berber rugs. We saw so 

many amazing things. I have to admit 

I did buy a few pairs of shoes, and a 

handmade rug. The rugs are made by 

women in the Atlas Mountains. One 

woman may make only one rug in 

her lifetime depending on the size and 

designs. That was the other benefit 

to hiring a guide — he took us to 

reputable shops with quality materials. 

It would be very easy to get ripped off 

without a guide. 

We spent all day meandering through 

the alleys and barely saw a fraction 

of the souks. When the sun started 

going down we went to the famous 

city square, Jemaa el-Fnaa. This was an 

experience I’ll never forget. The sites, 

smells and sounds were like nothing 

I have ever experienced before. Snake 

charmers, monkeys, open air restaurants, 

food stands, gnawa musicians 

playing their trance-like music, with 

Koyo dancers spinning and spinning. 

Movie set of Cleopatra at Atlas Studios. 


Bret with our cultural guide 

Pictures and videos cannot do it justice. 

But at 9:00 PM, the streets roll up and 

everyone is home by 10:00. 

A trip to the desert 

No trip to Africa would be complete 

without a trip to the desert. Again, 

I didn’t know what to expect. We 

hired an experienced driver to take us 

through the Atlas mountain pass to the 

desert. This ancient mountain pass was 

used by the caravans bringing silks and 

spices to Europe. The roads were under 

construction so it was a long trip there 

and back, but so worth it. 

When we got to Ouarzazate, I really 

thought we were on the West Coast. 

We visited the world’s largest movie 

studio, Atlas Studios. Lawrence of 

Arabia, Game of Thrones, Cleopatra, 

Gladiator, too many to name. You can 

read about it on the internet — too 

many to list in this article. It was 

fascinating to see the old movie sets 

and recognize them. We also toured the 

ancient city of Ait Ben Haddou, a stopping 

place for the caravans traveling 

from the Sahara to Marrakesh. 

Casablanca 

Our third day we traveled to Casablanca. 

It was a great place to see once, a very 

large city with white buildings. We ate 

at the famous Rick’s Café, which was a 

real treat. 

Casablanca is also home to the fifth 

largest mosque in the world, with the 

tallest tower minaret in the world, built 

right on the Atlantic Ocean. Our guide 

said it cost the equivalent of $1 Billion to 

build it today. There is enough room for 

105,000 people to worship. That’s a very 

large facility! It is also one of the only 

mosques in the world that allows non- 

Muslims to enter. We were able to spend 

some time in the mosque, and learn 

more about the culture. The bottom 

floor is where men prepare themselves 

Rug shopping in the souks of Marrakesh. 


to enter the mosque by washing in 

large marble basins. The women wash 

and worship separately of course. Men 

are allowed on the main floor and the 

women are allowed to worship on the 

third floor that is blocked from view 

with lattice. Very different than what we 

are used to in Faulkner County for sure. 

The building was massive and the ceiling 

would actually open up to be an open 

air building. Much to our surprise they 

opened it while we were there. 

I hope you enjoy the pictures and 

experiences from Morocco. I asked my 

husband “Why did it take us so long 

to discover this amazing place, and 

when are we going back?” It truly was 

a beautiful, culturally diverse, and safe 

place to travel. 

I‘ll leave you with one last thought: 

When Hitler demanded the King turn 

over the Jews living in Morocco, his 

response was, ”We are all Moroccans 

here.“ That culture continues today. 


“ 

They prepare most of their dishes 

in a dome shaped terra-cotta vessel 

called a tagine. The ingredients 

are basic: chicken, olives, pickled 

lemons, olive oil. The tagine spice is 

made up of 35 different spices. 

” 

LEFT: Pastilla – flaky pastry layered with cinnamon and 

sugar and pigeon or chicken. RIGHT: Chicken Tagine. 

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spotlight 

Stefanie Schrekenhofer-Dace 

Always Open! 

PHOTO BY BRANDY STRAIN-DAYER 

RE/MAX Elite 

Worman Properties, LLC 

S & K Investors, LLC 

How long have you been in business 

in Faulkner County? I am a lifelong 

resident of Faulkner County. I began 

managing commercial properties 

in 2000 for family properties and 

became a full-fledged realtor in 2012. 

What do you love most about 

your business and why? Being a 

realtor and property manager is so 

rewarding. Meeting new clients and 

working with people I have known 

for years and getting to reconnect 

through real estate is the biggest perk 

of the business! 

How has your business changed/ 

evolved over time? Over time, my 

business has grown through referrals. 

There is no better compliment or 

reward in this business than a client 

having a wonderful experience with 

me and sharing with their friends, 

family and co-workers! 

What sets you apart from other 

businesses in your industry? Being a 

realtor and property company owner 

puts me on the front line of this 

amazing community we call home. I 

love that I can be the first to introduce 

someone new to our hometown, or 

that I can be the professional who 

guides someone to their newest 

endeavor in their community. It’s an 

exciting career for sure, with every 

client and transaction being unique. 

How are you involved in your 

community/county? Member of the 

National Association of Realtors and 

the Arkansas Realtors Association, 

where I serve on the Professional 

Standards Committee and the Public 

Relations Committee. I am currently 

serving as Secretary for the Faulkner 

County Board of Realtors, and serve 

on the Special Olympics Committee. I 

am also currently a Board Member of 

the United Way of Central Arkansas. I 

am a member of Business Networking 

International (BNI) and serve on their 

Membership Committee. 

I have earned several awards, 

including the Award for Excellence 

in February for 2018 production, 

but the surprise award for me this 

year was winning the Congeniality 

Award through my local real estate 

board. What a surprise and honor for 

my peers to select me for this. It was 

truly an amazing night! 

Who is/was your inspiration for 

owning a business and why? Growing 

up in Faulkner County and watching 

my dad grow and succeed in business 

in Faulkner County has been a 

blessing. Attending Conway Schools 

and graduating from the University 

of Central Arkansas gives a vested 

interest in my community. I am so 

thankful that I am able to raise my 

family here, and that all my children 

and grandchildren are connected to 

this amazing place we call home. 

What plans do you have for the 

future? My future could not be any 

brighter with the support I receive 

from my husband and children, and 

all my clients who make my career 

so fulfilling. I am so thankful to God 

for choosing this as our place in this 

world to call home. : ) 

RE/MAX Elite Office 

2450 Donaghey Ave 


“ 

I love that I can be the first to introduce 

someone new to our hometown, or that I can 

be the professional who guides someone to 

their newest endeavor in their community. 

” 


eauty 

Brazilian Waxing 

I 

get asked about Brazilan Waxing 

at least 10 times a day. As women 

we are all intrigued and frightened 

about having this area waxed. Once you 

have it done you will probably never go 

without waxing this area again. Many 

women contemplate the advantages and 

disadvantages of waxing over shaving, 

particularly when it comes to the bikini 

area. Bikini waxing is one of the most 

popular types of waxing done by women, 

along with leg and facial hair removal. 

Concerns about pain during removal and 

cost are sometimes prohibitive, however 

the advantages to waxing over traditional 

shaving definitely make it worth a try. 

Exactly what is Brazilian waxing? It’s a 

type of waxing for the bikini area. The 

procedure normally involves the complete 

removal of all hair in the bikini area, front 

to back. Some types of Brazilian waxing 

leave a small line of hair. It is named after 

Brazil, the country with which it is most 

often associated and from which the 

modern practice originated. 

Is it safe? If you avoid doing anything 

that would cause further irritation to 

the skin before and after, waxing can 

be safe. However, there are other risks 

involved, after the fact. To avoid such a 

fate, especially down there, make your 

next bikini or Brazilian wax appointment 

somewhere you trust that has high 

sanitary and customer service standards. 

Ask your aesthetician what precautions 

she takes to prevent infection and 

discomfort. That way, you can have the 

best experience possible and attain the 

results you desire. 

What is the process? Yes it’s an awkward 

feeling the first time you have a 

Brazilian wax appointment. You will 

be undressed from the waist down and 

will be in some awkward positions 

with your esthetician seeing you up 

close and personal. 

The client begins by completing a Wax 

Questionnaire. If this isn’t done where 

you go – run! The lack of proper intake 

shows the level of care the salon takes 

in general. 

You will remove your clothing from the 

waist down, and use a disinfectant wipe 

to sanitize the area. The procedure will 

begin with a light application of oil spread 

over the area to be waxed. This prevents 

the wax from sticking to the sensitive 

skin. Next, wax is applied in sections 

over the area from which hair is to be 

removed. The wax is allowed to harden 

briefly, then one edge of each wax strip 

is pulled off in the opposite direction of 

the hair growth. The waxer then works 

her way around the area. This procedure 

removes the wax, hair, and any dead skin 

cells lying on the skin surface. A soothing 

and healing post-wax essential oil is 

applied, as well as an antibiotic. 

Does it hurt? Of course ripping hair 

out of follicles isn’t going to be a 

comfortable experience, however, in the 

hands of an experienced esthetician the 

process is only slightly painful. The skill 


and experience of the service provider 

is key. The first time you do it, you 

may need breaks and a slower pace to 

acclimate to the new experience. Most 

say they have less discomfort during 

subsequent treatments. There are 

over-the-counter products available if 

you are very sensitive. It is not recommended 

to wax immediately before 

(or during) your period when you are 

generally most sensitive. About a week 

after your period, if you can time it that 

way, is the ideal time. 

I recommend working with a licensed 

Esthetician (skincare professional) to 

perform this procedure. There can be 

complications, side effects, or contraindications 

to the treatment, and a skincare 

professional can address these. 

How long will the benefits of a Brazilian 

wax last? It really depends, but typically 

3-4 weeks. Hair grows at different 

cycles, depending on the person and 

sometimes your cultural background. 

Also, shaved hair does not grow back 

in one cycle. Sometimes after a first 

wax, shaved hair will still appear days 

after the wax. This is typically because 

the client didn’t wait long enough for 

ALL of the hair to grow out. You will, 

however, notice that after a few Brazilian 

Bikini Waxes, your hair will start to 

grow in much slower and finer. 

Benefits of waxing vs. shaving? 

1. Waxing last much longer than shaving. 

Instead of having to shave the area every 

few days, waxing last much longer! 

Of course it also depends on your hair 

growth but it’s safe to say that you can 

go about 3-4 weeks before it gets prickly. 

2. Reduces hair growth. 

Over time waxing reduces the amount of 

hair growth on the area! So the more you 

wax the lesser hair there is over time. 

3. No more razor bums or scarring. 

People ask how to avoid ingrown hair 

or razor bum on your skin. The easy 

answer is to simply pluck or wax, 

because when you shave it removes 

the hair on the surface of your skin by 

cutting it off with a razor instead of 

removing the hair with the root, hence 

resulting in razor burns or even nicks or 

cuts sometimes. 

4. Waxing is fast and convenient. 

Instead of sitting in your bathroom for 15 

minutes shaving your legs or bikini area, 

waxing is much quicker. 

5. Softer skin. 

Wax strips usually contains Vitamin E, 

Aloe Vera and other ingredients that are 

beneficial or soothing to your skin. It also 

helps remove the dead skin cells, keeping 

your skin soft, lighter and more smooth. 

Tips for a successful 

experience: 

Use a licensed professional (an esthetic or 

cosmetology state license is required to 

be posted for public view). 

Make sure the working conditions of the 

waxing salon, as well as the supplies, are 

clean and sanitary. 

Get all your questions answered before 

you start (preferably on the phone when 

making appointment). Be sure to discuss 

medications you take, medical history, 

contraindications, and other concerns. 

Think about taking an anti-inflammatory 

before your appointment to help reduce 

swelling and discomfort. 

Discuss post wax care before you leave 

the salon. At home you may need to 

use a product that helps prevent “acne.” 

Again, ask your professional what she 

recommends for YOU. 

Hard (strip-less) wax is best as it is 

designed for sensitive areas. 

Angela Jackson, Licensed 

Aesthetician, offers 

microcurrent facials and 

other anti aging facial 

treatments at Studio SKIN 

in downtown Conway. 

Brazilian Wax 


at home 

Downtown Home & Garden 

The Old Conway home of Lynn and Lynn Caldwell is lush in the spring. 


“ 

To plant a garden is to 

believe in tomorrow. 

” 

—Audrey Hepburn 

“ 

We have a mostly Southerntype 

garden. All the plants are 

somewhat related to the South. 

” 

—Mr. Lynn Caldwell 

BY COLLEEN HOLT 


In the middle of Old Conway is a lush, 

landscaped yard that could very well 

be the perfect picture of spring! 

Lynn and Lynn Caldwell have lived at the corner of College 

Avenue and Oliver Street for 41 years. During those years, they 

have spent innumerable hours planting flowers and trees in all 

their favorite colors throughout the entirety of the yard. 

At the Caldwell home you will find the classic mix of 

flowering plants: azaleas, dogwoods, rhododendrons, crape 

myrtles, hostas, tulips, and daffodils. These plants run the 

gamut of size, from trees that tower over the yard, to plants 

that provide a myriad of colors lower to the ground. 


In the Caldwell family, Lynn the husband 

is the planter and maintainer, while Lynn 

the wife chooses the plants. Because the 

yard has several large trees – including 

some beautiful oaks – they try to focus 

on plants that can thrive in shade. “We 

have a mostly Southern-type garden,” he 

said. “All the plants are somewhat related 

to the South. If she picks it out, I’ll plant 

it. We basically like the same things.” 

A mixture of mature and new plants and 

trees are featured in the Caldwell yard. 

Lynn said the home was once owned by 

the Dunaway family, and there is one 

oak tree, and two or three azaleas on the 

end of the house that Mrs. Dunaway 

planted. Another special tree in the yard 

is a pink dogwood given to Lynn when 

his grandmother passed away. 

The landscaping at the Caldwell home 

is very much a permanent fixture, with 

the majority of the plants being ones 

that you don’t have to replant each 

year. Lynn said he spends at least 30 

or 40 minutes each day pulling weeds, 

separating plants and moving plants 

from one place to another. Also, they 

purchase some annuals – petunias, 

impatiens, and pansies, for instance – to 

finish out the beautiful landscape. 

Most of the plants in the yard are 

flowering, which provides lots of color 

for spring, summer and fall. Some of 

the annuals, he said, will bloom a lot of 

the year, and they usually place mums 

in pots on the doorstep to add a little 

more color. Pink is dominant in the 

landscape, with many shades of this 


color represented. “We have pink and 

white dogwoods, and pink and red 

azaleas,” he added. 

Neither of the Caldwells have been 

trained in landscaping or gardening, but 

rather do it as a hobby. Mr. Caldwell 

grew up on a farm at Lepanto in east 

Arkansas, where his father had a garden 

and his mother grew flowers. He 

moved to Conway in 1971 to attend the 

University of Central Arkansas. His wife 

moved to Conway from El Dorado. 

The Caldwells have one daughter, Mary 

Elizabeth Caldwell, who lives in Fayetteville. 

He said they visit her about once a 

month, and he maintains her yard. “She 

tries to keep me out of her yard, but I 

usually sneak out there,” he said. 

All in all, Lynn said the work in the 

garden is a labor of love. “I just read 

articles and see things that I like. I 

sometimes try to duplicate things, but 

it doesn’t always work out,” he said. “I 

enjoy doing it. It’s a lot of work, but I 

like for our yard to look good.” 

“ 

Where flowers 

bloom so does hope. 

” 

—Lady Bird Johnson 

Cinda- 

Owner 

Jennie- 

Production 

Leader 

Brooke- 

Leader 

Assistant 

Waverly- 

Co-Leader 

Sales Floor 

Sarah- 

Leader 

Assistant 

Glo- 

Co-Leader 

Sales Floor 

Dorothy- 

Leader 

Assistant 

Production 


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robin stauffer | owner & art director 

501.730.6725 | conway, ar 

graphics 

&design 

Competition Team Tryouts 

ursday May 9 5:00-7:00 

Sign up at the studio or email irbydance@gmail.com 

www.irbydance.com 

1032 Front Street•Conway • 501.932.6027 

T he gifts MOM really wants! 

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Wilkinson’s 

Shoes • Apparel • Accessories • Jewelry 

50 1165a faulkner Main St. lifestyle • Vilonia | • may (501) 2O19 514-4916 

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Contact us today! 

FaulknerLifestyle@gmail.com 

Raegan Moore 501.472.5988 

Jackie Mahar 501.472.9447 

1212 Harrison Street • Conway 

501.329.shoe • wikinsonsmall.com

etail spotlight 

Harwell Designs 

Kevin and Lori Harwell, Owners 

LOCATION: 1165A Main Street, Vilonia 

BUSINESS HOURS: 10-5pm Tues-Sat. Closed Sun & Mon. 

How long have you been in business in Faulkner County? 

Four years next month. 

What do you love most about your business and why? Our 

loyal customers. When I get the opportunity to help someone 

find an outfit that compliments their body shape or style and 

they leave smiling… that is priceless! 

How has your business evolved over time? We started on a 

very small scale with minimal stock. We asked our customers to 

just pray that we would be exactly what our little community 

needed after the tornados. Our little store has grown at a very 

fast pace and doubled in size due to our loyal customers sharing 

their experiences and us running our business with integrity. 

What are some of the latest trends in your industry? It’s 

funny how the old trends keep rolling back around… bell 

bottoms and bold prints are back y’all! I’m never surprised by 

anything in fashion! 

What sets you apart from other businesses in your 

industry? We are much smaller boutique and spend a lot of our 

time getting to know our customers on a first name basis. I get 

last minute phone calls frequently from customers who need an 

outfit and trust me to throw something together! We love to help! 

How are you involved in your community? We do a lot of 

donations and volunteering. We are always pouring into local 

sports foundations in our community! We also love to spoil our 

teachers with school supply donations every year! 

What do you love most about owning a business in 

Faulkner County? Everyone is super supportive and loves to 

shop local! 

“ 

It‘s funny how the old trends keep 

rolling back around… bell bottoms 

and bold prints are back y‘all! 

” 

—Lori Harwell, Owner 

Who‘s your inspiration for owning a business and why? 

I have always loved interior design and I was blessed while 

growing up to spend time with some of the best. Michelle 

Nabholz and Diana Kirkland always inspired me to want to 

own my own business. 

What plans do you have for the future? Just enjoying each 

day and taking life as it comes. We’re so happy right where we are. 


truth on the go 

Powerful Promises 


BY ANDREA LENNON 

Let me begin by confessing that I 

sometimes struggle with trusting 

God, letting go of control, enjoying 

the journey God has set before me, and 

embracing faith over fear. Like anyone 

else, I have seasons of victory and 

seasons of defeat. The Lord is good, and 

I praise Him for He is faithful even when 

I am not! 

I wonder if you can relate. Do you have 

seasons of victory when you embrace the 

things God has for you, and do you have 

seasons of defeat when you are tempted to 

run the other direction from God and His 

plan? I think all of us can admit that we do! 

Let’s stop right there and allow this truth 

to sink in. God’s goodness, faithfulness, 

and love are not dependent upon our good 

behavior. If they were, we would serve a 

God who keeps score. Thankfully, God 

does not! 

This morning I read 2 Corinthians 6:16 and 

was taken by the love of God. “As God has 

said: I will live with them and walk among 

them, and I will be their God, and they will 

be my people.” (New International Version) 

In this single verse, powerful promises are 

offered to you and me. Promises that have 

the potential to change the direction of our 

lives. For every believer in Jesus Christ, 

these promises provide the way to walk in 

victory instead of defeat! 

God will live with us. The God of the 

universe, the one true holy God, promises 

to live with you and with me. This truth 

forces us to ask ourselves, “How often do 

we think of our lives as living with God?” 

Often when you and I describe our lives 

and the people in our lives, we list the 

people we associate with the most. People 

like our spouse, children, parents, siblings 

or close friends. Today I am reminded how 

often I fail to recognize that I live with 

God. More importantly, God lives with me. 

Jesus made the way when He left heaven, 

came to earth, lived among people, died 

in order to save us from our sins, and rose 

again. Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection 

provides the way for us walk in victory. 

God walks among us. Join me in breathing 

a deep sigh of relief! There is no situation 

that we face alone. None... not even one! 

This powerful promise reminds that God 

willingly walks with us even as we deal 

with the sinfulness of our hearts. It’s like 

God says, “Let’s walk this road together.” 

As we surrender our will to God’s will and 

ask Him to lead the way, we recognize His 

power and, in turn, our weakness. If we 

desire to walk in victory, we must ask God 

to guide our steps. Freedom is knowing 

that God’s plan is always better than our 

plan. Each day, we should wake up and ask, 

“Lord, where are we going today and what 

are we going to do?” And then, we should 

do it! 

God will always be our God and we 

will always be His people. This powerful 

promise helps us to see our lives not as a 

series of disconnected events but rather as a 

journey--- a journey home. There is no end 

to our walk with the Lord. Even in eternity, 

we will continue to walk with God. He 

will always be our God. In response, we 

have the privilege to always be His child. 

Right now, as we trust Him more every 

day, we can look forward to the time when 

we are free from sin and struggle. (Like 

trying to control our lives!) This powerful 

perspective helps us know that what we 

do here on this earth matters, but it’s only 

the beginning. One day we will finally be 

home. This promise sets our hearts free 

from the constant strain created by today. 

God is God and we are His children... both 

now and forever. 

Today, do you need to hear the powerful 

promises in God’s Holy Word? If so, listen 

closely. “God has promised that He will 

live with you and walk among you. God 

will always be your God. And you, sinful 

as you are, will be His people.” Let’s all live 

our lives based on these promises. As we 

do, let’s make the choice to walk in victory 

by trusting God, letting go of control, 

enjoying the journey God has set for us, 

and embracing faith over fear! 

Andrea Lennon: An “on the go” kind of girl who loves Jesus, Andrea’s life 

calling is to teach women to know the truth, live the truth, and share the 

truth. Her passion is honest conversation about the topics that drive our 

lives and how we can weather the storms through the love and power of 

our Lord and His Word. Connect with Andrea at AndreaLennonMinistry.org. 


scene | heard 

Documentary Screening of Nebraska Organic Farm with Local Ties 

A 

special screening of the new documentary 

film, “Dreaming of a Vetter 

World” was held at the Cinemark 

Theaters on April 7th. The feature-length 

film was followed by a conversation and 

Q&A with sustainable farmer and main 

film subject, David Vetter, filmmaker 

Bonnie Hawthorne, and moderated by 

David’s daughter, local Conway resident 

Dr. Allison Vetter. 

The compelling feature-length documentary 

“Dreaming of a Vetter World” comes at 

a time when interest in regenerating soil has 

exploded worldwide. Others are realizing 

what the Vetters have known for decades: 

soil is key to our very survival. 

The documentary focuses on the story 

of the Vetter family, pioneering organic 

farmers in Marquette, Nebraska. Shot, 

directed and narrated by first-time filmmaker 

Bonnie Hawthorne, the film tells the 

story of the Vetter family’s decades-long 

experiment with a self-renewing farm 

management system. It is also a story about 

place, hope and love; an inspiring example 

of perseverance and doing what you know 

is right, against all odds. 

This event gave people a rare opportunity 

to hear from pioneering organic farmer 

David Vetter both in the film and in person. 

“I’m always amazed at the new information 

that comes up during the question and 

answer sessions. Even I learn something 

new,” Hawthorne said. 

Beautifully shot on location in the Great 

Plains, this engaging documentary shows 

what farming with nature is all about. The 

film includes interviews with other organic 

leaders, local farmers, and scientists. At the 

heart of this powerful story is David Vetter’s 

journey from farmer’s son, to missionary, to 

scientist, and back to farmer again, where he 

practices what he calls a “ministry to the soil.” 

Currently based in Joshua Tree, California, 

filmmaker Hawthorne took a hiatus from her 

work as a television editor, sold most of her 

belongings, hitched a tiny travel trailer to her 

Toyota 4Runner and took off for Nebraska. 

She spent the next two years camped on 

farms and in Walmart parking lots. Her 

low overhead and credit cards made this 

shoestring operation possible. “In retrospect, 

I see the connection: David pursued a way of 

farming that seemed crazy at the time, but it 

mattered. I think his story dared me to take a 

crazy chance – like making a film by myself – 

learning the skills along the way.” 

BIO: DAVID VETTER is an organic grower 

and grain producer in Central Nebraska. 

He lives on the farm where he was raised, 

to which he returned after college in the 

mid 1970s. He holds a BS in Soil Science/ 

Agronomy and a Master of Divinity. David 

was instrumental in developing the infrastructure 

for organic food delivery still used today. 

For the last four decades, Vetter has used 

organic farming techniques to improve soil, 

grow food, and teach others to do the same. 

ALLISON VETTER is the oldest of David 

Vetter’s three children. Currently she is a Title 

IX Investigator and Education Coordinator 

at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. 

Allison is an alumna of Doane University 

and received her master’s degree and Ph.D. 

in sociology from the University of Nebraska 

in Lincoln. Allison was raised on the farm 

known as The Grain Place and continues 

to have an active interest its operations. 

She is a shareholder in The Grain Place and 

serves as Board Secretary on The Grain Place 

Foundation board. Allison is married to 

William Cone, has three step-children. 

A Foundation was formed by the Vetter 

family as a way to continue the legacy of the 

Grain Place, the original name of the Vetter 

farm. www.grainplacefoundation.org 

Website and Movie Trailer: 

www.DreamingOfAVetterWorld.com 



scene | heard 

Harbor Home Gala 

Our 3rd Annual Power of Change “Down-home” 

Gala was held on April 13th at The Conway 

Cowboy Church. More than 200 people came to 

celebrate our four years of bringing women out of 

the darkness of addiction and into the light of the 

love and power of Jesus Christ. We raised more than 

$25,000 for our program that houses 18-20 women, 

ranging from ages 19-69 years of age in our 7-12 

month program. Eighty one women have come into 

our program in four years, with an 87% success rate 

of staying clean, sober and productive members of 

our community. They come from across the state of 

Arkansas, but also have come from seven different 

states as well, most relocating to Faulkner County. 

The gala program consisted of music and 

testimony that came from The Harbor Girls and 

graduates. Pastors Larry & Dana Ward, Co-Founders 

of The Harbor Home, Mayor Bart Castleberry 

and Dr. Larry Pillow of WeCan Ministries shared 

messages of inspiration with the audience. 

Sponsors of our gala included: WinSupply of 

Conway, First Security Bank, Centennial Bank, 

Yours Truly Consignment, Linda Marie’s of Vilonia, 

Illustrated Sportswear, Skye Benefits Insurance, 

Fellowship Bible Church, St. Joseph’s Catholic 

Church, Project 3:27, and a beautiful freshwater 

pearl necklace and earrings set was donated by 

LeeAnn’s Fine Jewelry for a give-a-way. Tables were 

filled by over 15 churches in our community. A 

delicious barbecue dinner was served, and was all 

prepared by The Harbor Home team, including the 

smoking of the meat that was served. Over 20 local 

businesses gave items for the silent auction.” 

The Harbor Home does catering, car detailing and 

repurposes home furnishings to sell. Contact us at 

(501) 499-8622 or email theharborhome@gmail.com. 

tiptonhurst.com | (501) 666-3333 

Little Rock | NLR | Conway | Pine Bluff 


scene | heard 

CHS 60th High School Reunion 

The Class of 1959 of Conway High 

held their 60th Reunion at Mike’s Place in 

Downtown Conway on Saturday, April 6th. 

There were 54 classmates and spouses 

in attendance. The Reunion Committee 

that took part in putting the event together 

were Shirley (Anthony) Lipsmeyer, Kaye 

(Loveless) Fowlkes, Sue (Cheek) Glover, Sue 

(White) Gates, Jay Mack Fortner and Billy 

Ralph Helton. 

There was a small program of Questions 

and Answers testing the classmate’s memories 

of their Senior Trip and of the year 1941, 

which was the year most of the classmates 

were born. Proved to be very interesting to 

say the least! 

There was a Memorial Tree honoring the 

55 classmates that they have unfortunately 

lost. The tree had memorial tags that 

depicted each classmate lost with their 

picture from their senior high school annual 

with the name and birth & death year 

noted. 

The tables were adorned with fresh 

flower arrangements made by Billy Ralph 

Helton’s daughter, Shelley Helton Young 

who decorated for the occasion. Also on 

the tables were three 5x7 triads which held 

photographs of every member of the class 

with stars punched to allow the light of 

candles in the center to shine through. 

Each person in attendance was gifted 

with a leather pocket-sized notepad, which 

includes Post-It Notepads and is embossed 

with Conway High Class of 1959 60th 

Reunion, along with the Wampus Cat 

mascot in the center. 

There were door prizes given and the 

winners were Jimmy Lawrence, Marilyn 

(Glover) Mathis, Aubrey Martin, Mary Lee 

Fobes and Judy (Welborn) Troillet. 


scene | heard 

A Total Sit Show 

BY DREW SPURGERS 

PHOTOS BY BRANDY HOWARD 

If you’ve ever wondered how far we can 

reach to “first world,” the Hounds Hideaway 

Puppy Prom answers that question: there 

are no limits. Thurdsay, April 11, Hounds 

Hideaway in partnership with its PPA (Pet 

Parent Association — similar to a PTA) 

hosted the business’ first Puppy Prom. 

Over 100 pet parents dressed their canine 

companions in their finest and came out for 

a night of dancing and barking. 

Our Lilly Pug was fortuante to be invited 

to Prom by her friend from daycare, Nala 

(also a black Pug… and also female). 

Equality is certainly not a question among 

animals, as this was common place at puppy 

prom)! Lilly was not alone — many pets 

were asked to attend the prom in different 

forms of “promposals.” Puns galore. 

“Thumper, this BASEBALL DOG would 

be delighted if you’d be my catch AT PROM. 

Love, Beltre


scene | heard 

Journey Tribute Concert 

at Conway‘s Brick Room 

Steplock Wins First Place 

at FBLA Conference 

Shelby Steplock, a senior at Greenbrier High School, took First Place at the Future 

Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Conference that was held in Little Rock. 

Shelby has earned the honor of traveling to San Antonio, Texas at the end of June 

to deliver her sales presentation at the nationals. Congratulations, Shelby! 


Find the perfect gift for Mom! 

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Call us to build your 

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scene | heard 

Faulkner Lifestyle Magazine 

Celebrates One Year 



faulkner fam 

Your names? 

Brian Ratliff, Penny Ratliff (wife) 

Averi (daughter, 21), Aidan (son, 19), 

Colin (son, 17) 

Where are you from? 

I grew up here in Conway and Penny is 

from Vilonia. 


Our Faulkner Fam: 

the Ratliff Family 

“ 

Almost without exception, anywhere 

you go in Faulkner County, people treat 

you like you’re at home… like family! 

” 

—Brian Ratliff 

Where do you work? Him/her 

I have been the Children’s Minister at 

Antioch Baptist Church since 2010. 

Penny works for Student Mobilization. 

How did you two meet? 

We met while we were students at UCA at 

the Association of Baptist Students. 

How long have you lived in 

Faulkner County? 

My family moved to Conway from 

Little Rock in 1972 when I was 5. 

Penny’s family moved from Oregon 

to Vilonia in 1977. 

If you had to live somewhere else 

in the world where would it be? 

Brian: Anini Beach, Kauai, Hawaii 

Penny: Kauai sounds good to me, too!! 


EQUAL HOUSING 

OPPORTUNITY 

Describe parenting in one sentence: 

(Is that even possible?) To us, parenting is laying a 

foundation of faith, trust and grace through laughter, 

tears, celebrations and unconditional love that leads into a 

relationship that can stand the test of time. 

When you get a date night where do you go? 

Penny and I both have Fridays off, so, most Fridays are 

our “Date Day!” We love to eat lunch at The Patio Cafe, 

Almost Famous or doing dinner at Hidden Valley Catfish. 

We also love to catch a movie at Cinemark, followed by a 

run over to Julie’s Sweet Shoppe to grab something sweet! 

That makes for a really good day for us! 

When you shop local (for fun) 

what stores are always on your list? 

Brian: I gravitate to Wilkinson’s, Academy Sports and The 

Sporty Runner, with a stop by Zeteo! 

What is your favorite thing to do as a family? 

The BIG things we enjoy the most are travelling and 

searching for Diners, Drive-ins and Dives! But sitting 

around our kitchen table with every seat filled and a game 

in the middle is the best thing, ever!! 

What do you love most about living 

in the Faulkner County community? 

Brian: We both feel like this is home! It’s family! Almost 

without exception, anywhere you go in Faulkner County, 

people treat you like you’re at home… like family! And we 

love our church, Antioch Baptist Church. Raising our kids 

at Antioch has been a blessing we can hardly describe! It 

doesn’t get much better than that! 

Experience Supreme Speed! 

Call Today to Start Your Mortgage Application 

501.269.0362 

Deanne Goss 

Branch Manager, NMLS# 1588296 

Deanne.Goss@SupremeLending.com 

www.DeanneGoss.SupremeLending.com 

505 Amity Road Suite 600-A 


ADVERTISEMENT. EVERETT FINANCIAL, INC. D/B/A SUPREME LENDING NMLS ID #2129 

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Lori Quinn, Realtor 

Coldwell Banker RPM Group-Conway 

LoriQuinn@conwaycorp.net 

LQuinn@cbrpm.com 

Conway Office: 

609 Locust Street 

501.472.7385 

CBRPM.com


Celebrating Our #1 

In addition to being the only hospital in Conway that uses state-of-theart 

3D mammography, Conway Regional was named #1 in the State 

for Medical Excellence in Women’s Health* in 2018. While we’re 

proud of our awards, our team is driven by something more: you. 

One Team. One Promise. 

Our #1 priority is and will always be you, the patient, and that’s the #1 

worth celebrating. 

*CareChex® — an information service of Quantros, Inc. 

#1 in the State for Medical Excellence 

in Women’s Health

Faulkner Lifestyle May 2019 Issue

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