The Arkansas Municipal League at its 90th Annual Convention, held June 12-14, 2024, honored Greenwood City Clerk/Treasurer Sharla Derry with the Adrian L. White Municipal Leadership Award.
The award is presented to municipal officials who have served with distinction and dedication to their cities and the League’s boards, councils or committees for six years. The award is named in honor of White, who was mayor of Pocahontas from 1967-1974 and a former League president and vice president.
“To me, it’s just a gesture of appreciation from an organization that the cities and towns of Arkansas lean on immensely, the League is a strong safety net for municipal officials to fall into when we are needing support and guidance,” shared Derry. “Some years back, I was asked if I’d serve on the Arkansas Municipal League Workman’s Comp Board of Trustees and I was very grateful to be asked by the League to serve, so I agreed to. We meet quarterly to decide the business of the issues that come across needing a vote for this League Program. Member cities pay annual dues to be covered by this League program providing Workman’s Compensation Insurance for employees of hundreds of cities in Arkansas; this Board of Trustees, which consists of myself along with four other city officials from various cities, is an important facet of service support within the Arkansas Municipal League’s various program services offered. To be asked to serve on this board felt like a full-circle moment for me, because having served the City of Greenwood since 1998, I had performed all Workman’s Comp/HR duties on behalf of the City for 15 years. When I came onto the Board, I had served as the elected City Clerk/Treasurer for a number of years, and no longer performed those previous duties for the City, but had built a strong background in the workings of Workman’s Comp because of the time I had spent as the City’s Financial Assistant/HR person for those years. To be trusted in any capacity, is something I hold dear and am very proud of and pleased to say is my calling, so this award is a sweet gesture from an organization that means so much to our City, hundreds of other Arkansas cities, and therefore the State. It’s a great feeling to support a facet of this profession of public service.”
The 90th Convention was a hybrid event, with in-person sessions held at the Little Rock Marriott and Statehouse Convention Center and with a virtual option for municipal officials and personnel who preferred to participate online. Overall attendance was strong, with more than 1,200 participating in person and online.
The Convention covered an array of topics important to Arkansas’ cities and towns, including the workforce housing shortage and rise of short-term rentals, promoting civility in public discourse, an overview of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, protecting our crucial infrastructure and mitigating cybersecurity threats, and strategies to maximize funding for water and wastewater projects.
The Arkansas Municipal League is a service and advocacy organization for the municipalities of Arkansas. The League offers its programs and services to the 499 cities and towns in Arkansas and was created in 1934 to assist cities with information and representation in the public affairs of our state and nation. To find out more, visit arml.org.
Congratulations to Sharla Derry on this statewide recognition and achievement!
Hello everyone! Well, I made it to Branson and back with my grandchildren, the three E’s: Ethan, Evan, and Ella. We had a grand ole time and this Nana was wore smooth out. I told them we broke the record for taking the longest to get to Branson. We made a half dozen stops and I thought we were never going to get there.
Now, y’all know how I always tell y’all crazy things happen to us Wags. Well, this trip did not disappoint. I was just glad I didn’t fall, that has happened before. The kids dropped me off at the Belk store at the end of the Landing so I could shop while they went somewhere else. I knew I had a lot of time to kill, so I am just looking around at everything. Pretty jewelry always catches my eye. I saw some boxed costume jewelry, so like a kid in a candy store, I go over to check it out. Keep in mind, I have ridden in a car for hours and I am swollen. They have these boxed rings and I wanted to try them on. I usually wear a 7 or 8, so I find this pretty one in a size 8 and I decided to try it on. It is connected to the box, so people won’t steal them. I slid it on and admired how pretty it looked. When I went to take it off, you guessed it, it was stuck on my finger. When I say stuck, I mean it will not budge. I wish I could have seen the video footage of this. I mean my finger is bright red and turning blue. I literally go into a panic attack. It will not come off and no amount of turning, twisting or tugging will move it. I have no lotion of me, and I can’t take it in the bathroom, they would think I was stealing it. I am seriously about to have a meltdown. I tried one last time before I go to look for a store manager and I was able to get it off. My finger is bleeding and bruised. It hurt me for three days after that. I was afraid to wear my own ring on that finger. It made me have anxiety.
The next thing that happened was, I was in this store trying on clothes in a dressing room and I just slung my sandals off because they didn’t have a back on them and low and behold it went under the dressing room next to me. I bet the lady next to me thought what kind of albatross person has a foot that big?! I stretched my foot as far as I could and retrieved it, whew! That was a close one. I would have walked all over Branson Landing with one shoe on and one shoe off.
There won’t be any more vacation stories till I go to North Carolina next month and I am taking a journal to keep track of all our shenanigans. Mt. Airy, North Carolina hasn’t met the likes of me.
This week’s recipe is a lemon dump cake. I love lemon. If I have some repeat recipes or stories, it is because I have some new readers. Welcome to all my new readers and thank you to all my trusty readers that’s been here since the beginning.
LEMON DUMP CAKE 2 21 oz. cans of lemon pie filling 1 box of yellow cake mix (I would use lemon for more lemon flavor) 1 8 oz cream cheese (cubed) 1 1/2 sticks of butter sliced Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Pour two cans of lemon pie filling into the prepared dish. Place the cream cheese cubes in a single layer over the top of the lemon pie filling. Evenly spread the dry cake mix over the top of the cream cheese and press it down firmly. Arrange the sliced butter on top of the cake mix (I am going to add some of while chocolate chips on top) and bake in a preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbly. Let it set a few minutes and serve with vanilla ice cream or Cool Whip.
Triple-digit temperatures are approaching, and most of the fishing along the banks of reservoirs in Arkansas is becoming a matter of putting in a lot of sweat for little reward. Anglers, especially crappie anglers, are finding the most success following the fish to deeper water. Once they do, they’re likely to find massive schools of fish clinging to brush and other cover only visible with the use of sonar equipment.
Once crappie move away from the banks in early summer, anglers can have trouble locating them, but those who do can catch fish hand over fist.
John Duncan, a resident of Sheridan and operator of Yoyo Guide Service, spends hundreds of days on the water at DeGray Lake in Clark County chasing crappie with his clients. He has been guiding on DeGray for nearly a decade, but has a lifetime of fishing experience at the 13,800-acre reservoir.
“I took over the guiding business after Tammy Richardson retired,” Duncan said. “I used to fish with her, then transitioned into guiding in her spot. She was on the women’s Bassmaster Tour while it was around, but later became a guide here on DeGray. Her son, Dustin Holmes, still guides on Lake Greeson.”
Duncan says that once the fish move offshore in summer, there’s a window where they gather up on brush piles before transitioning to the river channel and open water. During this time, anglers who know how to target them can load a boat quickly and enjoy some of the most fun action of the entire year.
“It can even be more fun than when the fish are up shallow, because you can find a bunch of fish in one spot instead of fishing from tree to tree and stump to stump to catch your limit,” Duncan said. “It’s all about finding brush piles that guides like me or the AGFC have sunk over the years and looking for crappie suspended in the branches.”
Crappie fishing guide John Duncan points out the thermocline, the zone where cold, unoxygenated water meets the oxygen-rich warm water layer, on his fishfinder.
Find the ’cline
The first thing anglers can do to start looking for productive water in early summer is to look for the thermocline. In deep reservoirs during summer, the water will begin to stratify, separating into two distinct layers. The colder water will sit on the bottom, while warmer water will remain in the upper third or so of the water column. The region where the two zones meet is known as the thermocline, and it’s like the Goldilocks zone for fish.
“Most fish, including crappie, don’t stay below the thermocline because it doesn’t have enough oxygen for them to survive,” Duncan said. “But most fish still want to be as deep as possible during the heat of summer, so the fish tend to stack up right in that zone where the two types of water meet. The difference between the two layers is so much, you can even see it on a fishfinder.”
Duncan points out that the thermocline typically sets up from 20-25 feet deep in much of the portion of DeGray he fishes in early summer. If rain or current increases in the lake, the thermocline can shift, but it remains at a relatively constant depth once established.
“Any brush piles I know that are deeper than the thermocline are automatically written off,” Duncan said. “And I’m going to start looking at the ones sitting right at that depth or just above it. Some fish might go a little shallower, but the big schools I want to target for clients are almost always right in that zone.”
Down periscope
Duncan uses a combination of traditional sonar and forward-facing sonar to scan brush piles that he has stored in his fishfinder’s GPS system. If he sees a few fish show up on his first scan from the console of the boat, he’ll lower his Livescope system into the water, which shows much more accurately just how many fish are holding in the area.
“Once you figure out what you’re looking for, the fish stand out like crazy on the screen,” Duncan said. “And this time of year, you may find brush piles with 100 to 150 crappie suspended all around it. It’s really amazing to see the fish this way, and because it’s in real time, you can watch how the fish react to your bait, your boat and anything else you notice in the water.”
Mind your minnow
Some “Livescopers” have perfected their craft to the point that they only chase crappie with a single pole and a single crappie jig, but Duncan’s approach for early summer has remained unchanged for the last decade.
“Even if I can chase a single fish with a soft-plastic jig on a 14-foot pole, teaching a client to do it in a 4-hour trip would take away from the catching. I’ve learned that the people who fish with me still prefer watching that bobber go down, so I fish live minnows under slip floats.”
Duncan sets the depth of the minnows to within a foot or two of the top of the brush pile. If the fish move deeper into the brush, he may set a pole or two deeper, but never below the level of the fish.
“Crappie feed up,” Duncan said. “They may follow a bait down on the initial drop, but it’s rare to see one swimming along above your bait and suddenly drop down to it.”
After using live-imaging sonar for about five years, Duncan can tell you that crappie almost always shy away from the boat as it draws near. Fish that were suspended 6-7 feet over a brush pile will slowly slide down the water column as the boat’s shadow draws near.
“Sometimes they’ll settle down and come back up, but you usually see them stick tighter to brush when you’re fishing right over them,” Duncan said. “I’ll get all the poles and minnows in place and slowly troll over the top of the brush, then stop and let the minnows suspend right on the tip of the fishes’ noses.”
Stick and move
Once the minnows are in place, the action usually happens fast. Duncan will point out fish moving up to his clients, but the excitement of watching a cork go underwater never dies.
“The cork is really there to keep the minnow at the exact spot I want, but it’s just plain fun to watch a bobber go under and yank back on a fish,” Duncan said. “It’s also a great way for clients to catch fish without really needing to know what to feel for.”
The entire time anglers are watching the bobbers, Duncan is glancing at the his sonar screen to judge if the fish are moving away, sinking into the brush or coming up to investigate the baits.
“What livescope has really done for me is to be able to read the fish’s reaction and know if they’ll bite or if I need to move on,” Duncan said. “When I have clients with me, I don’t want to just sit there and wait out one or two fish in a school of 50 or 100. If they’re not acting interested in my minnow after 15 or so minutes, I’m picking up and moving to the next spot.”
And Duncan has plenty of spots to try. Within 4 hours, he may cover a half-dozen or more brush piles. If he finds a hot spot, he’ll stay and play. But some days may mean catching two or three active fish and moving on to make sure he gets plenty of fish for the frying pan. With more than 800 fish attractors pinpointed on DeGray Lake alone, he has plenty of options to choose from.
Action attractors
Although Duncan has placed his own fish attractors with permission from the Army Corps of Engineers, he also has fished many of the attractors that the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has placed.
“I didn’t sink all of the brush I fish,” Duncan said. “I’ve found some while scanning points and creeks, and there are some good attractors from the AGFC out there. You just have to remember that some will be good, some will be bad. It takes a lot of trial and error to find the sweet ones.”
When asked how many of his brush piles become honey holes, Duncan explains that he’s learned to focus on the winners.
“If I tried to pick 10 new places, maybe four would turn out good,” Duncan said. “But over the years I’ve built a list of good ones and spend my time refreshing those brush piles to keep them going. I may try a few new places, but it’s amazing. Sometimes you’ll have two brush piles that are in nearly identical places, just on one side of a ditch or the other, and one will be a hero while the other never really holds any fish.”
Anglers looking for some free waypoints have two good ways to get started. They can visit www.agfc.com and search for “Fish Attractors” in the search bar. This will pull up a list of files that can be plugged into any GPS-capable fishfinder. A handy video on the page will explain exactly how to load the files into your particular fishfinding unit. The second way to gather some free waypoints is to pull up the AGFC’s Interactive map at www.agfc.com/maps. Once you zoom into the lake you’re interested in, you will see some blue-and-white fish symbols. If you click on the specific symbol you’re interested in, a description of the attractor and its GPS location will appear on the screen. Enter these into your phone’s mapping software and you’ll be able to navigate to the brush pile, even if you don’t have a fishfinder.
June 19, 2024 ─ Roll up your sleeve and support your local first responders by giving blood with Our Blood Institute at a local Boots & Badges blood drive!
Our Blood Institute (OBI) will host the Huntington Mansfield Boots and Badges Blood Drive on Monday, July 8, from 1:30 p.m. to 5:45 pm on the bloodmobile parked at Harp’s Foods. With your blood donation you’ll receive a free entry to Magic Springs Theme Park and Water Park in Hot Springs, AR, and a voucher for 2 admissions to the NWA Naturals home game on Sunday, July 21.
Successful donors will also receive a limited-edition Boots & Badges T-shirt, while supplies last.*
“Our first responders see the daily need for blood first-hand when the people they rescue require life-saving treatment,” said Dr. John Armitage, president & CEO of Our Blood Institute. “We can’t say enough about the service our police, fire and EMSA provide, and we owe it to them to do our part in making sure blood is available in emergency situations.”
Anyone who is healthy and 16 years old* or older can give blood. Blood can be donated every 56 days and platelets can be given as often as every seven days, up to 24 times a year.
Appointments to donate can be made online at obi.org or by calling 877-340-8777.
*16-year-olds must weigh at least 125 pounds and provide signed parental permission; 17-year-olds must weigh at least 125 pounds; 18+ year-olds must weigh at least 110 pounds. Photo ID required.
By Tracy Courage U of A System Division of Agriculture
People are sometimes willing to pay a little more for quality, and that was certainly true at the 68th annual Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival, where a 20-pound box of the celebrated fruit sold for $2,050 — as much as an ounce of gold.
The money goes back into the festival, and we wanted to show our business’ support,” said Elizabeth Britton, who with her husband recently opened South Arkansas Pet Cremations in Warren.
The auction was part of the All Tomato Luncheon, which, as the name implies, revolves around Bradley County’s most celebrated fruit. Luncheon tickets are sold in advance with a few tickets available for walk-ins, although that’s not always the case.
“In big election years, tickets sell fast, and we’ll easily have more than 300 here,” said Judy Simmons, a member of Friendship Club Extension Homemakers Club in Warren and chair of the luncheon committee. The luncheon has become a traditional stop for local, state and national candidates on the campaign trail.
Extension Homemakers Council clubs in Bradley and Cleveland counties planned the menu and prepared and plated the food, while Bradley County 4-H members served it to the crowd gathered inside the First Baptist Church Activities Center.
This year’s guests enjoyed a chicken salad-stuffed tomato, “tomarinated” carrots, green bean almondine with green tomatoes and savory tomato basil crackers. For dessert, the hosts served Tomato Heavenly Cake, a chocolate cake made with tomato juice.
Simmons also baked a tomato cake that was auctioned for $750.
Extension Homemakers Council (EHC) members and Arkansas 4-H are both programs of the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Extension Homemakers provide club members with leadership training, education for better living and opportunities for community service.
Proceeds from the luncheon help the clubs fund future community service projects. This past year, Bradley County EHC made fidget mats and lap blankets for local nursing home residents and provided police with “ouchie” dolls and little bears to give children, Simmons said.
Tomato Pie for the win
During the luncheon, winners of the inaugural Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival Pie Contest were announced. Twenty-one people entered the contest, which featured two categories: pies with tomatoes and pies without.
Mary J. Mullins of Warren won the tomato pie category and best overall with her Hot Tomato Tart, featuring tomatoes, green onions, jalapenos, bacon and Mexican cheese. She won $100 and an invitation to compete next year at the Arkansas Pie Festival in Cherokee Village, hosted by Kat Robinson, an Arkansas food historian, travel writer and cookbook author.
Doug Thornton was the runner-up with his tomato pie, made with cheese he smoked himself.
Madison Mashburn of Hermitage won top honors in the traditional pie category with her Old-Fashioned Coconut Cream pie. Robinson, one of three pie judges, said Mashburn’s pie had “the richest custard I’ve ever tasted and a perfect crust.”
Hannah Hill, 9, was the runner-up with her Double Berry Pie, which Robinson said was at an “expert level.”
“I’m always thrilled to see young people come out and compete,” she said. “It’s clear the next generation loves pie as much as the rest of us.”
Thank a farmer
Part of what makes the Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival the longest-running festival in Arkansas is the county’s love for its most famous fruit — and that starts with thecounty’s 15 commercial tomato growers who farm about 350 acres.
“When you look at our tri-county area — Bradley, Drew and Ashley counties — it’s a much larger operation,” said John Gavin, Bradley County agriculture extension agent with the Division of Agriculture. “We have an established commercial market for large rounds, Roma types and grape tomatoes. We’re very fortunate to be able to show that good things are coming from rural Arkansas.”
In addition to working with the county growers and producers, Gavin also served on the All Tomato Luncheon committee, coordinated the tomato packing contest and made sure hundreds of pounds of Bradley County’s finest got delivered to festival headquarters and contest sites.
Tomato eating contest
Tomatoes were in high demand at the tomato eating contest, where at least one competitor – Earl Charles of Warren – came to win.
“This is my fifth year participating,” he told the crowd before the eating frenzy began. “I won three times, and then some of these guys beat me. This is my last year competing, and I am here to regain my championship.”
Charles made good on his promise, eating 2.68 pounds of tomatoes in three minutes and besting six other competitors in the professional category.
Some of the younger competitors didn’t care that much for tomatoes, but they enjoyed the competition all the same.
Elijah Bymaster of Monticello heard that the 12-and-under contestants would get snow cones after eating tomatoes, and that was incentive enough for him.
To learn about Extension programs, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Our Blood Institute (OBI) will host the Hartford Boots and Badges Blood Drive on Monday, July 1, from 1 p.m. to 6 pm at the Fire Station Training Room. With your blood donation you’ll receive a free entry to Magic Springs Theme Park and Water Park in Hot Springs, AR, and a voucher for 2 admissions to the NWA Naturals home game on Sunday, July 21.
Successful donors will also receive a limited-edition Boots & Badges T-shirt, while supplies last.*
“Our first responders see the daily need for blood first-hand when the people they rescue require life-saving treatment,” said Dr. John Armitage, president & CEO of Our Blood Institute. “We can’t say enough about the service our police, fire and EMSA provide, and we owe it to them to do our part in making sure blood is available in emergency situations.”
Anyone who is healthy and 16 years old* or older can give blood. Blood can be donated every 56 days and platelets can be given as often as every seven days, up to 24 times a year.
Appointments to donate can be made online at obi.org or by calling 877-340-8777.
*16-year-olds must weigh at least 125 pounds and provide signed parental permission; 17-year-olds must weigh at least 125 pounds; 18+ year-olds must weigh at least 110 pounds. Photo ID required.
On June 18 at approximately 9:54 p.m., the Sebastian County Sheriff’s office responded to a single vehicle crash at 11406 Old Highway 10.
According to the Arkansas State Police report, James Weaver, 68 of Booneville, was traveling west bound on Old Highway 10 in a 1991 Chevy pickup. Weaver’s vehicle exited the roadway in the west bound lane and struck a ditch before coming to a rest.
Weaver was pronounced dead, and the body was transported to the Sebastian County Coroner’s office. According to the ASP, the next of kin had been notified.
MINUTES WALDRON SCHOOL BOARD SPECIAL MEETING JUNE 19, 2024 5:30 P.M.
A special board meeting of the Waldron School Board was held in the Central Office Building, Wednesday, June19, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. Board members present were Mac Davis, Konnor McKay and Angela Hunsucker. Board members Clay Woodall and Stan Cottrell were not present. Others present were Superintendent Daniel Fielding and Assistant Superintendent Chris Lipham.
Vice-President Mac Davis called the meeting to order at 5:36 p.m.
Superintendent Daniel Fielding informed the board that Matt Euler did not accept the position of Assistant Middle School Principal.
A motion was made by Angela Hunsucker and seconded by Konnor McKay to transfer Chelsea Ridenhourto Assistant Middle School Principal for the 2024/25 SY. Motion carried 3-0.
A motion was made by Konnor McKay and seconded by Angela Hunsucker to hire Trey Plummer as High School English Teacher, provided he meets all requirements for licensure, for the 2024/25 SY. Motion carried 3-0.
A motion was made by Konnor McKay and seconded by Angela Hunsucker to adjourn. Motion carried 3-0.
Highway 71 south of Fort Smith passes through some of the more scenic regions of Arkansas, much of it through and over the forest of the Ouachita mountains. Mena, one of the more picturesque and vibrant towns along the route has an interesting and historical past. The original town consisted of just a few farms, located on a dirt road running from Fort Smith to Fort Towson in Indian territory. It remained that until Arthur Stillwell selected it as a central train station on the route from Kansas City to Port Arthur, Texas. These small towns, located as central points to drop off coal, railroad ties, and other building materials while building the next section of rail, were called “hell towns.” Villages, composed of tents and make-shift buildings, sprang up over-night, attracting more permanent merchants and businessmen who remained as the railroad moved on. In 1896, the town consisted of only some 300 or so of these railroad people, a year later the town had 3,185 inhabitants and a multitude of thriving businesses.
Like most small towns, Mena has had it’s share of good and bad events. On a least two occasions, the town has been hit and partially destroyed by tornadoes. It has suffered as businesses, including the railroad, have waxed and waned in importance. Historically, the two-events most outsiders have heard about are the Ebenezer affair and the Mena Airport debacle.
In late 1924, a group called the Commonwealth College began operations in Polk County. The group began as a cooperative colony in Louisiana and were either expelled or decided to seek the isolation of rural Arkansas. The stated purpose of the college was to educate students by allowing them to obtain an education while working in a commune type environment. The communal life did not sit well with the locals who saw it as a den of perversion, free love, and communism. The FBI was called in but charges were never filed. Local churches rallied in opposition to the group, eventually building a monument to demonstrate their opposition to the college. The college operated under continued attacks until 1940 when it was closed. The monument still stands and is listed as a national historic site.
The more recent event, and once most known to the general public, is the 1980’s involvement of Mena airport in Nicaragua/Contra affair. The affair, duped “Black Eagle” by CIA director William Casey, was a scheme to secretly supply weapons to groups fighting communism in Nicaragua. Bypassing legal governmental chains of command, the plan was to use private citizens to serve as conduits in shipping weapons. Several unscrupulous individuals were ready to assist. Berriman “Barry” Seal had been flying drugs into the U.S. for years and saw this as an opportunity to make even more money, and avoiding prosecution, by shipping weapons south for the CIA and delivering cocaine back to America. Moving his center of operations from Louisiana to Mena Municipal airport, he is said to have cornered the drug market in the Southwest. Berriman received $500,000 from the cartel for each load of cocaine delivered and had over 60 million dollars in his account when he was later gun-downed by the cartels. Much of Mena’s involvement is conjecture; in 1988 the White House blocked an investigation into the activities in Mena, but in 1996, the CIA acknowledged involvement in an operation at the airport. In 2017, the movie American Made starring Tom Cruise portrayed the events surrounding Mena and the drug cartels. It is interesting to note that Barry Seals personal jet was confiscated and is now on display at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum in Fayetteville.
Today, Mena is a small, peaceful, friendly town of about 6,000. Downtown is dotted by many antique shops, small cafes, parks, and the old railroad station. Known as the gateway to Wilhelmina State Park and Rich Mountain, it is becoming the center of off-road mountain biking in the state. With a great school, new businesses, and a growing industry, it is an outstanding place to live or visit.
Barbara Janell (“Nell”) Cleland, 87, of Waldron passed away Tuesday, June 16, 2024, in Mena. She was born August 17, 1936, in Parks, Arkansas, to Paul Frost and Virgie Vines Frost.
Nell was raised in Parks where she went to grade school, and then rode the bus from Parks to Waldron High School. Her first year there, Nell met the love of her life, J.W. (“Dub”) Cleland. They married on March 12, 1955, after Dub returned from two years in Germany in the U.S. Army. Nell and Dub lived in Waldron for a year, where their rent was seven dollars a month. After that, they moved to Parks where they raised their daughter, Phyllis. Nell and Dub were married for 59 years.
Nell was a talented seamstress; she worked at the apparel factory in Mena before she went to work at the Waldron Furniture Factory with Dub. She sewed covers for all the furniture, while Dub built the structures. After the Waldron Furniture Factory closed, Nell and Dub commuted to Texarkana every week to build furniture for Mayo. After returning from Texarkana, Nell spent the rest of her career as a door greeter and checker at Waldron Wal-Mart. Nell cared greatly for the friends she made there and her co-workers. Nell had a quick wit and a hilarious sense of humor. She was especially fond of her dog Meggie.
Left to cherish her memory are her daughter, Phyllis Cleland Wilcox and husband Jim of Waldron; her grandchildren, Stephen Jones and wife Ana of Pea Ridge, and Amie Schoeppel Wilcox and wife Chacey of Little Rock; her great grandchildren, Layla and Lane Jones of Pea Ridge; her sister, Sharon Langley and husband Wayne of Waldron; and several cousins, and many friends.
Nell was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Dub; and two sisters, Myna Bea Johnson and Rita Dean McGrew.
Services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, June 20, 2024 at Heritage Funeral Home in Waldron. Visitation will be held at 9:00 a.m. preceding the service. A graveside service will take place at Hawkins Cemetery in Parks. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
“I Made It Home”
“I just wanted to let you know that I made it home. The journey wasn’t an easy one, but it didn’t take too long. Everything is so pretty here, so white, so fresh, so new, I wish that you could close your eyes so you could see it too. Please try not to be sad for me. Try to understand, God is taking care of me. I’m in the shelter of His hands. Here there is no sadness, and no sorrow, and no pain. Here there is no crying – and I’ll never hurt again. Here it is so peaceful, when all the angels sing. I really have to go for now…I’ve just got to try my wings.”
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hawkins Cemetery Fund.
