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A little girl fascinated by pictures. An 18-year-old with a little “point-and-shoot” camera. A young mother who got a camera in hopes to help out at her church. A photographer with a passion, a dream, and a work ethic that helped her create a livelihood for herself. All of these descriptions can be used when talking about the person behind the lens of Welch Photography.  Samantha Welch is a wedding/engagement photographer located in Clarksville, AR that had her true start in the photography business in 2016. Samantha took some time to sit down with me and share the ins and outs, and the past and present, of Welch Photography. Welch reflected upon being a little girl that loved pictures, photography, and just all of it. Once she got married and started having children, her interest in photography resurfaced but was still held on the back burner.  Photo Credit: Welch Photography “From the time I can remember, I liked photos and taking pictures. And I can remember being a kid when I didn’t have the luxury of having copy photos and I would take pictures of pictures–so I would have multiple copies of photos. I’ve always just liked them,” Samantha said. After holding this interest on the back burner, she had the realization that for a while she had been a mom but she did not have anything truly for herself. When she got a camera to help out with different things at her church, the “thing” she was looking to do for herself, kind of fell right into her lap.  Photo Credit: Welch Photography Welch shared, “When my second child was born, I got a camera, mostly, to help out at my church. From there it kind of turned into more of a passion, and then I fully became obsessed. I started to learn everything about how to take photos and then I started my business as soon as I could (maybe even a little bit before I should have).” This entire journey seems simple in writing, but it was a constant learning process for Samantha. She jumped into the photography world with a hunger for knowledge. She looked to free programs that she could use to play around on, invested in Lightroom and Photoshop, and watched any YouTube video she could find in regards to both taking pictures and editing pictures.  Photo Credit: Welch Photography When asked what her favorite things were to photograph when she first became interested in it, her answer was simply “flowers and piles of junk.” Those two subjects have changed quite a bit in her professional life, but she still enjoys taking pictures in nature and of landscapes with something as simple as a cell phone. Welch was really diving into photography in 2015 and that is the year that she shot her first wedding for a friend at church. In 2016, she started to take photography more seriously and shot her second wedding for her cousin. Since then, she has taken pictures for every occasion but always fell back on her love for weddings.  Photo Credit: Welch Photography “After shooting my first wedding as a photographer, I knew that was where I wanted to be…I really just love everything about weddings. I love being able to see how two families connect with each other and just all of the detail that goes into weddings. Each wedding is very different so I just enjoy being able to experience everything from an outsider's point of view,” Welch shared. Welch spent several years taking pictures for free, learning on her own, taking pictures of all types of subjects for many different occasions, and even listed photography sessions on Facebook Marketplace before Welch Photography became an official business in 2018.  Photo Credit: Welch Photography “Small businesses will generally get really excited in their first year, and burn themselves out until their business fizzles out. I didn’t want that, so I went into owning my business with the mindset of intentionality. I knew that I could only do so much at once and that was it,” Welch said. Ever since the formalities of Welch Photography were in order, Welch was able to work towards growing her business more, doing photography full-time, and she was able to announce that she was only able to photograph weddings and engagements (that announcement was made at the beginning of 2021). Welch’s business continues to develop and change with the seasons of her life, but one season that has stayed the same throughout this journey has been motherhood. As mentioned above, she got one of her first “real” cameras when her second child was born, and now, she has three little girls that she homeschools full-time, along with running Welch Photography full-time.  Photo Credit: Welch Photography Welch shared a little bit about her juggling act as a home-schooling mom and a photographer in that she allows her business to ebb and flow and change and grow just as her seasons of life do. The role of being a mother is so important to her, and being able to photograph weddings and engagements on the weekends allows for her to fulfill that role, while also living out her dream and working with a passion as a photographer. It is her “entrepreneurial spirit” that allowed her to find something that she is passionate about and decide that she wanted to make a business out of it. From her first point-and-shoot camera at the age of 18 to now being a mom, a wife, a homeschool teacher, and a successful wedding/engagement photographer, Welch truly has been through it all. She set her mind on pursuing photography and has worked tirelessly to achieve that goal she has set for herself. If you or anyone you know is looking for a photographer that is up for a little bit of an adventure, loves nature, and has a passion for capturing life’s most precious moments, reach out to Samantha Welch at Welch Photography for your special day! Website: https://www.welchphotography.net/about/
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 It’s very common to hear people say, “it’s never too late to go after your dreams.” It’s a nice thing to hear, but what about actually living it out? Thinking about this phrase as a reality suddenly becomes harder to grasp because of life, risk, fear, and the list goes on. Michelle Reeves had a dream of owning a restaurant but kept pushing it to the back burner. After getting the chance to sit down and chat with Michelle, it is evident that life had other plans for her. It was not too late for her dream; rather, it was a perfect time.  Michelle Reeves is the co-owner of Evie Sue’s Country Market that is situated right off AR-21. Currently, Evie Sue’s Country Market is a gas station, a small country market, and a restaurant all bundled into one. This charming local spot is approaching its 1st anniversary of being in business with the hope of many more years to come. Looking back to the very beginning of this story, Michelle was working at a plant that required her to commute to it every single day. She was already starting to feel burnt out, she was trying to brainstorm ideas of things she could do on her own, but she was just a few years from being able to retire. These back-and-forth moments and mixture of feelings still never discouraged Michelle's dream of owning a restaurant. “I kept trying to find something that I could do, just by myself, and have confidence in it (and cooking was one of them). Everybody just always kept talking about the food I would cook and kept talking about it, and they still come in every day to tell me ‘Your food is delicious,’” Reeves shared.  After placing her dream on the back burner, Michelle received a wake-up call that she just could not run from anymore. Her commute to work (and her work itself) was wearing on her, and one day it all just became too much. Michelle said, “I was driving one morning to work. It was Martin Luther King Day and they needed some people to come in, and I told them I would. On the way there, I fell asleep. I ran into barrels and almost hit a bridge before I woke up. And I thank God that He was watching out for me that day and that I didn’t hit anyone else. From that point on, though, I didn’t want to make that drive, I didn’t want to go to work, and I knew that something different had to happen.” The “something different” that Michelle was looking for, finally came to fruition when she started working towards her goal of owning a restaurant. She shared that if the company she was working for had not moved locations, her commute would have been next to nothing, and she probably would not have ever pursued Evie Sue’s Country Market. “Everything just came about at the right time,” Michelle said.  When going back to Michelle’s passion for cooking, she mentioned cooking all of the time for family, for holidays, and just for people in her everyday life. She always has loved to cook and has learned a lot of what she knows from her mother, her mother-in-law, and just from her own kitchen and experiments. It is as if the stars aligned when Michelle approached her sister, Tracy Fisher, about opening a restaurant. Tracy made it her mission to help her sister's dream become a reality and sought out a realtor, who found the building she needed. On Michelle’s birthday, they made an offer on, what is now, Evie Sue’s Country Market (spoiler alert: their offer was approved). What started as a family endeavor for Michelle and her sister, has developed into a family business. Michelle shared that her father helped a lot with the renovation of the building, her son is a plumber and aided in the renovation process as well, her mother can be found in the kitchen peeling potatoes or washing dishes from time to time (or sharing a meal with her regular customers), her cousin that helped open Evie Sue’s with her, her husband can be found around the market helping out with odds and ends tasks as he needed, her granddaughter, Ivy, has been with her since the beginning as a waitress, and the list just goes on. The saying that ‘it takes a village’ was put into a literal sense for Evie Sue’s, and it still does every single day.  Along with her various family members, Michelle can be found at Evie Sue’s 6, sometimes 7 days out of the week either in the kitchen cooking, prepping on the day that they are closed, visiting with customers, and more. One thing that is near and dear to Michelle’s heart is all of the people she meets through Evie Sue’s, and the strangers that become regulars and friends. Michelle mentioned that at times she gets caught up in the kitchen, but, every chance she gets, she loves to get out onto the floor to check on people, catch up, and really get to know her customers. Even if Michelle cannot make it onto the floor, there is almost always a familiar face for people to see when they walk in. A story Michelle shared about one of her customers stuck out to me in that, “My sister, Tracy, will help me out on the weekends when she can, and the other day she came in and ate with my mom. There was a lady that came in and sat down that had been at the restaurant the day before. My sister noticed this woman going to sit down alone and invited her to sit with them. It was just cool to see because this lady will come in alone and one day Tracy happened to be here and just went out and started talking to her. So now when she comes in and Tracy is here, she always has her sit with them…It’s just pretty neat getting to meet all of these people.”  Evie Sue's Country Market 795 AR-21, Clarksville, AR 72830 A family restaurant. There is no other way to truly describe Evie Sue’s Country Market other than that. Not only can you see it when you walk in based on who is working that day, but you can also feel it. What all started as a far away dream was able to become a reality for Michelle Reeves and her family.
If you or anyone you know lives in the Johnson County area (or you just happen to be passing through), be sure to stop by Evie Sue’s Country Market to say hello (and while you are at it, stay for a meal too). Edited By: President, Courtney Wilkins, and the Above the Rim Board “It’s okay to shoot for mediocre, but we were just looking for a different avenue to offer our kids something other than mediocre. We are wanting to set the bar high and give the kids more than what they need because we think they deserve more.” - Above the Rim President, Courtney Wilkins  Above The Rim Parent Support Group originated from a group of parents, grandparents, and community members from Lamar who wanted to show additional financial support to basketball and other sports programs in the community. In 2021 when the Lamar Lady Warriors made a run at the 3A-5 state tournament, several individuals noticed the need to give the students immediate support. Parents, grandparents, and community members rallied together to collect funds for snacks, meals, and pep buses to allow as many students as possible to experience this exciting time in school history.  ATR Two-Man Scramble Golf Tournament Since this time, the support group has gained tremendous momentum with other parents and local business owners throughout the county becoming active participants. With this momentum, the group has completed several fundraisers including a golf tournament, a 5k run, and a VIP Parking pass auction to raise funds to donate snacks, meals, and gear for the basketball and cross-country teams. Several other plans are in the works so that additional monetary contributions can be made to the basketball programs and other community sports programs.  ATR Two-Man Scramble Golf Tournament I got the chance to sit down with secretary, Sherry Boen, and I also got the chance to chat with the president, Courtney Wilkins on the phone for a few minutes about Above the Rim and the vision they have for the future of their group.  ATR Two-Man Scramble Golf Tournament Sherry Boen said, “Our intentions are that if the team or coaches want something or need something, we can help them.” Courtney said, “What we are doing is all for the benefit of the kids. We are trying to do is help build and maintain above-average programs for the kids in Lamar. We want to invest in them and help provide opportunities that they may not normally get.” Sherry added, “everyone in this community has been so wonderful to step up and donate meals and help with sponsorships for our fundraisers.”  Lamar Senior High Girls Team: Featuring Their New and Improved Warm-Ups! Outside of fundraisers, Above The Rim has picked up many donations from individuals outside of the basketball community because they are impressed with their mission and direction this group is going and wants to see them succeed.  ATR Zombie Run 5K Courtney shared, “in the big picture, we are looking for different ways that we can pull community partners in and assist in many different ways throughout the community, not just with athletics, but academics too.” Above The Rim is in the early stages of development as an organized group, but they have big goals all orbiting around the student athletes in the Lamar community. This group is a direct example of what happens when a community can come together and fit needs as they arise. If you or anyone that you know is interested in donating to, being a part of, or becoming involved in Above The Rim, check out their Facebook page or reach out to a board member.
Courtney Wilkins- President Deana Cowell- Vice President Ashley Baars- Secretary Sherry Boen- Treasurer Have you ever heard of the Lions Club? Do you know that it is their mission to serve the community? Do you know that the Lions Club is an international organization and that they have clubs just about everywhere? Do you know the impact that each of those clubs has?  The Lions Club originated in 1917 and became an international organization in 1920. Now in 2022, the Lions Club International inhabits clubs in “over 200 countries and geographic areas,” and their “48,000 clubs and 1.4 million members are helping others and making communities better.” The Lions Club values several pillars that they hone in on when serving, but one of their biggest pillars is vision. This pillar dates back to 1925 when Helen Keller addressed the “Lions at the International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, USA. She famously challenges Lions to become ‘knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.’ This begins a century-long mission—impacting hundreds of millions of lives through vision-related work.” As the beginning stages of the Lions Club International developed over the years, they established a Leo program in 1957 as a way for kids to become involved in the community and serve. When discussing local Leo programs, Tracy Price said, “we sponsored one in Elkins and I was fortunate enough to be able to go to their inaugural meeting as the District Governor. The inaugural meeting was the installation of all of the members and there were 30 children there. It was just great. The Leos start with 10th-12th graders, and it’s a great opportunity for them to learn, and when they’re ready, step right into the Lions Club.”  Rita and Tracy Price screening K-1st graders at Clarksville Elementary Looking at the Lions Club International and the number of clubs/members they have, it is easy to spot the leaps and bounds this organization has made, but even zooming in on a smaller scale to just the Clarksville Lions Club, proves the impact this organization continues to make. I got the chance to sit down with Rita and Tracy Price, who are both involved in the Clarksville Lions Club, to discuss how their Lions Club serves and how they are able to serve the community. Tracy Price has been a member of the Lions Club since 1974 when he joined the organization in Dardanelle. Since 1974, Tracy has been involved in the Lions Club in most of the cities he has lived in, and he has served as Zone Chairperson, District Governer, Council of Governors Chairperson (the leader of all of the Lions Clubs in Arkansas), and he currently serves as the District Service Chairperson. Rita Price has been involved with the Lions Club for about 4-5 years, has served as Club Secretary, and currently serves as Zone Chairperson and District Secretary. The passion that these individuals have for serving the community and being a part of all of the work that the Lions Club is able to do just radiates off of them.  2022-2023 Clarksville Lions Officers When asked what made him want to become a Lion and why he has been a part of this organization for as long as he has, Tracy said, “Service. Service to the community.” As previously mentioned, the Lions Club’s main pillar of service is vision, and just in this year alone, they have been able to do about 750 vision screenings in Johnson County, Ozark, and Paris. The vision screenings that the Lions Club is able to do was made possible with the help of Dr. Becky King from Clarksville Family Eye Care. Dr. King is a former club president and was able to aid the Clarksville Lions Club in choosing a vision screener that generates a printout with almost all of the information needed to prescribe glasses to someone. She aids the Lions Club in seeing patients that they send her from their screenings, while also aiding in keeping the cost of glasses as low as she can for those people. In 2021, the Clarksville Lions Club has approved 8 applications to get help with obtaining glasses, and they have approved 22 applications in 2022 to help individuals with obtaining glasses. Most of the applications they have approved have been for adults because Our Kids helps with children's glasses. The Lions Club primarily screens young children but will also screen adults.  Lion Brad Baker from Mid-South Sight and Hearing presenting long time Clarksville Lions Club member Jim Graham with the Dalstrom Award for his support of Mid-South The Clarksville Lions Club works closely with Mid-South Lions Sight and Hearing Service out of Memphis for people that are in need of specific treatment and/or surgery for any vision or hearing issues one may have. One story that Rita and Tracy shared was about an individual that lost an eye, and between the Clarksville Lions Club and Mid-South Lions Sight and Hearing Service, they were able to help her get a prosthetic eye. The Clarksville Lions Club also works closely with the Arkansas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired to aid individuals that could benefit from their services. More often than not, the Clarksville Lions Club is able to help pay for things like treatment at Mid-South Lions Sight and Hearing Service, glasses, or anything of the sort for as many individuals as they can. Rita shared the story about the individual that lost their eye and said, “In conjunction with the Mid-South Lions Sight and Hearing Service, we were able to get that person an eye, and then that person came and spoke at one of the Lions district conventions to share their story.”  Lion Tracy Price presenting Lion Philip Taylor a check to support Childhood Cancer Not only does the Lions Club work to help people and serve the community, but they also give those that may feel outcasted or shadowed a voice. They take impairments, ailments, or disadvantages in life and walk alongside those people to help them. Outside of vision, Rita and Tracy shared the four other pillars that the Clarksville Lions Club values are hunger, diabetes, enviornment, childhood cancer, and disaster relief. For hunger, they often collect canned food and dry good items that they can donate to various blessing boxes for the Clarksville community. Along with the vision screenings, they also do free diabetes screenings for anyone in the community at the Johnson County Senior Citizens Center. As far as the environment goes, the Clarksville Lions Club has adopted a mile along the highway to pick up trash, and they have planted trees in the area, and so on. They also have a member that has a child with cancer, which is why they started to raise money and collect donations to support those with childhood cancer. The Clarksville Lions Club aids in disaster relief by donating to the Lions Club International Foundation. This foundation is one that will donate money to cities/communities during disaster situations.  Clarksville Lions gearing up for a pulled pork dinner fundraiser Rita said, “One of the things that we’d like to say is that Lions Club is the largest service organization in the world, not Civic, but service organization in the world…Our motto is that ‘we serve,’ and that’s what I love about this organization.” In order to do all of the service projects that they do, the Clarksville Lions Club also does several fundraisers throughout the year. All of the money raised during these fundraisers goes directly to the account they have for service projects only. The fundraisers that they typically host are pulled pork dinners, smoked chicken dinners, pancake breakfasts, days where they set up at Walmart to collect donations, etc. Rita said, “One of the things that we’d like to say is that Lions Club is the largest service organization in the world, not Civic, but service organization in the world…Our motto is that ‘we serve,’ and that’s what I love about this organization.” In order to do all of the service projects that they do, the Clarksville Lions Club also does several fundraisers throughout the year. All of the money raised during these fundraisers goes directly to the account they have for service projects only. The fundraisers that they typically host are pulled pork dinners, smoked chicken dinners, pancake breakfasts, days where they set up at Walmart to collect donations, etc. For those interested in supporting the Clarksville Lions Club, you can find all of their fundraisers and donation collection events that they are hosting through their Facebook page, Clarksville Lions Club. For anyone interested in joining the Clarksville Lions Club, you can reach out to one of their members or message them through their Facebook page. To see what the Lions are all about, they meet every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at the Falcon’s Nest at noon. They are always looking for new members of any age to join and become part of their serving community.  Imagine a community where every child, every adult, and every family could come together to play, no matter their disabilities or impairments. Imagine a community where a child in a wheelchair whose closest interaction with a playground has been riding around the outskirts on the sidewalk and watching other children play, can now access an entire play structure. Imagine a community where a single mother with a stroller and a small child can still access a playground and still be able to follow her child wherever they want to go (even all the way up to the slide). Imagine a community where a child with sensory sensitivities can play on the playground with shade provided and spaces in the playground that will allow them to step away by themselves to play if they become overstimulated. Imagine a community where a child with a visual impairment can still go and play at a playground because it has guides for him/her to use to access it. Imagine a community with swings, zip lines, musical instruments, and a fully accessible play structure where anyone and everyone is welcome to play and come together. That is the community that Clarksville, Arkansas is building.  How Did Clarksville Do This? In 2019, one of the initial meetings about the inclusive playground in Clarksville, AR included Mayor David Rieder, Lara Powers, Clarksville School District’s Special Education Supervisor, Amanda Demoret, a teacher at Oark Elementary School, and Amy Oatis, a professor at the University of the Ozarks and a mom of a child with significant needs. In sharing about that day, Mayor Rieder said, “In that meeting, the four of us had a discussion on what it means to truly be inclusive. Something happened in that meeting. You know, I’ve asked this question before, but: what does it take to change the essence of someone’s soul? Sometimes it’s a general conversation about seeing the world through other people’s eyes when we go about our lives daily and we don’t see it that way and we don’t notice certain things until we know somebody that has gone through that. But, that day at that meeting, those four ladies changed my life…and I have seen the world totally different since that day. After that meeting, we took off with a dream, we re-wrote the grant three times (they say the third time’s a charm), we took it to the state, got approved by the state and we got a grant.”  Since the beginning, the inclusive playground has been envisioned as a safe space not only for families, children, and adults alike to come together and play but also for anyone in the surrounding areas that is able to travel to Clarksville as well. This unique group of individuals came together and established that “every family and every child needs a place to go to and feel like they belong,” according to Amy.  After that initial meeting commenced, the search for both funding and a plan of action began (and it was not always an easy process). Everyone involved in the process of the inclusive playground (along with the group in the initial meeting) includes the following: Clarksville City Council, Darian Piper, Jackie Bateman, Jessica Gunn, Joy Wilson, Matt Bewley, Max Hilgendorf, Stacy Hurst, Steven Houserman, Wynette Holland, and Verla Clark. Once the need for an inclusive playground in the community had been established, some searching and time proposed the opportunity to apply for the Family Fun Park Grant. After that grant was discovered, it took three different rewritings for it to be approved by the state. Before Clarksville was approved for the grant, though, Mayor Rieder wanted to ensure the funds could be allocated to be able to build the inclusive playground, no matter what. There was the Vision 21 Bond Refinance that would allow for the city to be given a lump sum of money that would go towards building the inclusive playground, the bike trails at Lake Ludwig, the baseball/softball complex, and the renovation of the soccer fields. Mayor Rieder knocked on 700+ doors, printed out flyers, and personally financed his own Facebook ads, all to ensure that the Clarksville community would understand the importance of this bond refinance (for no increase in taxes), and would allow for it to pass. Ironically, once the bond was approved for refinancing, the City of Clarksville was approved for the Family Fun Park Grant as well.  The process of finding funding for the inclusive playground took time, persistence, and patience, but that part of the process alone brought so many people in the community together consistently with trial and error. The behind-the-scenes actions to lead the City of Clarksville to the groundbreaking and eventually the ribbon cutting to the inclusive playground initiated an act of camaraderie and community that is truly incredible.  The ribbon cutting for the inclusive playground was hosted on September 10th, 2022. At the ribbon cutting, Mayor Rieder, along with several other guest speakers, shared the creation story of this playground, everyone that was involved in the creation of the playground was recognized, stories were shared, and Mary Sears and Tracy Reeves were remembered and honored in a ceremony that revealed their plaques that will remain in the front of the playground.  Mary Sears was an employee at Forrester-Davis Development Center for 26 years, and Tracy Reeves was the first client to begin at Forrester-Davis in August of 1971. Mary Sears was also very involved in the Special Olympics as a coach both at the state and the world levels. She was the Coach of the Year in Arkansas for the Special Olympics, and she was also a coach on the International Special Olympic USA Coaching Team. After retiring from the center, Mary continued to be involved with Forrester-Davis from serving on the board to sticking around to answer questions and guide those that were walking in her footsteps. Joy Wilson, the Director at Forrester-Davis Development Center said, “Mary had the heart of a lion for disabled children and adults. And, of course, you couldn’t think about Mary without thinking about Tracy as well.” Tracy Reeves started attending Forrester-Davis Development Center when he was 10 years old, worked for the center, and retired at the age of 52 in June 2013. Tracy was very involved in the Special Olympics as an athlete, leaving behind his legacy of 51 gold medals, 10 silver medals, and 8 bronze medals. Joy shared, “Tracy started in the Special Olympics in April of 1972. He went to the state games in May and won a bronze medal in the 50-yard dash. After that, he continued in the Special Olympics until May 2013. In 1991 he won a gold medal in tennis skills at Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota in the International Games. In 1995 he won a gold medal in Bocce at New Haven, Connecticut in the International Games.” It is evident that both Mary Sears and Tracy Reeves left behind an unbelievable legacy that will now live on forever through the Sears/Reeves Inclusive Playground.  What Makes a Playground Inclusive? No matter where you go or what city you live in, there is always a portion of the population that are not able to go to a playground because of a mental or physical disability. That portion of the population is then limited, and an inclusive playground aims to remove those limits. The inclusive playground is an additional structure at Cline Park that is a completely inclusive play space. The play space includes wider ramps and walkways equipped for those in a wheelchair, those using a walker, or even those pushing a stroller. In addition to that, the play space is also made entirely of plastic, has a ground installation that makes it wheelchair accessible but also soft in case someone were to fall, and has canopied areas to provide shade for those sensitive to light/heat/etc. There are even some areas that are set apart from the main play structure for those with sensory issues and/or anxiety so that they can separate themselves from the stimulus, while still being able to enjoy the playground.  The playground is also equipped with a zipline that can hold an adult or a child with a harness, a variety of swings, slides, structures to climb on or under, and the list goes on. A fence also surrounds the playground with a gate to prevent children or adults that may become overstimulated and/or overwhelmed and try to run away. Mayor Rieder expressed that when he was elected as mayor, he had a conversation with Verla Clark at City Hall. He said, “We talked about what our community needs and she brought up an inclusive playground, and I said, ‘what’s that?’ I didn’t know what an inclusive playground was at the time and I didn’t know that there was a difference between an ADA-compliant playground and one that was inclusive.” From that moment on, Mayor Rieder, along with many others, truly learned about the meaning of an inclusive playground.  Establishing a playground as “inclusive” means that it truly must be inclusive to anyone and everyone that wishes to use the playground. The City of Clarksville collaborated with so many different individuals that helped ensure the inclusivity of this playground. With too many details that were incorporated in this structure to count, the description above is merely just that: a description. To truly understand the impact and the importance of this structure and this playground, you have to see it for yourself. Why Does an Inclusive Playground Make Such a Big Impact? Mayor Rieder said, “This playground was meant to be here and I believe that with all of my heart.” Amy Oatis said, “Being able to play together is what makes a foundation for a good community.” Pastor Jon Hoffman said, “This playground is the result of a conscious decision, but it’s also a compassionate decision.” Senator Gary Stubblefield said, “You can tell a lot about a community by how they take care of their most vulnerable citizens.” Many others described the inclusive playground as “life-changing,” “inspirational,” “joyful,” “truly inclusive,” “empathetic,” and the list goes on. So many different individuals have commented on, shared stories about, and have praised the Sears/Reeves Inclusive Playground, but the most common word used in all of this has been “impact” and the impact that this playground will have on Clarksville as a city, Johnson County as a whole, and even surrounding communities as well. As Amy mentioned, “The inclusive playground puts Clarksville on a level of much larger communities.” The Sears/Reeves Inclusive Playground will be one of 6 inclusive playgrounds in Arkansas with 2 in North Little Rock, 1 in Jonesboro, 1 in Springdale, and 1 in Bentonville (with a 7th inclusive playground in progress in Fort Smith). With Clarksville being a much smaller community than the ones previously mentioned, the Reeves/Sears Inclusive Playground really opens up Clarksville to other smaller communities in the surrounding areas as well. No matter how big or how small a community may be, though, anyone and everyone deserves to have a safe space to come and play. After the speeches were presented at the ribbon cutting, the ceremony shifted to the gate of the playground, the ribbon was cut signifying that the Sears/Reeves Inclusive Playground was open, and all of the kids present were able to enter the playground and play–all together. That specific moment not only represented how the community of Clarksville is changing and being impacted, but it also represented the people that were changed and impacted as well. For example, Jackie mentioned, “Before I took this job with the city, I was a behavior technician, so when I started working with the city and started working on this project, it became near and dear to my heart and it was a privilege to be able to work on it.” Another individual that was personally impacted at the ribbon cutting, specifically, was Mayor Rieder. When asked to describe the day of the ribbon-cutting ceremony and how it felt to watch such a large group of people run onto the Sears/Reeves Inclusive Playground for the first time, Mayor Rieder said, “Inspirational. That day inspired me to think of more and to do more as a community to be more inclusive.” As an individual who was present at the ribbon cutting for the playground as well, I do not think I have ever felt or witnessed the feeling of pure joy quite like I did on that day. Since the origination of the idea of the Sears/Reeves Inclusive Playground, it has brought the community of Clarksville together in such a unique and special way that was clearly present at the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony. There were laughs, happy tears, hugs, pride, and the vision of all children, all adults, and all families being able to come together and just play come to life. Watching that vision come to life really and truly emphasized the impact that this playground has–and will continue to have.  The Sears/Reeves Inclusive Playground was built next to the original play structure at Cline Park, and they are both surrounded by the gated fence. Including both of these structures in the fenced areas, it truly opens the play space to any and all children, adults, and families–it allows everyone to play together without separation or seclusion. The playground is also available to be a destination for day trips for Forrester Davis/M.A.C. Industries, all of the schools in the area, and any other group/club/etc. that wishes to reserve the playground for a visit.
The Sears/Reeves Inclusive Playground will make such a significant impact in our community–and surrounding communities–because its intention is simple: everyone, no matter their abilities, should be given the opportunity to feel pure joy and the inclusion that this playground will offer for many years and many generations to come.  Johnson County Public Library; 2 Taylor Cir, Clarksville, AR 72830 What do you think about when someone says the word “library”? I think it is fair to say that most people would answer by saying: “books,” “reading,” “library cards,” “computers,” “movies,” or something of the sort. If you ask James Ritchie at the Johnson County Library, he describes their purpose as, “improving the quality of life for people and helping them with their informational needs.”
Outside of housing hundreds of books and movies in their building, the library also has several computers that patrons are allowed to use, the staff is always there to help whether it is looking for a job or learning how to use the computer, and the list goes on. The library also regularly hosts a variety of events at the library that cater to all ages from author book talks to a storytime set up just for kids. Who are the Friends of NRA? What do they do in our community?  Partner of Friends of NRA flyer posted in Big Buck N Bass' window According to Steve Payne, the co-chairman of the Johnson County, Friends of NRA, “We say that we raise funds to support youth shooting sports but it is much bigger than that. With the money we raise, 50% of it goes to the national level, allowing the NRA foundation to put together educational programs for kids, women, and different programs that support the youth throughout the nation. The other 50% of funds are distributed at the local level by Friends of NRA for schools, 4-H, and other shooting programs that fill out grants for their programs to be supported.”  Steve, volunteer for Friends of NRA with Dondi, owner of Big Buck N Bass I was able to sit down with Steve to discuss the function of the Friends of NRA and how they are making an impact at the local level. Friends of NRA is a 501 C3 non-profit organization that is run at the local level by all volunteers. Funds are raised through donations they collect throughout the year and the fundraiser they host at the end of the year. The money raised in 2021 allowed the Friends of NRA to give out 36 grants in the state of Arkansas. Nine grants were given to schools within Johnson, Polk, and Logan counties. The grants presented to shooting programs at schools and 4-H clubs, allow them to keep the programs running, growing, and thriving. The schools and shooting programs in Johnson County that received grants are the University of the Ozarks, Clarksville High School, West Side High School, Lamar High School, and Oark High School. In Logan County, Magazine High School and County Line High School received grants, and in Pope County, Russellville High School received a grant.
“What is 4-H?” “How does 4H affect the Johnson County community?” “Why are kids involved in 4-H?” “What are the benefits of being involved in 4-H?” “How do I join a club?” “What all does 4-H require of me?”  Old, young, and anywhere in between. 4-H offers opportunities to learn and grow constantly. In the simplest form, Jeanie Robotham--the Johnson County Extension office agent for 4-H youth and development--says that when it comes to 4-H, “it’s a family thing.”
4-H is a nonprofit organization that has several groups/clubs present just in Johnson County. They are a youth development organization for young people that teaches them leadership and life skills that they will be able to take with them for the rest of their lives. When asked about the mission of 4-H, Jeanie said, “To make the best better of course. Like in our pledge, you know, it's for your club, your community, your country, and your world. We teach them life skills so that these kids (after this program) can go out and excel both in the workforce and the community. Outside of teaching life skills we also teach some college and career readiness to the kids. There is also the community side of things from our mission of citizenship through 4-H. We definitely want them to be a better citizen as well and be able to understand the county and state government and to have an active role in their community.” “61 million adults in the United States live with a disability.” “The percentage of people living with disabilities is highest in the South.” “In 2020, 17.9 percent of persons with a disability were employed.” “Across all educational attainment groups, unemployment rates for persons with a disability were higher than those for persons without a disability.” “After age 21, adults with disabilities age out of the services and supports provided by law through the school system...According to parents, nearly 7 in 10 adults with disabilities live with their parents or guardian.”  The M.A.C Industries facility, and it is the location of The Falcon's Nest. Statistics. All of these numbers and facts you see above are powerful statistics about the adults with disabilities in America, but behind these numbers and facts are people. People that are limited in how they can live out their lives because of the lack of resources and education that has been provided to them to live a “normal” life, that is often taken for granted.
M.A.C. Industries is a non-profit organization in Clarksville, Arkansas that is a division of Forrester-Davis Development Center. At M.A.C. Industries, their staff and team work every single day to help disabled adults be able to move out of these statistics and facts and be able to earn their own money, live on their own, provide for themselves, cook for themselves, keep themselves healthy, and the list goes on. The mission that M.A.C. Industries revolves their entire organization around is “…to provide educational/habilitative services that enable developmentally disabled adults to pursue independence and a better quality life. Our vision is to maximize independence for disabled adults by providing vocational training in a successful, versatile business.” M.A.C. Industries has made such an impact on Johnson County since 1997 when their adult center was built. The impact they have been able to make has been supported and made possible by businesses like First Security Bank that offer their time and attention to help this organization reach as many people--and help as many people--as they do today. Since the creation of the adult center that is now M.A.C. Industries, they now provide so many different services all within their facility. The services they provide for these adults include (but are not limited to): education classes where they teach household skills so that they can learn to live independently, social community classes, a reading class, extracurricular classes like music and fitness, and the list goes on.  This is the Safe Haven Main office for drug and alcohol counseling, their classes, donation drop-off, etc. According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, “Arkansas had an estimated 2,366 experiencing homelessness on any given day, as reported by Continuums of Care to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Of that total, 101 were family households, 188 were Veterans, 262 were unaccompanied young adults (aged 18-24), and 514 were individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.” In Clarksville, Arkansas, homelessness looks a little different than the rest of the state, nonetheless, it still is a prominent issue. Homelessness in Clarksville, Arkansas isn’t a public affair, as it is typically individuals that fell victim to drug and/or alcohol addiction, unemployment, mental illness, poverty, etc., and don’t know where to turn for help. In 2019, Abigail and Sharon Garrett decided that the Clarksville and Johnson County communities needed help with their population of people that were struggling in multiple facets of their lives. They did what they could at the time and opened Safe Haven as a space to take in homeless women and help them in any way that they needed.  The dream that became a reality. The Safe Haven house for women where they live, do chores, and go through a faith-based rehabilitation program. I was able to sit down with Abigail Garrett, who is the CEO of the outpatient division at Safe Haven. Garrett is the head counselor for the drug and alcohol counseling that they offer as one of their services. According to Garrett, her mission was clear in being drawn to addiction ministry when she moved to Arkansas.
“And I just fell in love with how God does miracles. But, whenever somebody’s life is so broken in pieces, the miracles that God does to get them from ground zero are just amazing. So I just fell in love with watching that transformation. So I got into drug and alcohol counseling and switched my major to do so at Arkansas Tech,” Garrett explained. What all started with a dream from both Abigail and Sharon Garrett--and the other members of the Safe Haven board--of “empowering people to rebuild and restore their lives” has transformed into so much more than that. Now in 2022, Safe Haven is still focused on “bringing healing to Johnson County,” according to Abigail Garrett, through day classes for budgeting, parenting, etc., offering them a laptop so that they can search for a place to stay, build a resume, apply for a job, etc., drug and alcohol counseling, and they even have a home for women that allows them space to complete daily chores set for their everyday routine, do their homework for their healing process, participate in group therapy, and meet the program requirements. |
AuthorAfter her time at the University of the Ozarks, Abby Asencio graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She now works as our Community Relations Director, continuing to connect our community. Archives
December 2022
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