Maumelle`s Terry Williams

Transcription

July, August, September 2011 - Volume 6, Issue 1
Maumelle’s
Terry Williams
Dr. Jonathan Jameson
Dr. Kyle L. Skinner
MauMag Writers & Contributors
S
ustin Lloyd is the Sales
Manager for Compsys,
Inc. He has a background in sales,
marketing and advertising.
Justin lives in Bryant, AR with
his wife, Kelly. His hobbies
include running, cooking and
spending time outdoors. Justin
may be contacted via email at
jlloyd@compsysar.com
·Jul - Aug - Sep 2011
MauMag
04
hannon Goins is
the co-owner of
NorthSide Aquatics, Arkansas’
largest
aquarium
store,
located on Counts Massie Rd.
in Maumelle. NorthSide sets
up office aquariums and has
a maintenance service to help
ensure that they stay looking
their best.
Follow NorthSide on facebook to stay up-to-date with
their latest specials. Shannon
may be reached at
shannon.goins@nsaquatics.com.
L
ichelle McCon is a
stay-at-home mom
and writer. Hobbies include
hiking, scuba diving, blogging,
geocaching, and delighting in
All Things Summer with her twoyear-old.
Have a question or comment?
Please feel free to email her at
msmccon@gmail.com.
J
ustin Pittman is the District Manager for Bedford’s
Camera and Video stores in the
Little Rock area.
Austin has been a Certified Photographic Consultant since 2000.
He lives in Maumelle with his wife
Shannon and son Andrew. Austin
may be reached by email at
austin@bedfords.com
M
A
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M
ary Ann Stafford is
a former art teacher
and administrator who retired
to be a full-time artist/writer. A
Maumelle resident for 14 years,
she still teaches drawing and
painting in her studio and at the
Arkansas Arts Center. Mary Ann
may be reached by email at
pastelanne@sbcglobal.net
arion Scott has been
a resident of Maumelle since 2006. Retired, she enjoys gardening and running. She
finished her seventh marathon
this spring.
Marion also enjoys volunteering with a special passion for
senior education and activities.
Visit our website
J
ictor Werner has
lived with his family
in Maumelle since 1995. He
has been an alderman on the
Maumelle City Council. He
is a charter member of the
local community theatre, The
Maumelle Players. He supports
the promotion of the arts in all
it’s forms.
He loves his 5 grandchildren,
is an avid golfer and loves the
city of Maumelle.
M
athy Wheeler is owner of Personal Training by Design, LLC. She is an ACEcertified Personal Fitness Trainer,
Cooper Institute Master Fitness
Specialist, Foot Solutions Master
Nordic Pole Walking Instructor,
IDEA Professional Member, SCW
Yoga and mat Pilates certified
and CPR/AED certified. To learn
more about Kathy visit her website at
personaltrainingbydesign.com. 05
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V
K
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K
inda Kennedy has
taught music through
the piano and theory/composition in her independent piano
studio in Maumelle for the past
22 years. She is also organist/
accompanist at NLR First United
Methodist Church. Linda may be
contacted by email at
PianoLK@aol.com.
en Forrester, a retired administrative
law judge, is the published author of numerous articles and
columns on wine.
Ken is a member of the Authors League, the American
Wine Society and the Society of
Wine Educators.
D
odie Spears is a Stage
IV
breast
cancer
survivor and freelance writer/
PR consultant. She owns her
own communications company
called Living Pink. Spears covers
health issues for MauMag. Jodie
can be reached at
Jodie@mylivingpink.com.
eborah Roush is the
Executive Director
of Communications for the
Pulaski County School District,
the third-largest school district
in Arkansas.
A
Maumelle
resident
and longtime journalist and
freelance writer, she enjoys
contributing to her hometown
publication, MauMag, when
she can.
Three articles in this issue call attention to the arts in Maumelle. My support for the arts in all its
forms resides deep in my conviction that “art influences our creativity and enhances our awareness
of all good things in life.”
I would like to announce that the Maumelle Arts Council is now under a whole new board of
directors and is in the process of completing a total re-organization. The Board is calling all Maumelle Artists to contact us via email at mac@maumelleartscouncil.org. We’d love to hear from you.
Great things will start happening soon. Visit our new website www.maumelleartscouncil.org to stay
informed and to meet the members of the new Board of Directors.
On page 16 of this issue, Linda Kennedy talks about the need of an Events Center in Maumelle
as a “Home for the Arts.” I urge you to email us at Maumelle@MauMag.com with your input, comments and opinions.
Best wishes,
Roger A. Frangieh, Publisher
in this issue
Maumelle’s Terry Williams
08
Maumelle High School
13
Something IMissing in Maumelle 16
The McCann Clan
18
From Maumelle to Matsumoto 20
Meet Julianne Cole
22
Express It!
23
What Summer Means to Me
24
Port & Sherry Wines
26
Tech Talk-The 3D “Wow” Factor 27
Parents Booster on Immunizatjion 28
C.E.R.T. People Helping People 29
What Is Cloud Computing
32
Publisher/Editor
Roger A. Frangieh
President
RAFIMI Advertising & Strategic Marketing
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Samia M. Frangieh
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Roger A. Frangieh
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Central Arkansas Roofing
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Just the Place for You!
07
Rayville is a tiny, quiet town she
remembers fondly and returns to
frequently to visit her parents and
brother.
“Growing up I remember that the
phone would ring on the telephone
pole in the middle of town, and
Daddy would run to answer it to get
his emergency calls. That’s where I
graduated from high school, and I still
get really homesick for it,” she said.
After attending the nearby
Northeast
Louisiana
University,
Williams majored in corrections,
marrying just before graduation and
becoming a stay-at-home mom.
Williams' daughters, Kristin, Katie,
and Kandace, now 25, 23 and 17,
became her life.
But in 1996, twelve years later
and with a struggling marriage,
Williams opted for her first big life
change. “I needed to set an example
for my daughters that employment
was important,” she said, adding
that she called her older sister, Kathy
Biedenharn, who had founded a workrelease program called City of Faith,
asking if a position was available.
The answer was yes, and
Williams drove 60 miles each way to
and from her first job – and reveled
in it.
“I was a case manager. I
remember that first day at my desk in
the office. It was like I had just found
out I was pregnant. I thought, ‘I don’t
RAFIMI Photography
08
know where I’ve been.’ I loved the inmates. I loved the hours, and I hated when
the weekend came,” she remembered.
“It was a personal revolution,” she said. “It was the change I was looking
for.”
Shortly afterward, when a position opened for a case manager in the Little
Rock office, the family relocated, though the couple soon divorced.
Williams worked hard and moved up – fast. Lauded by the Bureau of Prisons
(BOP), which is heavily involved in the management of halfway houses, for her
ability to take charge and garner respect, Williams became the facility director
for Little Rock’s City of Faith, off University Ave., and in 2006 was named its
deputy executive director.
But she had another unexpected and positive change in 2000, when she
married Little Rock Police Department captain -- now Maumelle’s police chief
-- Sam Williams.
Continued on Page 10
Rayville, LA High School 1977.
Embracing a Life of Change
I
By Deborah Roush
f you ask Terry Williams what drives her, the petite blonde answers simply
and thoughtfully. “Well, I just think that if you see a need somewhere that
you become responsible for it.” That is what has led Williams, 51, to a life
providing housing and job opportunities, but more importantly, second
chances, to a population that many others overlook. (See related article,
page 11).
It is not, however, what she ever expected to end up doing. And that’s OK
with her.
Williams was born in Lake Providence, La., and moved to the tiny town of
Rayville, La., at the age of three, where her father was a police officer and her
mother was a nurse. “My folks were both public servants. I think they really set
the example for my brother, sister and I,” she said.
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MauMag
Maumelle’s Terry Williams
Left to Right: Katie, Terry, Kristin and Kandace 2006
The Williams had met when Sam
was assigned as the liaison between
City of Faith and the City of Little
Rock.
“I was still so nervous in my new
job -- so green. I had left a town of
1,200 for this big city. The first time
an ex-offender left the halfway house
when he wasn’t supposed to, I had
to call him. I said, ‘Captain Williams
… sir … this is Terry Parker. I’m sorry
to bother you.’ And he was yelling at
me, ‘Can I get the president landed
and then call you back?’ I was so
intimidated I cried.”
What I later learned was that he
was shouting so I could hear him over
the noise of the helicopter. Now we
joke about that,” she said.
The couple’s first date was the
day after Christmas in 1999, when
they went to see a prison movie -The Green Mile -- still her favorite.
Sam lifted the load with his humor
and captivated her daughters’ hearts
too, Williams said.
One example? “The girls were
small, and we had a bumble bee
problem where we lived. Sam came
to help out, and we ended up with a
bunch of dead bees. His solution was
to have a bee funeral. It was those
types of things that won them over,”
she said. Terry and Sam married in
June, 2000.
With Dad Ray McBroom 1965
With sister Kathy Biedenharn
09
The couple, like many, are opposites, Williams said.
“Sam likes his coffee at the same spot and has a routine I find
maddening. He knows I can’t live like that. I want surprises; I
don’t want any two days the same,” she said.
Perhaps that’s why Williams embraces change, and was
so willing to look to something new when she experienced
what she calls “burnout” in 2006. “I was tired. Sam was
serving in Iraq, training Iraqi police forces for the year. I began
reevaluating my life – again,” she said.
“I guess I’m always trying to reinvent myself somehow,”
she said. “And I was driving down University and I saw the
flashing light in front of UALR (the University of Arkansas at
Little Rock), and that’s when I decided to become a student
again. I hired additional administrative help at the halfway
house so I could have more time for school.
“I knew if I did this I could make a difference. I wanted to
affect policy that helps inmates for the better. I knew I needed
enough education to give me credibility to maybe go before
Congress -- to do something to help these people. I wanted
to truly have the knowledge. (Since then she has been to
Washington, D.C., to meet with the BOP)
Her first days at school, she had the same eagerness and
excitement that she remembered from her early days working.
Wedding Photo June 3, 2000
And last year she graduated with a certificate in the non-profit
program and a master’s degree in public administration.
The one constant throughout Williams’ life, however, has
been her faith. “My religion has been an important part of my life,” she said. “It has taught me that there is always a use
for me somewhere.
“I want the Lord to trust me,
because surely we can trust him,”
she said. “And I don’t want to blow it,
because I’m going to be accountable
some day, especially with the girls –
they are His priority.
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“They have been given to me on
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have anything else, that was enough,”
she said.
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Enjoying her daughters, and her
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Williams now. She also has returned
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making one more change – launching
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ex-offenders (See related article,
page 11).
She works tirelessly while thinking,
already, about her next endeavor.
Call and order your
“With all of these things, I didn’t see
gift card today at
what was coming. I really don’t know
501-851-3641.
what’s next. But I’m looking forward
Or go to quyspa.com
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and print your gift
makes all the difference for me,” she
card at home.
said. “It doesn’t matter where you’re
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somewhere.”
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MauMag
Voted among AY’s “Best Spas.”
10
Williams’ New,
Innovative
Employment Firm
Finds Jobs for
Offenders, Meets
Businesses’ Staffing
Needs
RAFIMI Photography
By Deborah Roush From left: O’Neal Brown, an ex-offender who found work through Ramoth,
M
Terry Williams, Ramoth, Inc.’s founder, and Allen Winkler, Ramoth’s vice
president of operations
aumelle’s Terry Williams has a love for former prison inmates. She believes
that money. When the employee stays, which
in them so much that, in an economy that is less than robust, she recently
is the norm, that pay is turned over to him
launched an employment firm – Ramoth Inc. – to help recently released
or her as a small savings account,” Williams
Arkansas and Louisiana ex-inmates find jobs.
said.
Though it’s a unique concept, Williams said she doesn’t consider it a risk.
That’s because when it comes to ex-offenders, Williams is an expert. As the director of faithbased halfway houses for federal inmates called City of Faith based in Louisiana and Little Rock,
Williams’ programs have put thousands of former federal prisoners to work – successfully. Now
The City of Faith halfway houses receive
she is helping state-level offenders find jobs too.
calls daily from firms that regularly hire federal
“One of the requirements of our halfway houses is that residents must be employed,”
offenders, and now Williams is experiencing
Williams said. “Time and time again I have seen federal offenders make a new life for themselves
the same for Ramoth’s state-level offenders.
through work. And the companies hiring them get dedicated employees inspired by the need for
“We get calls from companies looking for
money and desire to stay out of prison,” she said.
concrete workers, welders and landscapers.
Most offenders, Williams asserts, are hard working, intelligent people with good educations.
There are employers who want clerical
No sex offenders or those who have crimes involving children may take part in the program.
workers and cleaners. It runs the gamut,” she
“These are folks who have made bad choices and paid the price. Those we partner with have
said. “Right now we have a company seeking
supportive families and families to support. Ninety-nine percent of them have children. They’re
experienced roofers.”
willing to work hard, and now Ramoth can match them with companies that need them,” she said.
Allen Winkler, Ramoth’s vice president
Williams admits the idea is new, and possible employers may be leery. “So we remove
of operations, who has worked alongside
the risk from the entire hiring process,” she said. “Basically, Ramoth takes on the worker as an
employee of ours. We absorb their conviction. We handle the drug testing. We work with the
parole officer. We’re responsible for it all,” she said.
If the employee doesn’t show up for work, Ramoth immediately
sends another employee to the job site. “The job of recruiting, hiring,
worrying if the employee will work out – even payroll – that’s our job,”
Williams said.
Williams said Ramoth charges a negotiated rate, typically 25 percent
of the employee’s hourly pay. “As an example, if an employee would
earn $10 an hour, they might be paid $8 instead, with the remaining
$2 going to Ramoth for our services. Of course, if the employer needs
10 employees from us, of course that 25 percent would be less,” she
explained.
After six months, the company may hire the employee directly, or
continue with Ramoth.
To encourage employees to stay at the job – and as an added
Photo by: Deborah Roush
incentive to firms that provide jobs for Ramoth workers – Ramoth
withholds 10 percent of the offenders’ pay for six months. “It’s an
Terry Williams and Allen Winkler, vice president of operations.
insurance policy. If the employee leaves, the hiring company receives
Phones That Ring off the
Hook
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Terry Williams... Continued from Page 9
11
Williams’ Multiple Success
Stories
From left: Terry Williams, Ramoth, Inc.’s founder, Nate Martinez, an ex-offender who found work through
Ramoth, Allen Winkler, Ramoth’s vice president of operations, and Daniel Laboto and Brett Mann, contracting
officers for Ramoth. The Ramoth team finds work and provides second chances to Arkansas ex-offenders.
MauMag
RAFIMI Photography
12
RAFIMI Photography
Maumelle High School is expected to have about 750 students, grades nine through 12, when it opens on Aug. 15, 2011.
Pictured here are excited students from the first freshman class, who will graduate in 2015.
The State’s Most State-of-the-Art: Maumelle High School
August 15 to be First Day for Students
W
hen Maumelle High School incoming freshman Sarah Jane Gentry toured the Maumelle High School, set to open on
August 15 this year, she, like everyone else who has seen it, was “wowed.”
And with good reason. The 320,000-sqaure-foot school boasts not one, but two, gymnasiums – one that seats as
many as 2,000 fans. There a 185-seat seminar room, a library that rivals those at small universities and a dramatic, blackbox theater that seats 1,500.
“I’m really excited about being in the first class of freshmen at the school,” Gentry said. “I’m a little nervous about finding my classes, but we’ll
all be new to the school, so it will be OK,” she said.
Ramoth Name Springs from Williams’ Faith
Williams in the work-release industry for
the last six years, puts numbers behind the
reasons why employing offenders is valuable.
“In 2009, there were 2.2 million people
in prison. That’s more than one of every
17 people. That is a lot of folks who need
a second chance to overcome the stigma
associated with having been a prisoner and
are willing to work hard for it,” he said.
“In 2010, City of Faith residents earned
$1.1 million working in Arkansas, which greatly
contributed to local and state tax revenues.
These men and women are becoming
responsible citizens, and we want to make this
program available statewide.
“According to statistics, 44 percent of
Arkansas offenders will return to prison. Our
goal is to decrease that number,” Winkler
added.
have work for them,” he said.
Brown, appreciated in the laundry department for his readiness to lift heavy loads, is
expected to be hired on permanently with the hotel soon, which makes Williams proud.
“I knew he could do it and so did he. He was one of our first ‘employees,’ and we’re not
surprised by his success at all,” she said.
Nate Martinez, too, credits Williams for his opportunity at a bright future. Recently
released from an Arkansas state prison, he searched for more than a month for a job,
running out of money and becoming homeless before he stumbled on a Ramoth flyer and
called Williams.
Williams matched Martinez with a job installing cable for a small, local communications
firm and allowed him to live temporarily at the halfway house. “Idle hands are the devil’s
workshop, and that applies to everyone,” Martinez said. “I can’t see myself going back to
(prison), but this helps. It gives me something to work for.”
Martinez, who said his brother has a similar job in Northwest Arkansas, appreciates that
he is learning a trade. “This is something I could do as a career,” he said. “I want this. I want
something different – something better.”
For Brown, the fact that Ramoth withholds part of his earnings in a savings plan is
helpful. “It’s a great idea. I’m thankful, because I probably wouldn’t do it myself,” he admitted.
O’Neal Brown being interviewed by Deborah Roush.
Like City of Faith, Ramoth is a faith-based organization,
born out of Williams’ desire to provide second chances. She
chose the word Ramoth from the Old Testament, where it was a
city of refuge for criminals.
And that’s just what she hopes her new business endeavor
will become.
A devout Christian, Williams believes that “when you see a
need you become responsible for it,” she said. “After a job fair
several years ago when 600 state offenders attended from all
over the state, that need became evident to me and I knew then
I had to do something about it,” she said.
“And in this line of work I meet people every day who are
beaten down by their bad decisions. I want to help provide them
a second chance, because when I see what got so many of them
where they are today, all I can say is, ‘But there by the grace of
God go I.’”
RAFIMI Photography
Williams... Continued from Page 11
someone they can trust; it will be someone she
believes in and someone they will be happy to
Facility Built for Learning
The high school, designed by Wittenberg, Deloney and Davidson and
constructed by Baldwin and Shell Construction Company, both of Little Rock,
was built with students in mind, said Derek Scott, chief operating officer for the
Pulaski County School District (PCSSD).
“We considered everything down to the minutest finishes in the facility,”
Scott said, explaining that the district chose rubberized, no-wax floors to help
decrease sound while significantly reducing long-term maintenance costs
associated with waxing, stripping and buffing.
“The lighting systems are equipped with daylight sensors, and classroom
window placement and ceiling orientation were planned to allow for more
natural light and reduce energy costs,” Scott added.
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Photo by: Deborah Roush
One man who plans never to return to prison,
and who credits Williams and Ramoth for his new
chance at life, is O’Neal Brown. Incarcerated for
two years in Forrest City and Texarkana, he was
released and given 60 days to find a job.
On day 58, he connected with Ramoth
and spoke to Williams. When she landed him a
position in the laundry department at a local hotel
chain, he cried. “To me, getting work was the
biggest hurdle. I have three kids and I needed to
work,” Brown said.
“I’m trying to do better; I’m not going back to
my old lifestyle,” he said, adding that his new job
makes that possible. And to potential employers
who might work with Ramoth, he adds, “Believe
me, if Ms. Terry finds someone for them, it will be
13
Hill Elementary and Maumelle Middle, but
then must go to Robinson High School in
Little Rock, or North Pulaski High School in
Jacksonville – the other two PCSSD schools
with CBI programs.
“CBI courses teach students vital life
skills, like how to do laundry, or shop at the
grocery store, and it’s exciting to know there
will be a continuity for our students and that
they can stay in Maumelle,” she said.
Plants said there will be two, full-service
CBI classrooms with full kitchens and washers
and dryers.
Maumlle High School... Continued from Page 13
14
“The field’s low-maintenance, artificial turf will reduce need for water,
mowing and fertilizing, which is another cost savings,” he explained.
Scott said when the school opens its doors, there will be some work
still in progress. “The stadium is scheduled to be complete on October
7, so the first two scheduled home football games are being shifted to
alternate locations,” he added.
“The auditorium and one wing will not be open until around
Thanksgiving, but that was always our intent,” he said.
Scott said there is space for Maumelle High to grow well into the
future. “The school, which will open with 750 students, can be expanded
to house up to 2,000 students to accommodate the future growth of the
region. While we are not currently constructing a track, baseball fields or
tennis courts, there is ample space on the site to build them when funds
are available,” he added.
History,” Plants said.
Students who graduate from Maumelle High will have the
opportunity to earn as many as 16 college credits, Plants said.
“And the more AP classes a school has, the larger the enrollment of
scholar students, and that’s good for both the school and the students,”
she added.
Plants said there will be opportunities for students to take language
classes that include Mandarin Chinese, French and Spanish and study
pre-engineering and drama.
“Our theater arts program will be tremendous. Students will
be able to study set design, wardrobe, lighting, sound and effects,
theater architecture and stage management. They will build their own
production portfolios,” she said.
They also will be able to take part in speech, debate, Readers
Theater, improvisation, prose and mime.
“In the pre-engineering program students will study drafting and
design,” she added. “Students and families have really been thrilled at
the opportunities this school will provide,” Plants said.
Maumelle High will be the third school within PCSSD to offer a
Community-Based Instruction (CBI) program for special education
students.
Jennifer Hopper, who teaches special education for Maumelle
Middle School, said that has been a much needed addition for
special education students who attend the CBI programs at Crystal
Curriculum to offer range of courses
But while the facility is truly impressive, it’s the curriculum that will
make the school truly stand out, said Joy Plants, who, as the principal of
Oak Grove High School, worked for more than three years in helping to
plan for the new school.
Plants is retiring at the end of June, and the district is in the process
of hiring a new principal.
“Not only will we have Advanced Placement courses in all core
classes, but we will offer AP statistics, AP music theory and AP European
RAFIMI Photography
Beyond an opportunity to educate
students in premier facility with a worldclass education, there are farther reaching
implications to a new school in Maumelle,
asserts Judy Keller, the city’s director of
community and economic development.
“When industries are looking for a new
site, or an employer is recruiting employees
to come here, the first question they have is
about the schools,” Keller said.
“To have a state-of-the-art school like
our new high school will have a huge ripple
effect,” she said.
Keller, who works closely with local
employers already in Maumelle, said her
contacts are looking forward to interacting
with the high school students.
“It’s important to them that they help foster
a quality, educated workforce that will come
up in the ranks to replace baby boomers,” she
said. “I have one area businessman who is
excited about starting a robotics program with
the school, for example.”
Keller said she also expects local
businesses will assist with internship and job
shadowing programs.
But students like Sarah Jane Gentry
are just eager, really, to become a Maumelle
Hornet, the school’s logo, carried over from
Oak Grove High School, which Maumelle was
built to replace.
“It’s going to be really fun to be part of
something new. It’s going to be good for my
future,” she said.
The telephone number for Maumelle
High will be the same as Oak Grove High –
501- 851-5356. The number will be transferred
mid-summer. Room is available for new
students. For a one-on-one consultation with
a new student registrar, call PCSSD at 501490-6203.
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MauMag
RAFIMI Photography
City Excited about
New School,
Vocational Education
15
M
RAFIMI Photography
By Linda Kennedy
aumelle is without a doubt one of the most desirable cities in which to live in Arkansas. Results of the latest census report
place us first or among the best in many categories including fastest-growing, best-educated, having the highest percentage
of professionals among our citizenry, and home ownership. We have always been family-oriented, and over the years we
have worked together to support the building of those facilities that form the foundation of any community – a community
center, library, fields and courts to sustain all sports needs for our youth (and adults), police and fire departments, and
schools. The opening of Maumelle High School this Fall marks the realization of a
dream we’ve had for many years, that our children could attend public school from
kindergarten through 12th grade right here at home. Retail business is thriving. The
development of new subdivisions is on the planning board so we are set to welcome
more families into our community.
RAFIMI Photography
Therefore, you are probably wondering what could possibly be missing
in Maumelle. It is the one facility any city needs to make and keep its “village”
healthy and vital – our own Maumelle Performing Arts and Events Center. Just
imagine what it would mean to your favorite organization, whether civic or of one of
the artistic disciplines, to have a facility with all the essentials of video and sound
systems needed for meetings/workshops in place at any time - a facility to seat up
to 500, with a film screen in place at all times for the viewing of educational, historic,
or artistic films; a stage to host a wide array of music or dance performances or
workshops; with smaller conference rooms; and, most importantly, a place where all
the citizens of our wonderful town can come to learn, teach, share expertise in a host
of disciplines, and feed our spirits through contact with others and the many facets
of the arts. The value to our young people would be beyond measure as it would be
to all of us no matter our current stage in life.
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Dream along with me as I envision a possible line-up of activities such a center would likely provide:
• Special events for your favorite organization
• Summer workshops (in any of the arts/crafts) for
our young people
• Community concert series (drawing from the
greater arts circuit of the world)
• Plays and musicals (Children’s Theatre, Maumelle
Players, guest actors)
• Culinary arts classes (culminating in delicious
dining experiences!)
• Drama classes (culminating in a production)
• Concerts (Chamber, Choral, Symphonic, Jazz)
• Recitals
• Dinner Theatre
• Film Festivals and Workshops
• Photography Workshops and Exhibits
• Art classes (painting, sketching, sculpting, pottery)
• Notable art exhibits
• Book illustration & Graphic design workshops
• Interior design workshops
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Crafts (jewelry-making, basket-weaving, quilting…)
Songwriting workshops
Storytelling events
Poetry (reading and/or writing)
Maumelle Writers Conference
Garden shows and flower arranging
Readings and book signings by Arkansas authors
Dance (classical forms, ballroom, country line …)
The Stars Come Out, Inc.
Arts events of all types to serve the schools in
Maumelle
Engagement parties
Wedding receptions
Graduation parties
Family reunions
Trade Shows and Expositions
Corporate Seminars and Workshops
Banquets for all occasions
(insert YOUR dream here!) _____________________
Over the years much groundwork has been laid through the work of the Maumelle Arts Council (formerly the Maumelle Performing Arts Council
16 which expanded several years ago to encompass all art forms). Right here in Maumelle we have accomplished artists in all the disciplines who
RAFIMI Photography
Calling All
Music Teachers
The Maumelle Music Teachers League
(MMTL) is preparing for the third season
of its Weekend Student Concert Series.
We would like to invite music teachers of
all musical instruments and genres who
live or teach in Maumelle to contact us
and become a part of this exciting series.
Musicians who live in Maumelle but travel
to other areas to study are also eligible to
participate. Each concert features a guest
artist performance, as well, and we welcome
performers of any age! Information about
the concerts and registering to participate
can be found on the new MMTL website,
www.maumellemusic.org. We are grateful
to area retirement homes, assistedliving facilities and churches that have
welcomed us into their facilities and made
these concerts possible. We are in the
process of confirming locations for the
2011-2012 series, but dates have been
set: September 25, December 11, January
22, February 26, and April 22. Updated
information will be available soon at www.
maumellemusic.org., or contact Linda
Kennedy at PianoLK@aol.com if you have
any questions.
On another note: Some members of
our community have expressed an interest
in forming a community band. If you are
an instrumentalist with the desire to be a
part of this endeavor, please contact MMTL
at MMTL@maumellemusic.org or Seth
Seaton at:
seth.seaton@GMX.US
479-414-9428).
www.MauMag.com
Something Is
Missing
in Maumelle
have joined together to study the needs such a
center would demand. Suggested architectural
designs, in full or with expansion possibilities
included, have also been developed. Unlike
cities that have old downtown areas that can be
revitalized for a project such as this, Maumelle
is still in many ways a “new town”. We must
have a vision and the will to bring it to life.
There is a direct correlation between the
quality of life in a community to the quality of
the arts that exist and are available to all of its
people. What we are talking about here is the
soul of our village. Supporting a new events
center offers us an opportunity to say to our
young people that we understand and value what
is important. They are our future, and through
events like the above, we have a chance to
RAFIMI Photography
provide them with year-round experiences that
will help them develop into more responsible
citizens with creative thinking and problem-solving skills, sociability, self-confidence, appreciation
of the gifts and accomplishments of others, and to become inspired to be the best they can be
using the gifts they have been given. For the rest of us, our quality of life will be greatly enhanced,
and nothing binds a community together more strongly than getting to know each other through
shared experiences such as these.
A Center for the Performing Arts
and Events will not just be a facility.
It will be us, the people, creating,
attending, sharing, volunteering,
and supporting it in whatever ways
we can individually.
So what can we do to make
this dream become a reality? Talk
with your neighbors and friends,
express your wishes to our local
RAFIMI Photography
officials, and be supportive and
appreciative of all musical, artistic,
and civic endeavors in Maumelle.
If you have been involved in the
past in bringing such a center
into existence elsewhere, contact
the Maumelle Arts Council (www.
maumelleartscouncil.org) the arts@
maumelleartscouncil.org to share
your experience. Be prepared
when the time comes to raise funds
to jump up and volunteer to help in
fund-raising events, donate if you
are able, and, most importantly,
help keep the dream alive. An
RAFIMI Photography
undertaking like this will require
a long journey from inception to
completion. Any journey must begin
with the first step. I hope you agree
that it is time to start that journey.
To paraphrase one of my favorite
quotations in closing, “Maumelle
needs dreamers. Maumelle needs
doers. But, most of all, Maumelle
needs dreamers who do.”
17
By Mary Ann Stafford
Photography by Roger A, Frangieh
Photo by Mary Ann Stafford
MauMag
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18
The McCans - Left to right: Dennis, Connie, Christen and Jason
he making of art has generally
been understood as a
solitary occupation. For the
McCann family however, it is
a combination of philosophy,
media, style, energy, and education that
complements and supports individual efforts.
A family of individuals with the same passion
for art who balances, rather than conflicts with
each other is unique in the art world.
Maumelle artists Dennis and Connie
McCann are the parents of three – Jason, Erin,
and Christen. Jason is an established artist
and teacher, while Christen is an emerging
artist who will be a senior next semester at
Hall High School. The middle daughter Erin
was also gifted as an artist, but chose to follow
another career. She is the mother of three,
married to a graphic illustrator, and is pursuing
a degree in Early Childhood Education.
All four family members share two
studios in the elder McCann’s home – one
upstairs, and one downstairs. Jason uses the
downstairs studio for his private art classes in
the evening. The four of them critique each
other’s work, especially when called to “come
and look at something.” The suggestions
are welcomed, sometimes incorporated,
and sometimes ignored, but never resented.
Jason and Christen have been around
drawing and painting all of their lives, so it
is natural that they have learned from their
parents just by observation. All four are
realists, but Jason and Christen are freer in
style. Dennis completes all his paintings, but
Jason likes to leave some things unfinished.
Jason feels that his work sometimes needs
the structure he sees in his father’s work, and
sometimes Dennis needs the expression he
sees in Jason’s work. They balance each
other.
Dennis and Connie met as fellow art
students at ASU in Jonesboro. They were
married in June, 1973. Dennis has two
Bachelor’s degrees – one in Fine Art and one
in Art Education, and a Master’s in Painting.
Connie received a BA in Fine Art, but went
back for a BSE in art education. Jason also
attended ASU’s art department for a while, but
completed a BFA and a BA in Art Education
from
UCA
in
Conway.
He
received a Master’s
degree in Painting
in 2007 from UALR,
and is currently
seeking National
Board Certification.
He and his wife
Melissa have been
married for eleven
years; she is a
pre-school teacher. Together, they have two
children: Reilly, who is seven, and Leah, who
is four.
Dennis McCann has been a fireman for
twenty-eight years; the same amount of time
he has been an artist. He sees no conflict in
being an artist and a fireman, since they are
both very rewarding for him. Additionally, he
does not worry about having to make a living
with his art in this economy. He paints what he
wants to from images he has photographed,
usually neighborhood scenes and Arkansas
landscapes that remind him of his childhood
in North Little Rock. His studio time is mostly
limited to nights and weekends. Sunlight and
shadow, strong contrast, and shape are all
important to him. He attaches large sheets
of paper to the wall, turns the music up loud,
and attacks the paper vigorously with pastel.
Lately, he has been working in a smaller
format which allows him to eliminate details.
As father and mentor, Dennis believes
that parents should encourage their children to
try different things. They should also provide
good materials and training. Better materials
make for better works. He allowed Christen to
paint on some of his artworks when she was
only a little girl, and he provides art supplies,
musical instruments, and classes of the best
quality.
McCann’s pastels have been accepted
in the prestigious Delta Show at the Arkansas
Arts Center ten times, and he has won many
awards. He won the Best of Show Award at
the Arts in the Air Invitational Exhibit at the
Winthrop Rockefeller Institute several years in
a row. In April, one of his paintings was shown
in the Arkansas Life Magazine. Influences
include Edward Hopper, John Constable, and
Peter Paul Rubens. His work can be seen at
the Arkansas Studies Institute in Little Rock,
and in Gallery Central in Hot Springs. The
art of both Dennis and Jason can be seen at
www.mccannfineart.com.
Connie McCann has been an art teacher
for twenty-one years and is the Chair of the
Art Department at Hall High School, working
with four other art teachers. She teaches
Advanced Placement Drawing, Design, and
Drawing I and II to 9-12 grade students. All
three of her children have been in her classes.
Since Hall High School has a lot of
exchange students from different cultures,
Connie has taught students from China,
Japan, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Iraq,
Brazil, and Jamaica. A foreign exchange
student from Japan lived in the McCann
summer this year.
This is a four-week
boarding school sponsored by the State of
Arkansas. The arts are taught along with
core subjects such as math and science.
Like his father, Jason likes to listen to
loud music while he works, mostly in oil but
sometimes with pastel. A “binge painter,” he
paints steadily sometimes until 2 AM. Major
influences other than his parents include
Richard Diebenkorn, Wayne Thiebaud, and
Jasper Johns. His style is representational
using expressive mark-making and/or
brushwork with texture. His paintings display
a sense of energy and aggressiveness that
emphasize structures or figurative elements.
Also like his father, Jason has been
accepted into the Delta Show four times –
three of them at the same time as Dennis. One
of his paintings will be featured in Arkansas
Life in July. Jason exhibits at Gallery Central
in Hot Springs, and just completed a show at
the Buckman Center for the Arts in Memphis.
He is scheduled to exhibit in “The 15th Year:
Connections Exhibition” at the Baum Gallery
at UCA in September.
Christen who said that she “loves the
smell of oil paint,” grew up doing art and loves
to draw and paint. She is partial to oil and
to charcoal and just completed some works
of her friends in unusual circumstances. She
is fluent in Spanish, and plans to pursue a
double major in Spanish and art, but says she
is not really interested in teaching. Hispanic
students in her mother’s class often come to
Christen to ask questions in Spanish, and
she replies in like manner. After graduating
from Hall High School in 2012, Christen will
attend either Hendrix University, Virginia
Commonwealth in Richmond, or North
Carolina Chapel Hill.
Having been nominated to attend
the Governor’s School at Hendrix College
in Conway this summer, Christen will be
taking art classes from her brother, Jason.
Lately, she won 1st place in the State Beta
Club Competition and two 1st places at the
Arkansas Young Artists’ Competition. A
perusal of her student portfolio is assurance
that Christen will become a major artist in the
years to come.
In speaking to members of the McCann
family, one is impressed by the interplay
of respect, devotion, and encouragement
each gives to the other. Although individual
members have different personalities, styles,
and motivations, they all contribute to a whole
that illustrates the importance of the visual
arts. Maumelle is fortunate to have this
caliber of fine artists in its midst.
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The McCann Clan – a family of visual artists
home while completing high
school and college, earning a
degree in Graphic Design. She
married an American citizen
and now resides in Maumelle
with her husband and child.
Mrs. McCann states that
her most rewarding moments
in education are when students
enter thinking they could not
draw or paint, but leave the
classroom at the end of the
course confident in their art
and even choosing art as a
career. When asked about her
philosophy of art education, she
said, “According to research,
students who are engaged in the arts have
higher test scores than others. Students
learn critical thinking skills, creative problem
solving, and effective communication, all
while creating beautiful works of art. These
are skills that carry over into all areas of a
student’s life and are extremely important in
creating productive citizens.” Her students
have excelled in the field of art, winning many
awards in local and regional art competitions.
Some have received art scholarships and
have become professional artists.
Mrs. McCann is only able to work on
her own art during the summer months
since she is focused during the school year
on her teaching. She prefers to
work in pastel or charcoal, and
loves doing portraits, as does her
daughter, Christen.
Jason McCann followed
in his mother’s footsteps and
became an art teacher as well.
He teaches Advanced Drawing
and AP Drawing at Central
High School, and believes that
drawing is the foundation of all
two-dimensional art. One of the
most rewarding aspects of his
career is having former students
tell him what his art classes have
meant to them. Many times,
he has noticed how students
struggling in other subject areas
have found a confidence in their
art experiences that enabled them
to achieve in those other subjects.
He also realizes that teaching
art strengthens his own use of
composition and design.
Jason will be teaching at
the Arkansas Governor’s School
at Hendrix University for a fifth
19
W
By Victor Werner
ho would travel to the other side of the planet to have a music lesson? In April 2010, this
is exactly what Jeremy Yeatts, a recent graduate of Central High School (Little Rock,
2010) did. He travelled with his piano teacher, Pam Werner, from Maumelle, Arkansas
to Matsumoto, Japan for a piano lesson. Well, not just one piano lesson, but many
piano lessons, in preparation for a 10-piano concert held every other year in Japan.
Just what is a 10-piano concert you might ask? It is 10 piano students, playing the same song in unison on
10 concert grand pianos. The songs range from something as simple as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to Chopin’s
Nocturne No. 2 in E-flat Major, Opus 9-2. In the Suzuki community, unison concerts exemplify the spirit of
cooperation. From a musical standpoint, unison playing has much to offer growing musicians. By performing
together they learn to listen to others as they play. This is an indispensable skill that can improve their sense of
Pam Werner
rhythm and tempo as well as their awareness of musical expression. These abilities are often neglected when
students listen exclusively to their own playing. The 10-piano concert is played with many hands but one heart.
“Music is the language of the heart without words.” – Shinichi Suzuki
This is Pam Werner’s 4th trip to Japan since 2000, each time taking at least one student with her and sometimes two. There have been three
students from Maumelle, Jeremy Yeatts (2010), Christina Loken (2008) and Rebecca Werner (2002); and two from outside of Maumelle.
“Why Japan?” the answer is simple. Japan is where Dr. Shinichi Suzuki developed a method of teaching children to play music in much the
same way all children in all cultures learn to speak their language or their mother tongue.
The Suzuki or Mother Tongue Method of teaching music could take up a whole article by itself, but this article is about the people who teach this
method and are the students of this method. Briefly, then, this method was developed when Dr. Suzuki, in trying to teach a young child of four how
to play the piano realized that ALL children learn their native language and learn it quite well. They do this even though it might be a complicated
language like Japanese. They learn it and master it without having formal instruction.
So simply put, children, at a very young age, are taught to play musical instruments by listening to the music and modeling their teachers. They
learn to hear the music and play the music with excellent technique by listening to others play the music live or recorded. Later (as in learning one’s
language), they learn how to read music. He believed that every child could be musically educated if the proper teaching techniques were used.
Pam Werner has been teaching piano for over 40 years. She was trained classically, but learned about the Suzuki Method of teaching while
pursuing a degree in Elementary Education at Brigham Young University. As a budding educator, she was so impressed with Dr. Suzuki’s methods
that she sought out more information on his philosophies. She was only able to find one thesis in the library, but began to apply his philosophies as
best she could. In 1982, she moved, with her husband, to Canada and found a Suzuki violin group at a local university and would observe those
groups. She learned about the International Suzuki Conference in Edmonton, Alberta where she met Dr. Haruko Kataoko, who co-founded the
Suzuki Piano Method. A few years later, after moving to Arkansas, Pam attended another conference in Dallas, Texas, where her name was drawn to
have a lesson from Dr. Kataoka. This was an incredible experience. Dr. Kataoka was able to sense what each teacher needed to develop a natural
and relaxed body while playing the piano. She taught in a way that that enabled each teacher to understand and change immediately. Pam continued
to have lessons with Dr. Kataoka in the US and Japan until Dr. Kataoka passed away in 2004 at the age of 75. She continues to study with the
Japanese teachers who were trained by Dr. Kataoka, fondly called, Sensei (honored teacher) by her students.
In addition to taking students to Japan, Pam has also taken Students to Sacramento, California for International 10 piano concerts. Maumelle
students who went to Sacramento include Elise Cawthon (2005), Jeremy Yeatts (2003) and Adam Simon (2003).
Jeremy Yeatts, one of three Maumelle students to accompany their Sensei to Japan, made his trip in April 2010. He will attend the University of
Central Arkansas in Conway this fall. Although his major will be computer engineering, he has been accepted as a student of Neil Rutman, Associate
Professor of Piano at UCA. Of Mr. Rutman’s playing abilities, the Washington Post wrote that he "met the highest standards and his spotless
articulation gave the whole program unusual polish and virtuoso marks," and the New York Times stated that "he won the audience over for himself
with exquisite performances - both commanding and full of character."
At the final banquet for the 10-Piano Concert, Jeremy was selected to speak, representing the American students. Following is what Jeremy
had to say about his experience in Japan:
“Before my trip to Japan, I thought about how I was going out of my country for
a whole month. I would be focusing mainly on piano and preparing for the 10-Piano
Concert. I thought, ‘Great… a month of piano practice, jetlag, making up loads of
homework, and classical music… I’m definitely not looking forward to this.’ But after
living a couple of days in Matsumoto, Japan, I regretted what I thought about this trip.
“My host family, the Shimizus, is now a second family to me. They treated my
roommate Edward and me like we were their own sons. Back home in Arkansas I would
not practice the piano unless I was told to do so. But in Japan I practiced the piano 2 to 4
hours a day. Best of all, I did it on my own. All we listened to was classical piano music.
I quickly grew a passion for the piano and classical music. The food, the language, the
Jeremy Yeatts practicing
for the concert
people, the scenery, the technology, the culture and lifestyles were so amazing. I could
not get enough of it!
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20
From Maumelle to Matsumoto
“It was very hard for me to say goodbye to my new friends and host family. The most
memorable time my host family, Edward and I had, was when we would stay up every night
playing board or card games. I told my host family’s son, Ahs Shimizu, that I will be back. I
developed a passion for the country so much that I have plans and options of working in Japan
as an International Engineer or something similar. I even thought about studying the piano
there if I were to come back for a longer period of time. But as of now I play and practice the
piano like I would practice any sport; excited and determined to conquer the challenges ahead.
“All-in-all, the memories I shared with my host family and friends in Matsumoto, Japan
will stick with me for the rest of my life. They have taught me so many new things and ideas
that I will live out; and the most important idea or “moral” that I got out of all of it was to take
the opportunities that are given to you and to enjoy it no matter how you feel because it only
Pam Werner
happens once. Thank you to Mrs. Pam Werner and The Suzuki Association for helping me
and Christina Loken
and allowing me to have this opportunity of an awesome and amazing experience.” “Arigato
Gozaimasu! (Thank You!}”
Christina Loken, a local graduate of Academics Plus Charter School (Maumelle,
AR 2010) took the Maumelle to Matsumoto trip in 2008. She has just completed her
freshman year at Brigham Young University (Provo, UT). Christina’s experience in
Japan has had such an impact in her life that she is studying Japanese. She is also
an artist with distinct anime flair (Japanese animation). Christina also has a desire
to return to Japan in the future to work or live.
Rebecca Rowley, a graduate of Mills University Studies High School (Little
Rock, AR, 2004), and Brigham Young University (Provo, UT, 2008) went to Japan in
2002. In an interview (available on YouTube), Rebecca describes her experience at
the 10 piano concert in Japan. Rebecca recalled waiting in line for their turn onstage
Rebecca Werner with the
as one of her most exciting moments. The performers were given hand warmers so
Mayor of Matsumoto
their fingers would stay loose and ready to play in the unison performance of the
10-piano concert. The excitement, nervousness and hard work of the previous 2
weeks were rewarded with a flawless performance for the audience.
Haruko Kataoka, the co-founder of the Suzuki Piano Method, would direct the practice time of the students as a group for 30-60 minutes daily.
On their own at the homestay family, they would work on their pieces for as many as 6 hours each day. Rebecca describes Dr. Kataoka as being the
“whip cracker,” but acknowledged that her piano
skills grew under her leadership.
The cultural aspect of visiting a foreign
country was strongly emphasized by Rebecca
as well worth the trip and the practice time. In
addition to playing piano for church meetings,
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Rebecca also plays the violin and currently plays
in a community orchestra in West Jordan, Utah.
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She is also the mother of two young children.
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As a music educator, Pam Werner feels that
we can enrich children’s lives through music.
Sizes: 5x5 to 12x45
In the Suzuki philosophy, we believe that the
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potential of every child can be highly developed
if he/she is given the proper training and learning
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environment. It begins at an early age by
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playing recordings of classical music. We then
combine listening, practicing and performing
under careful supervision of parent and teacher.
The Suzuki parent is actively involved in the
learning process. The parent attends all lessons
7101 Vestal Court
and practices with the student each day. The
Off Maumelle Blvd.
parent need not be a musician but is simply
(1/4
mile west of I-430)
taught step-by-step how to help the child at
home. Our approach is to use piano teaching,
PROPANE
to not only create a musician, but to develop a
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beautiful human being. For further information,
contact:Pam Werner at 501-425-2862 or visit
her website www.pamwernerstudio.com. Email musicpam@gmail.com
21
Executive Director,
Maumelle Are Chamber of Commerce
W
MauMag
hat does Julianne Cole, the new Executive Director of the Maumelle
Area Chamber of Commerce, like best about her job? “I am very
excited about the ability to work with individuals and business and
impact a positive climate for commerce in the Maumelle community,”
she says. As the Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce,
her main responsibilities include: Chamber event planning, member recruitment and retention,
communications regarding Chamber activities and information pertinent to commerce, as well as
administrative duties.
22
Julianne sees membership in the
Chamber as a very wise investment for area
businesses. “Chamber membership sends
customer the right message: that you are a
sound business invested in the community
you serve,” she says. Beyond enhancing
credibility, Julianne promotes Chamber
membership as, “increasing an organization’s
visibility in the community, multiplying their
networking opportunities, providing costeffective advertising outlets and referral
sources, and giving businesses a voice in the
commercial climate in which they operate.”
Before joining the Maumelle Area
Chamber of Commerce, Julianne enjoyed
a successful career in sales and marketing.
Most recently, she was employed by Comcast
where she drove business to business sales
of communication systems.
Previously,
Julianne has overseen marketing efforts in
a variety of industries including healthcare,
staffing and retail. For several years, she
owned and operated her own company which
she considers one of her greatest successes.
A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Baylor
University, Julianne is happy about her
“southern status.” Born and raised in the north,
she moved to Texas during her senior year of
high school. “What could have been a very
difficult transition turned out to be fabulous
move…I love the weather (sans tornados)
and especially how friendly everyone is in the
south!” Julianne has 4 children ages 17 to
1. “Sometimes it’s a little crazy having one
headed off to college and one still in diapers…
but I wouldn’t change a thing!” She and her
husband, Jon, have resided in Maumelle for
the last 5 years and count each day here a
blessing.
Express It!
H
By Kathy Wheeler
ow often do you find your workouts begin to suffer because it’s summer? Kids are home
from school so routines are a thing of the past. Then there’s the, “Who’s going to watch my
kids?” issue. And let us not forget vacations. Just because the kids are on summer break
and the family is going on vacation doesn’t mean you should take a break/vacation from your
workout. Just 20 minutes a day twice a week should be sufficient enough to keep you going
during the summer so when you hit it full force in the fall your body isn’t crying, “WHAT in the world are you
doing to me?” (If you are a beginner, make sure to a doctor’s clearance for exercise.)
Below are five exercises that can be performed at home or in a hotel room. They do not require weights,
just a yoga mat or a towel. Perform each exercise 10-12 times before moving onto
the next exercise. Go through the circuit once then repeat two more times for a
total of three times. You can also include a cardiovascular exercise between each
exercise for added calorie burn. Examples are: running in place, jumping jacks,
jump rope (with or without a rope), walking in place. Perform each cardiovascular
exercise for 15-30 seconds before moving onto the next exercise.
Squat
SQUAT (QUADRICEPS, HAMSTRINGS, GLUTEALS)
From a standing position, place feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Inhale
as you begin to sit hips back and bending knees (as if you are going to sit down in a
chair). Keep back flat as you hinge from the hips. Also, do not extend knees past
toes. Exhale as you stand squeezing buttocks. Continue for desired repetitions.
Do not lower hips past 90 degrees.
Bridge
BRIDGE (HAMSTRINGS AND GLUTEALS)
From a supine position (on your back), bend knees placing feet, approximately
hip-width apart, on the floor. Exhale as you tighten buttocks taking hips toward the
ceiling. Inhale as you slowly lower back down. Let the hips just touch the floor
then repeat. Continue until all repetitions are complete.
Plank
PLANK (ABDOMINALS)
Starting in an all fours position, place wrists directly under shoulders. Extend
one leg back, curling toes, and pressing heel back. Now extend other leg. Your
body should be in a straight line from the tip of the head down to the heels.
Avoid lowering hips and arching back. Pull the belly button in towards the spine.
Continue to hold the position but not your breath. Perform the exercise for 15
seconds working up to 30 seconds.
Push-Up
PUSH-UP (CHEST, TRICEPS)
From the all fours position, place wrists directly under shoulders and slightly
wider than shoulder-width, extend legs back curling toes under and pressing heels
back (just like the previous exercise)*. Inhale bending elbows out to the side
lowering your body toward the ground. Avoid arching back while lowering. Exhale
as you push back to plank without locking elbows. Continue for desired repetitions.
*Option: Place your knees on the ground with ankles crossed, feet lifted and
hips lowered (straight line from tip of head to knees).
Push-Up with Knees on the ground
COBRA (STRENGTHENS LOWER BACK)
Lie face down, legs and feet together. Place palms on the floor under the
shoulders with fingers pointed forward. Keeping the legs on the floor, squeeze
the shoulder blades together as you exhale while lifting chest off the floor (make
sure to keep the neck in alignment – ears in line with shoulders). Movement is
initiated from the lower back, not the hands. Inhale as you slower lower back
down. Continue for desired repetitions.”
Cobra
www.MauMag.com
Photo by Ashlyn Kubacak
Meet Julianne Cole
23
M
any years and multiple dentists back, I was a
mere nineteen years old and getting a good ol’
deep-down teeth cleaning. I was on summer
break from school, and my dentist and I were
making idle chitchat – always a pleasure when
someone’s hands are in your mouth – and I remember him asking if I had
a favorite season.
He seemed surprised. And I was surprised that HE was surprised.
See, he was more of a fall and spring guy himself, and I can definitely
say the same of myself now. But back in those days – as is the case
with most younger folk, I suppose – I was way more into extremes.
Summer and winter were where it was at…what with all the water play
and yuletide action, not to mention the school hiatus part…whereas fall
and spring were wussy and inferior and probably jealous of the other, far
bolder seasons.
Now with the hot, hot summer upon us (even steamier in my
currently preggo state), I find myself fantasizing about cooler times. But I
also find that I’m reminiscing about summers past, looking back fondly on
family vacations, swimming lessons, summer camps, and other warm
weather whatnot. And that got me thinking: just as summer means
something altogether different to me now than it did at age nineteen,
my once-tied-for-favorite season has actually meant something
radically different to me at various stages throughout my life.
I will share now.
Age ten:
At the tender single decade mark, summer meant absolute
heaven. Well, that and bike rides and swim fun and ice cream trucks
and beach vacations and sleepovers with gal pals on a random
Thursday or even a (woo hoo!) Monday. Summer also meant Nick at
Nite into the wee hours of the morn and then snoozing it up ‘til The
Price Is Right time, grabbing a bowl of Lucky Charms, and trying like
mad to win BOTH showcases. Best of all, summer signified freedom
from spelling tests and Donald Richter, the yucky dude in Mrs.
Massey’s class who declared his repulsive love for me in a thought
bubble on a hand-drawn (by me) picture of Garfield the Cat. Eeeeew.
Age fifteen:
Summer meant no worries and few responsibilities. Sure, I might
babysit a smelly, obnoxious kid on occasion (youngsters just weren’t
my thing), but mostly I was busy hanging with and concentrating on
my very first boyfriend. Not Donald Richter. Summer also meant a
glorious break from algebra and research papers and (thank God)
Ashley Smith and a few other snooty girls who helped me blossom
into the neurotic, self-conscious woman I am today. Oh, and summer
had also come to represent freckles and sunburns and a much deeper
appreciation for fifty block. The wild red stuff on my head comes at a
price.
MauMag
Age eighteen:
24
Ahhhh, summer. Summer equaled hope and impending
independence with me teetering right on the cusp of adulthood. I felt
so cool, so indestructible and full of life, and I’d soon be escaping
my oppressive, energy-sucking hometown and heading off to big-girl
college. Unfortunately, my boyfriend, THE (or so I thought) love of my
life, was a year behind me in school, and I’d be forced to abandon
him in the name of quality education and a full-paid scholarship. The
agony! We’d try to make our relationship work from afar. Too bad we
didn’t have cell phones or Skype or Facebook or Twitter or Google
Chat (or even Google – however did I survive?) and other handydandy keep-in-touchables back in those days. And too bad that punk
loser boy cheated on me.
Age twenty-three:
At this point in my life, I was immersed in a graduate writing
program and going through some sort of artsy, fartsy literary phase,
so I’m sure I equated summer with cloudless perfection and chirping
birds and freshly mowed grass and other such feel-good metaphorical
clichés. Freshly mowed grass DOES have a lovely, comforting smell,
though, you’ve gotta admit.
Summer meant one measly week off from serving The Man to travel
someplace tropical with my spirited, fun-loving husband. We were crazyyoung at heart and still pretty darn young in age, and we didn’t have any
of those pesky, life-sucking kiddo creatures to cramp our style or slow
us down. No, youngsters still weren’t my thing, nor did I foresee a time
when they would be.
Age thirty-*bleep* (a.k.a. now):
Water in the Garden:
A brief history of global
influence on American
water gardens
By Shannon Goins
Today I took my two-year-old to Free Movie Day in a delightfully
air-conditioned theater. The feature film? Megamind. Do I particularly
like gazing upon mindless animated flicks? Not so much. But I DO like
the heck out of my two-year-old (who, by the way, most definitely IS my
thing), and I have a fondness for air conditioning as well. But rest assured
that my girl gets plenty of park time and pool time and lake time and
bubbles time and sandbox time and sidewalk chalk time and any other
summery pleasures we can dream up. I shall introduce her to the ice
cream man soon enough. And no worries: I introduced her to fifty block
long ago.
RAFIMI Photography
“Summer and winter, both of ‘em,” I replied without hesitation. I was
uber confident (read: naïve and childishly impulsive) like that.
By Michelle McCon
Age thirty:
Too bad The Price is Right just isn’t the same without Bob Barker. At
least we’ve still got Lucky Charms.
So, no, summer doesn’t have nearly the same meaning to me now
as it did at age nineteen or twenty-five or even thirty. Not even close.
It’s about a thousand times better and more fulfilling…and two thousand
times hotter, yes. Still, summer rocks. Just ask my awesome little girl.
L
et’s face it. Every one of us wants to have one of
those perfect HGTV water gardens in their backyard,
but when we sit down to do a Do-It-Yourself project
like that, we often find ourselves swearing at a
pile of “useless” materials as if we were a drunken
sailor. Television water landscape designers make the process look
deceptively simple. Has anyone else ever noticed that these people
never seem to sweat? Well, the TV actors may not, but the people
who design and actually install those water gardens certainly do!
The magic of television editing makes it look like the show
host can come up with an idea, draw out the plans, order all of the
materials for the project, and have it delivered in under two minutes.
What we often forget is that there is an entire crew of people doing
that work behind the scenes. Not to mention that the professionals
making the design have years of study and experience behind them
and they aren’t creating their first design right in front of us. What we
see is based on years of trial and error.
Master water landscape designers have studied a number of
fields. They know about plumbing, pumps, plants, environmental
science, geology, computer-aided design, math, and geometry, just
to name a few things - and then there is history. The history of water
gardening not only exceeds what one could describe in any detail in
the length of this article, but in this entire publication – by a long shot.
The recorded history of water in the garden dates back roughly 5,000
years ago to the ancient Sumerians. For those of you didn’t just set
down your world history book to read this article, the Sumerians were
people who lived in Mesopotamia, or “Land of Rivers,” which is known
today as Iraq.
www.MauMag.com
What Summer Means to Me
25
By Ken Forrester
MauMag
P
26
ort wine, which derives its
name from the city of Oporto
in Portugal, is a world unto
itself. Of varying degrees of
sweetness, usually red, it may
be enjoyed without prior knowledge in a single
evening or its study may well be a lifetime
undertaking. Much of the ritual and cant of
wine, some of it nonsensical, derives from
the opening, decanting and service of Port.
Service of Port may be as silly as dictating in
which direction the bottle must go in serving a
circle of friends and as totally serious as the
fact that it is most often the wine of choice
in toasting royalty. The erroneous folklore
that “the older a wine is, the better I has to
be,” derives largely from Port, which may,
indeed, keep developing and then holding for
seemingly unbelievable years.
Port originated when England in one
of that country’s many disagreements with
France, sought an alternative source of wine
and found it in Portugal. To insure stability,
quality and taste during its shipment to
England, it was fortified during fermentation
with additional alcohol in form of a type of
brandy. Port, at least an early version of
Port, was thus born. The addition of alcohol
stopped fermentation of the wine, leaving
it with of varying degrees of sweetness
(depending on when during fermentation the
additional alcohol was added), ranging upward
from cloying to subtly, enjoyably sweet.
Many labels may be attached to Port
wine. To generalize, Vintage Port comes
from selected lots of wine in exceptionally
good years. It may
peak in a dozen
years or it may still
be developing after
fifty or more years.
Think of it as the
“show off” wine of its
maker. Ruby Port is
of varying quality
but is usually young
and
attractive.
Tawny Port may
be considered a
step upward, more
mature and thus
more
expensive.
White Port may be
very drinkable and enjoyable but versions
made in the United States too often are made,
sold and bought for their high alcohol content.
Many other descriptions may be attached
to Port to indicate whatever the maker wishes
to convey about his product.
Most liquor stores in Arkansas stock
a representative, often small, range of Port
types, but few, in my experience stock a wide
range, making its exploration sometimes
difficult but nevertheless worthwhile.
Since moving from a house to an
apartment, my collection of wines has
become limited. Although I buy and enjoy
bottles of Port of various types from time to
time, the only bottle I have kept on hand is
a 1905 Special Reserve, 5 Crown, Rare
Douro Vintage Port, the last of a purchase of
several bottles I made many years ago at a
store in northwest Arkansas that was going
out of business. Earlier bottles from this
purchase have been entirely enjoyable; some
had faded somewhat, others had continued
to improve. The one remaining bottle, now
well over a hundred years old, may have
continued developing and may now be a
bottled treasure; on the other hand, it may be
totally over the hill. In time I will know.
As to Sherry, if the city of Jerez was
located in the United States, Jerez would be
pronounced “Sherry” and might be known
for its home-grown blue berries or perhaps
be famous for distinctive cheese. Happily,
Jerez is in Spain and its English-pronounced
name is attached to some of the best wines
in the world. Sherry (also called “sack” if you
are given to reading Elizabethan literature)
is made from grapes grown in a legally
defined area of Spain and properly, at least in
Spain, only that wine should bear the name.
However, wine makers in other countries
don’t consider themselves bound by Spanish
law and attach the name to a variety of wines,
some of which are outstanding, some of which
bear little resemblance to the original.
Much Spanish Sherry comes to America
by way of England. English presence in
Spanish Sherry making is widespread and
often outstanding Sherries have English
names. English participation may be endemic
to any phase of Sherry production.
Like Port, Sherry, whose history goes
back several hundred years, is a fortified
wine. However, the additional alcohol is
added after fermentation is complete, not
during fermentation as is the case with Port.
Sherry comes in a variety of
configurations. Very dry and tangy is Fino,
which is recognized as an excellent (some
think the best) aperitif. Manzanilla is a Finostyle wine, rich and full bodied, which may be
even drier than Fino. Amontillado not as dry
as a Fino is still excellent. Oloroso, perhaps
the most favored of Spanish Sherries on the
American palate, is usually described ad fullbodied and raisiny.
Although these wines are dry, many
Sherries are sweet. Amoroso, not much
found in the United States, is a very enjoyable
sweetened version of Oloroso. Perhaps the
most recognized sweet Sherry is “Cream
Sherry,” a name that originated in England
and has been widely adopted throughout
most of the wine making world. It is made
by most of the wineries that make any sort of
Sherry and varies considerably in quality.
Any exploration of Sherry should include
at least a nodding acquaintance with flor,
the special yeast native to Spain that makes
Sherry the wine it is and the solera, a system
of tiers of wine casks where wine is withdrawn
from the bottom tier and replaced in turn by
wines in the tiers above, with the top tier
of barrels being topped off by the current
vintage.
This system, abbreviated here
almost to the point of inaccuracy, makes for
great consistency in the finished product.
For years, while I was becoming
acquainted with wine (and while our finances
www.arhomeimprovementsandrenovations.com
Tech Talk
The 3D “Wow”
Factor
By Austin Pittman
L
et me tell you about a situation that occurs in our stores on
almost a daily basis. We sell high definition televisions,
and have an area of our store designated for displaying
these TV’s. We have them hooked up to Sony blue
ray players, so the image quality, sharpness, and color
saturation is unbelievable. We also have one television displaying a
3D movie. Every day we hear the question, “Why is this TV blurry?” or
“Something is wrong with this TV”. We then pull out the 3D glasses,
let the customer put them on, and without fail the one word response
is always the same. “Wow!” In most cases these well-educated,
successful people then reach their hands out, waving their hands in
front of them and trying to touch the image that seems to be coming
out of the television screen! All kidding aside, it really is an amazing
technology, and in this article I will try to answer some of the most
common questions about 3D.
The definition of 3D is a technology that lets viewers experience
video content in a stereoscopic effect. In layman’s terms, it adds a third
dimension, depth, to the standard 2D dimensions of height and width.
It works by displaying two separate images of the same screen at the
same time, one for each eye. This is where the “blurriness” comes in.
If you watch a television displaying 3D content without the help of 3D
glasses, it looks like exactly what it is, one image overlaid on another
image, and off centered just a bit (or more simply, blurry).
The idea of 3D movies and television has actually been around
for a long time. We all remember the fold up paper 3D glasses with
one blue lens and one red lens. With these glasses there was often
a strange color shift, the resolution was not nearly as good, and the
“3D effect” was not nearly as dramatic. With the new technology, it
is high definition (in most cases 1080P), and the color shift from
the old blue and red glasses is eliminated, making for a much more
enjoyable effect. There are currently two different types of 3D, active
and passive. Active 3D technology requires glasses that block each
eye in sequence at the rate of 120 times per second. This is obviously
www.MauMag.com
Port & Sherry Wines
were seriously short) Cream Sherry was our wine of choice. It was our
everyday wine, our Sunday wine, our wine for special occasions, the
wine we served to casual visitors and to esteemed guests. The price
has risen considerably from the 79 cents per bottle we paid then but it
remains a favorite after dinner drink.
People who doubt that any combination of wine and food can
increase the enjoyment of both should, after dinner, drink a glass of
Cream Sherry while eating pecans.
Several years ago as I traveled over the State of Arkansas, I bought
bottles of Cream Sherry, (American, English and Spanish) I found on
retailers’ shelves. For no reason I can recall, I bought a three gallon
keg made of Arkansas oak and beginning in 1981 filled it with some
of the bottles of the Cream Sherry I had collected. The wines blended
together in the keg in an entirely pleasant manner and the blend took
on the aroma, taste and character of both the individual wines and the
oak. In 1982, I started bottling the wine, drinking it and serving it to
guests. As I have withdrawn wine from the keg I have replaced it with
additional bottles of Cream Sherry, usually of a different brand, making
each bottle unique. I call this wine “Ken Forrester’s Golden Oak, Private
Bottling, Heavy Cream Sherry.” Since “Heavy Cream Sherry” is a term
I coined for my Sherry, it follows that the entire world supply of Heavy
Cream Sherry comes from my oak keg which, after 30 years of service,
is showing its age but continues to produce a blend of Cream Sherry that
is incredibly complex. By law, I am prevented from selling my Sherry but
I allowed sharing it with family and friends.
Persons more than slightly familiar with Port and Sherry will
recognize that my treatment of them here is of necessity extremely
abbreviated and that further (much further) exploration may be necessary
to elicit the full pleasure these wines may bring.
27
Protecting your children with vaccinations
K
2011 Recommended Immunizations for Babies
MauMag
28
HepB
2 Months
HepB + DTaP + PCV + Hib + Polio + RV
4 Months
DTaP + PCV + Hib + Polio + RV6
6 Months
HepB
+ DTaP + PCV + Hib + Polio
+ RV
6-18 mos*
6-18 mos*
1-2 mos
12 Months
MMR + PCV + Hib + Varicella + HepA
15 Months
DTaP
12-15 mos*
15-18 mos*
12-15 mos*
12-15 mos*
12-15 mos*
12-23 mos*
By Marion Scott
By Jodie Spears
ids and germs. Is there a more natural combination? Germs are everywhere...kids get everywhere. Many of the germs children
pick up don't cause much trouble. The trick is getting a head start on hazardous or life-threatening diseases and viruses. How to
best keep current on kids' vaccines? Here are some tips to help you.
Children are born with strong immune systems, but they have to be reinforced for lasting defense against serious diseases.
This can be done in two ways: catching the virus and risking its effects (usually disastrous) or preventive vaccinations. Immunization
begins almost the moment your child is born, as most babies are given a preventive vaccination against hepatitis B before leaving the maternity ward.
(OUCH! Welcome to the world, kiddo.)
“Vaccinations are important public health measures that prevent the spread of deadly infectious diseases like meningitis, measles, and polio,”
says Judith S. Palfrey, MD, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). “Studies show modern vaccines are safe and effective.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), vaccines protect against several viruses you've probably heard of and may have
experienced as a child--measles, mumps, rubella, influenza, polio, tetanus, whooping cough--the list is comprehensive and each of the diseases on
it are serious. In fact, whooping cough killed 62 children from 1997 to 2000 in the United States. Measles and rubella aren't common in our country
now, but they're prevalent in other parts of the world, making them just a plane ride away.
The AAP recommends you follow a regular, time-specific immunization schedule to protect your child from these diseases. Your child's
immunizations should be laid out to coincide with the development of his or her immune system --at developmental stages when he or she is most
vulnerable to serious infections. Some vaccines may require multiple doses, and they must be given in a timely manner for your child to be fully
protected.
“Unimmunized children are at risk of getting sick and dying of preventable illnesses,” Palfrey says. “For example, before the 1980s, there were
about 20,000 cases a year of Hib disease, a leading cause of bacterial meningitis, which can be fatal. Now that we have an Hib vaccine, the number
of cases a year in the United States has dropped to fewer than 100. However, the bacteria that causes Hib disease still exists, which is why children
need the vaccine.”
Fortunately, your child's pediatrician can help you immunize. The vaccinations are usually given at the same time as your child's regular
checkups. Here's a table to help orient you:
This is really easy. Pretty much all you have to do is show up with baby in tow and a little extra love for after the shot.
Decades of epidemic-curbing vaccines and millions of healthy children tell us that childhood inoculation is a dependable defense against the
spread of disease. If you're unsure about immunizing your child you should talk openly and honestly with your pediatrician about your concerns.
At Birth
C.E.R.T. People Helping People
(Influenza)
6 mos through 18 years**
12 Months
15 Months
* This is the age range in which this vaccine should be given.
** Children 6 months or older should receive flu vaccination every flu season. If this is the first time for flu vaccine, a child 6 months through 8 years of age should receive two doses,
separated by at least 4 weeks. If this child only receives one dose in the first season, he or she should receive two doses the next season, if still younger than 9 years. Ask your child’s
doctor if a second dose is needed.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Left to right: Leslie McMillan, Chief George Glenn & Peggy Cromwell
I
n the event of a major disaster,” states Maumelle Fire Chief
George Glenn, “the public safety resources of any city are
quickly overwhelmed. When a citizen dials 911, they have the
expectation of a quick response, trained people with proper
equipment, and their capability to fix the problem.” Maumelle
Fire Department’s goal for emergency response is to answer a 911
call, have the dispatcher collect and relate the information to personnel
within 60 seconds. Another 60 seconds is required to “turn out” (crews
ready to leave the fire department). And finally, to be on site within the
next four minutes. While in most circumstances that six-minute goal
is met, during a major disaster, demand far outstrips supply and hard
decisions must be made.
That’s where an organization like CERT can be invaluable. CERT,
or Community Emergency Response Teams, have been developing in
Maumelle for the past four years. The CERT program educates people
about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and
trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light
search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.
Chief Glenn states that this community can boast of having one of the
most active CERT groups in Arkansas for two reasons. One, we have
a dedicated lay citizenry who believe in the concept of emergency
preparedness, and two, a keen focus on community education.
So what role would CERT play in Maumelle? First responders
would be unable to meet the demand for medical and fire services when
the number of victims, communication failures, road blockages, etc.
hamper or prevent immediate action. That fact was tragically brought to
mind with the tornadoes that struck Tuscaloosa, Mississippi and Joplin,
Missouri recently. Disasters follow three stages, Glenn says: High
intensity during and shortly after the event which is of relatively short
duration, clean up, and recovery, which take much longer.
First and foremost, individual citizens should be self-prepared with
an emergency kit capable of sustaining the immediate family for three
days, minimum. The kit would include food, water, a battery operated
radio, and flash light. Required medication should also be readily
available. Thought should be given to care of pets and family members
with disabilities. No government agency or community plan will be as
effective as self-preparedness.
Until first responders (fire, police, medical personnel, public
works) can respond, members of CERT are trained to provide basic
first aid, fire response, control of local utilities (water and gas shutoff). Neighborhood CERT members will be prepared to report the
extent of the disaster and number and types of injuries. Following
the initial disaster assessment, these individuals provide a resource
wealth to official organizations. Chief Glenn explains that following a
disaster, groups pour into the impacted areas wanting desperately to
help. Following the Mexico City earthquake, volunteers saved nearly
800 lives; however, 100 well-intentioned individuals also lost their lives
as a result of those efforts. CERT-trained individuals could be used
in coordination efforts – tracking search grids (as previously defined
by emergency agencies), shelter coordinators, communications links,
funnels for and with lay groups (churches, civic organizations, etc.),
basic traffic control, supply shuttling, personnel shuttling. They know
the community and fill valuable NON-hazardous rolls, leaving trained
experts to jobs that only they are trained to do.
Chief Glenn reminds that “Disasters are logistics driven.
Responders create an incident management structure that meets
the needs of the disaster. The basic system includes Command,
Operations (such as traffic control), Logistics (communications, supply
transport), Planning (incident documentation, coordinating resources
and resource requests), Finance and Administration”. Because CERT
provides individuals from all walks of life, their skills can be matched to
the area of need, filling in sub-functions within this structure.
“The Community Emergency Response Team concept was
developed and implemented by the Los Angeles City Fire Department
(LAFD) in 1985. The Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987 underscored
the area-wide threat of a major disaster in California. Further, it
confirmed the need for training civilians to meet their immediate needs.
As a result, the LAFD created the Disaster Preparedness Division with
the purpose of training citizens and private and government employees”
(www.citizencorps.gov/cert).
www.MauMag.com
A Parent’s Booster On Immunization
Leslie McMillan, & Peggy Cromwell with Emergency equipment
and C.E.R.T. equipment back packs
29
MauMag
The Culture of Water
30
In every culture water in the garden has
had a special meaning. Like art, water gardens
have reflected the historical context as well as
cultural and philosophical thought of their times.
The trends we see today in contemporary
American water gardens also represent our
existing cultural influences. What makes the
contemporary American water garden unique
is that the design information available to us
is much more diverse than at any other time
in history.
In the past, mountains and vast oceans
separated cultures so that it took centuries for
traders, travelers, and crusaders to carry water
garden ideas from one side of the globe to the
other. Today we can research thousands of
years of water gardening styles from any point
on Earth with only a few keystrokes. As a
result, what we find in American gardens today
is an eclectic amalgam of designs from around
the globe.
To be sure, there are purists among
us whose gardens follow traditional garden
designs of say European or Asian influence,
but more often than not Americans borrow
ideas from completely different cultures and
time periods because those elements happen
to suit their taste or philosophical bent. Add in
a dash of mass consumerism of factory-made
water garden supplies and decorations, and
you never know what historical styles might
get mixed together in a single design.
SOME MAJOR HISTORICAL
MILESTONES
Ancient Sumeria and Persia
Sometime around 5,000 years ago in
Mesopotamia the Sumerians developed lavish
irrigated gardens using a system of canals
that re-routed water from the Euphrates River.
These canals were built all the way to the
neighboring Tigris River which was at a lower
elevation and served as a drain for any water
not used while passing
through the city. This was
an amazing engineering
feat upon which the entire
civilization of the region
depended. Without it, what
was known as the “Fertile
Crescent” would have been
nothing more than arid,
barren land. Engineers who
designed these systems
were so clever with their
designs that they were even
able to create spouting
fountains by using ducts fed
from higher levels of elevation.
These ancient gardens morphed over
time and with a slight shift in geography to
become aqueduct-fed Persian “Paradise
Gardens,” which were so-named by Socrates
for their beauty. The Persian water garden
layout usually included a cross-shaped
water design. Each arm of the cross shape
represented one of the four rivers of the
Garden of Eden that flowed to the four corners
of the earth from a central pool.
The Persians enclosed their gardens
with walls and planted trees in canals to
prevent water from evaporating. The result
was a private lush green area filled with the
sound of running water. In the arid climate
of Persia the Paradise Garden proved to be
a type of oasis that defied its surroundings.
Islamic Conquest of Persia
Islamic conquerors of Persia in the 7th
century continued to develop the concept of
the irrigated “Paradise Garden” and carried it
as far as Spain and India. The dispersal of
the Persian Garden concept by Muslims was
vast. Many cultures throughout Asia, Northern
Africa, and Europe were influenced and
went on to develop their own styles of water
gardens using these ideas. Possibly the bestknown interpretations of the Paradise Garden
are the gardens of the Taj Mahal in Agra,
India, built almost a thousand years later and
the Gardens of Alhambra in Granada, Spain
built in the mid 14th century.
Ancient Egypt
Another area of the ancient world in
which water gardens were well documented
is Egypt, dating back roughly 4800 years
ago. Ancient Egypt is well-known for its use
of irrigation, ponds in central areas of their
cities, and ponds in the gardens of Kings
and other nobles. Water gardening was of
particular cultural importance, so much so
English Landscape Movement
In stark contrast to the structured, formal, ornate water garden designs found on the
European continent, the English Landscape Movement during the 18th century strove to
reflect their natural surroundings and attempted to mimic the English countryside. Above
all, water features in this movement all had to appear natural rather than contrived,
although many of them were created by artificial means. Accordingly, lakes and streams
were found scattered throughout the extensive sloping lawns that were adorned with
sculptures, temples, and bridges.
Chinese Water Gardens
that the Egyptian white water lily is the symbol
used to represent the number 1,000 in ancient
Egyptian numerals.
European Gardens
In Medieval Europe, from the 11th – 13th
centuries, Christian Crusaders returning from
the Middle East brought back many ideas
about gardens with water features. This in turn
fueled the extensive development of formal
ornamental gardens during the Renaissance
and Baroque periods (14th – 18th centuries).
Designs based in precise mathematical
formulas were a fundamental element that
originated from the Paradise Gardens in
Persia. Highly ornate and extravagant water
fountains served as the main focal point of
the gardens especially in France and Italy.
Perhaps the most well-known water gardens
of this time frame would be the Baroque water
gardens of 17th century Versailles.
Lesser known, but arguably one of the
most impressive fountains ever built is the
Fountain of the Water Organ at the Villa D'
Este in Tivoli, Italy. Built in the 16th century,
the Water Organ Fountain, an organ powered
by water and air, is believed to have its origins
in Alexandria, Egypt during the first century.
If you can’t hop a plane to go to hear it for
yourself, it is worth the effort to look it up on
YouTube.
Chinese water gardens as we know them today were perhaps most influenced
during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties. Chinese water gardens
during this time were intended to be miniature reproductions of nature. The latter half of
this movement developed in parallel to the English Landscape Movement. In fact, the
two garden movements exchanged so many ideas, that Chinese pavilions and pagodas
started to appear throughout the English countryside. Such gardens became known as
Anglo-Chinese gardens.
Rocks and water were the two most significant aspects of the Chinese water
garden. Rocks symbolized mountains and streams represented great rivers, thus
recreating natural landscapes in miniature. Also characteristic of this style were
waterside pavilions, or “shuixie,” that were built half on land, half on stilts in the water.
The pavilions had no walls, which permitted the observer to interact with water and land
from all angles.
Japanese Water Gardens
When Buddhism was introduced to Japan in 552, it brought with it the incorporation
of water into garden design. As a rule, Japanese water gardens strictly mimicked natural settings around them attempting to replicate the natural
appearance of water in the environment. As in the English Landscape and Chinese water garden “Naturalist” movements, there is a distinct lack of
fountains in traditional Japanese water gardens. However, one finds a number of bridges and stepping stones which provided the observer with a
degree of access to the water.
What distinguished the Japanese garden from other “Naturalist” water garden designs was that the specific movement of water, rather than its
mere presence, was of foremost importance. In the Japanese water garden, moving water represented “chi,” or energy, which could flow or trickle,
but should never be blocked. Having walked through a Japanese water
garden, one should have come away feeling refreshed because of the
interaction that one had with “chi” in the garden.
Common Themes Today
In American water gardening today one finds a wide array of styles
from the past. There are the so-called “Modern Water Gardens” which
have straight lines and rock work that is intentionally artificial in origin.
The Modern American movement finds its origins in the rectangular
canals found in Persian Paradise Gardens and the gardens of the 17th
century European Renaissance. Both of these water garden styles tried
to show that humans could control nature by creating shapes not found in
nature to hold water.
Modern American water garden design, which is sometimes referred
to as “Ornamentalist,” can be seen at Rockefeller Center in New York City
in the Art Deco-style Fountain of Prometheus. Also noteworthy of the
Modern American movement are the many fountains at the Fort Worth
Water Gardens, at which a number of scenes for the movie Logan’s Run
were filmed.
In stark contrast to the Modern Movement, there has been a strong
resurgence of the “Natural Water Garden” over the last several years in
the US. The natural water garden strives to be informal, use only natural
materials for that which is visible to the onlooker, and appear as if it were
part of the existing landscape. Flowing streams and waterfalls have
nearly been synonymous with this movement, as Americans tend to be
fascinated with the idea of moving water, drawing heavily from Japanese
water garden design.
So can you actually make an HGTV-worthy water landscape design?
www.MauMag.com
RAFIMI Photography
Water in the Garden... Continued from Page 25
31
MauMag
so fast that we can’t detect it happening, but it is what essentially
blends the two separate images being displayed on your screen.
These glasses require batteries to operate, and you must turn them on
before operating. The glasses are also expensive, averaging between
$100 and $200 per pair. Passive 3D uses a polarized film that coats
the actual TV screen, which allows your eyes to see every other line,
which once again blends the images together. The glasses required
for passive 3D are much less expensive, ranging from $20 to $50 per
pair. I have studied both technologies extensively, and I believe that
the active 3D is much better. The screen color saturation looks much
better, and the 3D effect is more prominent.
So the next question is, “What equipment do I need to have to be
able to watch 3DTV?” The first thing is obviously a 3D television set;
you can’t watch 3D on a 2D set. You also need a source that sends
the 3D signal to the TV. This can be a blue ray player, a game console,
or a DirecTV satellite receiver. Finally, you need the glasses and a
movie, game, or television program that is filmed or designed in 3D.
The 3D content out right now is slightly limited, but more is coming out
every day. Currently there are movies and video games that are 3D,
and DirecTV now has at least two channels that are dedicated to 3D
content, with more coming. Big sporting events like the Super Bowl
and the World Cup are also being broadcasted in 3D. One common
misconception is that if you have a 3DTV, you can’t watch regular
programming. If your signal detects a 2D signal instead of a 3D signal,
it simply reverts to a regular high definition 2D television.
Although it has gotten a relatively slow start, I believe that 3D
technology is here to stay. As more people see it (the “wow” factor),
and as more programming, movies and video games become available,
we will see a big increase in the amount of homes that convert to 3D.
There are also now digital cameras and high definition camcorders that
record in 3D, so you can watch your own home movies in stunning high
definition 3D. If you haven’t seen the technology yet, swing by one of
our stores. We promise not to tell anyone when you reach out and try
to touch the image in front of you!
32
CERT... Continued from Page 29
What Exactly Is
Cloud Computing?
L
By Justin Lloyd
et’s imagine that all of your mobile devices (iPhone, PC,
iPad2, iPod Touch, etc.) are in sync all the time. Would you
like to be able to access all your personal data at any given
time? If you answered to the affirmative then you are not
alone. The Cloud promises to deliver the ability to organize
your data such as documents, e-mail, photos, movies, contacts, etc.
Cloud computing also allows you to share all of that data with your
friends, family or coworkers.
When some people see cloud computing commercials they can get
a little confused as to what it actually is. You may not be aware of it but
you are probably already using cloud-based services. Honestly, anyone
with a computer already has been. If you’ve ever used Gmail or Google
Docs then you have used a cloud-based service.
Cloud computing means having all of your data accessible from
wherever you may be. As long as the data is accessible on a mobile
device, it’s transferable and it’s easily accessible then it’s in the cloud.
The key to all this cloud computing talk is that you will have the ability
to sync your data between all your mobile devices and have access to
shared data. Shared data can be any data you access online which
includes several places, like banks, social network sites, news and any
paid service.
In essence, your personal cloud (contact lists, music files, work
documents, etc) can be connected to the cloud for the public to view, or
you can only allow your friends and family to have access, it’s entirely up
to you. You can set the parameters as to who has access to your data.
For example, let’s say that you have a document that you want to share
with your boss and nobody else. You can do that. You put the document
in the cloud and select your boss as being the only person that may view
the document.
Eventually many clusters of personal clouds will exist and these
clusters will have the ability to interact with one another. These clusters
of personal clouds will lead to new types of social networks that will have
many more security features than what you are already accustomed to
having. Interestingly, your cloud will get used to the moves you make
online and make computers even more user friendly.
Software as a Service (SaaS) is part of the cloud computing
revolution. It’s really catching on quickly in the business world. Software
as a Service is the act of a service provider hosting applications for
you (like we do at Compsys, Inc.) so that you don’t have to install it,
manage it, or buy hardware for it. All you have to do is connect to it from
any machine that has an internet connection and use it. This solution is
obviously more cost efficient and way more convenient than hosting it
yourself.
This is just the surface of cloud computing and there will be more
services offered via the cloud as time goes by and technology improves.
So, keep your head in the cloud and see what it can offer you.
The primary goals
were to present citizens
with the facts about
what to expect following
a major disaster in
terms of immediate
services, to impart the
message about individual
responsibility, to train in
necessary
life-saving
skills, and to organize
teams as an extension of
first responder services.
Since 1993 when this
training
was
made
available nationally by
FEMA, communities in
28 states and Puerto
Rico have conducted
CERT training. Maumelle
Leslie McMillan, & Peggy Cromwell with Boxes became involved as
signatories of the Pulaski
containing emergency equipment.
County
Emergency
Operations Plan, important because it allows our city to tap into the
resources at the county, state and federal level. It also streamlines
funding processes.
CERT is for everyone. The Maumelle Fire Department took on the
responsibility for administering the CERT process here. With the help
and support of former Alderwoman, Liz Adams, it became a topic of
interest for the City Council. Ms. Adams, Alderman Witonski, Alderman
Saunders, and former Alderman Chris Plante have completed the CERT
basic training, along with thirty citizens in and near Maumelle. About
half of those who have completed the training are active, attending bimonthly meetings on the second and fourth Monday of each month at
6:30 at the Fire Department. Brief business meetings are followed by
training sessions. Initial training is completed over eight weeks with
meetings once a week for two-and-a-half or three hours each. Some
individuals took the training just because they felt it would provide
valuable information for them and their families, and that’s perfectly
OK per Chief Glenn. The door is open and everyone is welcome
and encouraged to attend meetings. Another basic training class is
tentatively scheduled for this fall. In the meantime, Train the Trainers
are being developed to help in Maumelle and in other areas of the state.
Sessions during the basic training include, Disaster Preparedness,
Disaster Fire Suppression, Disaster Medical Operations (parts I and II),
Light Search and Rescue Operations, Disaster Psychology and Team
Organization, Course Review and Disaster Simulation. Students will
also be introduces to safety equipment, disaster supplies, and how to
build a disaster response kit.
“CERT is about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety,
and doing the greatest good for the greatest number. CERT is a
positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations
where citizens will be initially on their own and their actions can make
a difference. Through training, citizens can manage utilities and put
out small fires; treat the three killers by opening airways, controlling
bleeding, and treating for shock; provide basic medical aid; search for
and rescue victims safely; and organize themselves and spontaneous
volunteers to be effective” (www.citizencorps.gov/cert).
Chief Glenn reminds us that “We can help the community more
effectively when individuals have done their part in preparing for
disaster.” Attend a CERT meeting. Consider becoming a community
CERT volunteer for your own good and for the good of Maumelle.
Water in the Garden... Continued from Page 25
Of course you can! You just might need to do a little research and
planning first. Remember the axiom of measure twice, cut once? The
same principle applies here. You may be gung-ho to get out in the
backyard with a shovel right this very minute – I mean, who isn’t just
chomping at the bit to spend some quality time out in this triple digit
heat?
Do yourself a favor. Pull up a chair to your home computer and
sit down with your favorite iced beverage in the air conditioning for a
while, do some research, take a few measurements, and draw up a
basic plan. Next, take a few pictures of the space where you plan to
do the work. When you have all of that together pop on over to your
local pond retailer with that in hand, let them make some suggestions
for improvement, then let them find the right equipment for you to do
the job.
Embroidery • Garment Printing
Shirts • Outerwear • Caps & Hats
T-Shirts • School Uniforms
Bags & Totes • Sports Apparel
Golf Items • Personalized Items
Corporate Apparel
Promotional Products
EmbroidMe - Maumelle
115 Audubon Drive, Suite 4
501.851.3202
www.MauMag.com
Tech Yalk... Continued from Page 27
www.embroidme-maumelle.com
sales@embroidme-maumelle.com
33
By Larry Egger
By Theresa Vandiver
Playing Dress Up by Lena Marshall
By Charlene Akins
By Stephanie Meadows
By Lee Coleman
Photographs courtesy of members of the Maumelle Photography Club
To join MPC, please email us at mpc@maumellephotographyclub.org or by calling 501.960.6077
MauMag
By Leslie Ann McMillan
By Ken Saunders
Call for tickets
501-851-4344
34
Hands By Joseph Goble
Advert paid for by RAFIMI CRP
501.960.6077
Photo@RafimiPhotography.com
Sedation Dentistry
Botox & Juvederm
Sleep Apnea Treatment
with the TAP® Appliance
n
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Dental Implants
Cosmetic Bonding
Tooth-Colored Fillings
Porcelain Veneers
Dentures
Orthodontics
Laser Dentistry

Maumelle`s Terry Williams

Transcription

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