Life in LA Today

She may live in L.A. (Lower Arkansas) but her taste in cuisine is distilled from living in three different countries on two different continents, as well as coming from the South. Sharon Ford loves to read, and one of the things she is passionate about reading is cookbooks. I told her I didn't think they had much plot or character development, but after more than 50 years of marriage to me, those kinds of comments usually just roll off. Usually!

Today's special guest is my own dear wife. I humored her into testing a new microphone, to which she agreed. But I thought I might as well make it a realistic test so I launched into one of my own special podcast introductions and before you knew it, we had a whole episode recorded. It was so good I thought I would share it with the world. It covers how she developed her own special repertoire of dishes and so much more.

One of the meals we've come to love is groundnut stew, which she learned from a blend of listening to missionaries and living in West Africa. You won't believe all that she puts into it, AND that our children loved all of those items! Her avocado crevette hails from France and it's a novel use of avocados and shrimp. And while she picked up a few favorites from our time in Portugal, the favorite dish that our Baptist brethren in Mem Martins Baptist Church always asked for was her American chili!

Check out today's podcast from my very special guest on today's edition of Life in L.A.

Larry Price has handled more quarters in his career than anyone I have ever met. Owner and operator of Price Oil Company, Larry also built carwashes throughout our region. The King Kleen Carwash on East Main was famous in our family for another reason involving an ape. But for today's podcast, I asked Larry to recount the story that is pretty well known throughout L.A. as "The Monkey Had a Gun!" Larry told the story at a Dale Carnegie speakers' course and was awarded a prize for its presentation.

Old timers may recall that there were at least two monkeys in Magnolia that were pretty well known. One resided at the service station at the intersection of South Jackson and Calhoun Streets. The other was perhaps more well known as it resided at Martel Barbecue, also known as the Dairy Treat.

According to an article in the Banner-News in 2002, Frank and Ezelle Martel owned and operated Martel's Barbecue on East Main Street from 1947 to 1969. They were famous for the barbecue, potato salad, beans, fried pies and Ezelle's home-made ice cream. In the '50s and '60s it was a popular youth hangout.

In addition to the juke box, there were also big cages of parakeets and moneys as a curiosity for the customers to enjoy. But the day came when one of the Martels' monkeys needed to find a new home. Larry Price tells the story of what happened to the two monkeys, and rest assured, both monkeys eventually made it to the carnival and we assume lived happily ever after.

But why did one potential owner bring a monkey back to the Martels? And how did the monkey get ahold of a pistol from--of all people--the game warden? Larry Price tells the story in today's edition of Life in L.A.

For many people, the fear of losing control of their mental faculties as they grow older is a very real concern. We recently sat down with Dr. Jason Franks of Southern Medical Group for a discussion on maintaining good health even as we grow older. It's an issue he's passionate about and spends much time in research and thought.

Dr. Franks outlined for us a number of risk factors that may contribute to dementia or its specific form known as Alzheimer's in later life. Based on research in Finland known as the FINGER study, eight specific areas can be modified to reduce the risk of cognitive decline as we age. Dr. Franks discusses each of these in today's podcast.

Locally, there are many resources for families of dementia patients. Here are just two of them:

1. Nancy Bailey, CVM, is a community support specialist with the Area Agency on Aging. The agency maintains a website and a Facebook page which you can access by clicking the link. There is a monthly support group for caregivers of dementia patients that meets at noon in the Community Room at the Lelia Enrichment Complex, 600 Lelia Street. Lunch is provided and a Zoom option is also available for those who can't leave home. Nancy can be reached at 870-626-3089/toll free, 800-272-2127, Ext. 105.
2. Barbara Lewis is the contact person for the Caring Place, a respite care program that gives the caregiver of Alzheimer's/Dementia patients some time away. "While we have the patient we engage them in mind and body stimulating activities such as crafts, music, exercise and games," Barbara said. There is a $30 per day fee; however, they don't turn anybody away. The Caring Place meets at First United Methodist Church in Magnolia.

Your personal physician is also an excellent resource for diagnosing and navigating the many issues involved in diagnosing and treated dementia and Alzheimer's patients. We are grateful to Dr. Franks for taking time to walk us through some of the areas we can address to help us avoid or delay onset of dementia. Take a listen to today's podcast and give some thought to how you can improve your health!

Most of the time when you have an appointment with your personal physician, it's because something is wrong with you or because it's time for an annual exam. But if you showed up at your doctor's office and he had all the time in the world just to visit with you, what could he share that might help you live a longer and healthier life?

That's the approach that Dr. Jason Franks took recently when he shared with the senior adult group known as L.L.L. at Central Baptist Church. He explained that while age is not a disease, it does bring with it a change in functional capacity. Our goal should be to slow down that change and maintain functional capacity as long as possible. We each have a mission in life--things that we are called to accomplish--and the health of our body is the vehicle we use to accomplish that. It's a topic he is passionate about and spends much time studying and thinking about.

Dr. Franks outlined four fundamentals of good health--diet, exercise, stress reduction and sleep--and expanded on each of them. The good doctor was kind enough to sit down with us and go over those fundamentals again for today's podcast. If you want to live a longer and healthier life, you'll want to listen to today's podcast.

If anyone were qualified to write the next history of Columbia County, it would be Mike Gee. Mike is historian for the South Arkansas Heritage Museum, administrator of the Columbia County, Arkansas History and Genealogies page on Facebook and a frequent contributor of thoughtful and in-depth research into all things historical for this area. So when Acclaim Press announced that it would be publishing Columbia County, Arkansas History and Families Book 1852-2023, it was no surprise that they enlisted Mike to write the history section. The book will include the history of Columbia County, including family histories, communities, churches, schools, business, farms and more. Anyone who has ever lived in our county is invited to submit their family's history in 500 words or less, including one family photograph. The deadline for submission of material has been extended to April 7 and information has been mailed throughout the county regarding the book. You may also pick up a copy of the brochure describing the book at the Columbia County Library on North Jackson in Magnolia, which is assisting Acclaim Press. The previous history of Columbia County was written by Nettie Hicks Kilgore and published back in 1947, so it was well past time for an updated version. This new book will join many other historical volumes preserved at our local library. You might be surprised at all the material they hold, including genalogies, books, microfilms and bound copies of old newspapers, among others. Where did the early settlers to our county come from? How did they get here in the first place? Does Mike Gee consider himself "the next Nettie Hicks Kilgore"? All these questions and more will be answered in today's edition of Life in LA. Take a listen to my interview with Mike by hitting the play button below!

Mike Love of Magnolia, Arkansas was the drummer for a garage band in South Arkansas. The group started in high school, grew to become The Cut-ups. But when they played a gig down in Springhill, somebody suggested they let a local guy named Joe Stampley sing with them. From that fateful day on, they became Joe Stampley and The Uniques, and became one of the most popular bands to ever come out of this region. They appeared on several TV shows and even toured with the Beach Boys during the height of their popularity. You can still listen to them today on Spotify and there's a Facebook group called Joe Stampley and the Uniques Fan Club.

But could a new album really be in the works? It appears so, as was learned recently. Mike and wife Brenda planned on having lunch with a couple of the guitarists to celebrate a birthday. They met in Springhill when in walked Joe Stampley from his home in Nashville. All of the surviving members of the Uniques were present for the reunion. They laughed, reminisced, listen to some of their songs and even sang along. What they learned about the new album surprised them all. Who is producing a new album? When will it be available? How many fans of the Uniques are still clamoring for more of their songs?

I visited with Mike recently and he talked about the recent get-together, the new album, and what it was like to be part of a "hot" group in the 60s!

Elvin and Charolette Pool were looking for a house that might become home for them. Elvin owned a business interest in Camden, Charlotte had a gift for decorating. In addition to her gift as a decorator, Charolette loves collectible glassware and Elvin loves to see Charolette happy. So they were looking around Camden for a suitable house, one similar to one they had owned previously. They weren't finding what they were looking for, so on a lark, they drove to Magnolia.

Driving right down East Main Street some 20 years ago, they were captured by the beauty of the flowers in front of the Fullenwider house. A chance conversation and a tour of that home resulted in their learning that the McKay-Crumpler home next door was for sale. Moreover, the price and condition of that house caught their attention. In fact, Elvin said, it was love first at sight and they didn't even want to leave.

Papers were signed, money changed hands, they were about to take possession when they learned the second floor was occupied. After all, the house was a bed and breakfast, and the Blossom Festival was just days away. Whoever was up there would have to leave! Except that it was Mike Huckabee, the governor of Arkansas, and some of his staff!

The Pools eventually moved in and set about making the house their home. It is indescribably beautiful! The natural charm of the gorgeous old house coupled with Charolette's collection and artistic ability make the home gorgeous!

Fast forward a couple of decades, the Pools are comfortably ensconced in the historic house, when early one morning, Elvin is awakened.....by the sound of breaking glass! Thinking it was across the street, he settled back uneasily. Then he heard it again, the unmistakable sound of breaking glass.

Scantily dressed but armed with his pistol, Elvin left the bedroom, entered the hallway and crept towards where he had heard the sound--the kitchen. Raising the gun, he slowly entered the kitchen and there he found.....

Maybe you've heard the song by Tim McGraw, Live Like you Were Dying. It's about a man who got the bad news that he didn't have much time left to live. As the song goes: I asked him "When it sank in that this might really be the real end how's it hit you when you get that kind of news? Man, what'd you do?" That's basically how today's podcast goes! Back in 2006, Rev. Elvis Griffin--pastor of Faith Baptist Church, building superintendent of Central Baptist Church, and my friend--got the news that everyone dreads. The X-rays showed lung cancer, and the lung specialist told him he had about six months left to live. This week's podcast touched my heart as Bro. Elvis shares the news he got about 16 years ago, how it impacted him, and (as Paul Harvey would say) the rest of the story!

Chris Gilliam was a high school student visiting a university in Monticello, Arkansas back in 1978 when a chance encounter changed his life. He was watching a baseball game on campus as the UAM Boll Weevils played the Muleriders from Southern Arkansas University.

While he was watching the game, he was approached by a friendly guy by the name of Earl Miller.

"Earl drove the bus for Southern Arkansas University...and he came up to me and asked what I was doing," Chris told me. He said they struck up a conversation, Chris was just being nice to the guy when Earl said, "Let's go get a Coke."

Chris said they went and got a Coke and he told Earl he was there on a football recruiting trip.

Chris didn't know it at the time, but Earl wasn't "just a bus driver." In fact, Miller would be inducted into the SAU Hall of Fame for Meritorious Service, just one of his many accolades. His Hall of Fame post states: "Miller was valuable on athletic trips as a veteran traveler, knowing the locations of stadiums, field houses, arenas, etc., in various cities, the best and quickest routes, and alternate roads, to reach destinations. He also never met a stranger and always knew someone at practically every stop."

It's worth checking out Earl's Hall of Fame citation. Earl was just practicing his famous hospitality in seeking Chris out and inviting him for a Coke, but it bore fruit. Chris finished the story:

"He said, 'Have you tried Magnolia, Southern Arkansas?' I told him, no I haven't. Chris returned home to Lonoke and told his coach about the encounter and asked what his coach knew about SAU.

"He had some connection with Magnolia with Sonny Whittington and other staff, Bill Brasher, so anyway, to make a long story short, coach brought me to Magnolia on a recruiting trip, Rip Powell was the head coach. He was honest with me, he said, 'I can't give you a scholarship of any kind, but you're welcome to walk on but if you work hard and do what you're supposed to do, you never know what could happen.' So that's what got me to Magnolia, Arkansas."

With nearly four decades of writing and sports reporting for the Banner-News, Chris is a veritable walking compendium of sporting events in our county. He's covered many of them, and some of the most exciting he recalled were the basketball duels between Waldo and McNeil.

Chris and his wife Shirley have three sons and five grandchildren. They are just some of the people who make "Lower Arkansas" a great place to live!

The history of printing is a fascinating study, and it's just too bad we don't have time to deeply into the topic. Printing was first developed by the Chinese just after 1000 AD, but moveable type didn't come along until the 1200s. Western culture credits Gutenberg with developing the printing press around 1250 AD in Germany. Gutenberg's press used individual blocks of letters that were placed by hand in a time consuming process.

The process of printing was accelerated immensely and growth of the daily newspaper made possible by the invention of Ottmar Mergenthaler, a German clockmaker who had immigrated to the United States. Mergenthaler perfected a machine that would assemble matrices, or molds, into a single line, against which molten lead would be poured or injected. The lead would cool and the matrices would automatically return to the correct case to await their next usage. It is a fascinating process to watch!

The Linotype machine was first used in 1886 to print the New York Tribune, but soon newspapers the world over were printed using the "hot metal typecasting" method. The machines began to be phased out in the 1970s and 1980s when the offset method of printing used lithography rather than cast metal.

Our local newspaper had three linotypes that provided the printing forms for almost everything that appeared on the printed page. They were retired in 1973 when the newspaper began to be printed in El Dorado instead of in the Magnolia back shop.

I was privileged to work in the editorial department of our local newspaper during this transition period. While the move allowed a better look and cleaner type, most of the print staff lost their employment at that time.

I recently reconnected with Ronnie Daniels, who worked at the Banner-News at roughly the same time I did. As best I can tell, Ronnie is the last surviving member of the "back shop crew" who printed the newspaper in house. He and his wife Barbara live up above Waldo and are both retired now. But Ronnie and I took a walk down memory lane this past week. Ronnie got another look at the big machine he operated for a few years back a half-century ago. This week's podcast features Ronnie's recollection of what it was like to work in the print shop of our local newspaper.

Take a listen to today's podcast, share it with a friend or on your favorite social media