Local notes: The Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter will host the 15th Annual Fresh Start fundraiser Sept. 28 at 21c Museum Hotel | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

OLLI

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Arkansas has announced the following classes:

Sept. 25: Tea & Scones in Fayetteville — Come join OLLI for a morning of tea and pastries at the Savoy Tea Company. Avalon Gurel, store manager, will present an overview of tea’s history along with a variety of samplings. 10 a.m. to noon. Savoy Tea Company in Fayetteville. Members $25, nonmembers $40.

Sept. 25: Bring on the Night — Come to Ozark Natural Science Center’s new satellite location at Lake Fayetteville for a brief lecture and a short half-mile hike to learn about nocturnal bird species of the Ozarks, including several species of owls. 6-8 p.m. Lake Fayetteville. Members $39, nonmembers $54.

Sept. 26, Oct 3: The Titan II in Arkansas, 1962-1987 — From 1962 to 1987 the Air Force installed 18 Titan II missiles at sites across rural central Arkansas as a Cold War defense against the Soviet Union.

Concerned citizens were told the missiles were completely safe. UA Professor of History, Michael Armstrong, will track the history of Titan II in Arkansas and look to ascertain the impacts the missiles had on the state and its citizens. 1-2:30 p.m. OLLI office in Fayetteville. Members $25, nonmembers $40.

To register for a class or for questions call (479) 575-4545 or visit olli.uark.edu/participate.

Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter

The Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter will play host to the 15th Annual Fresh Start fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 28 at 21c Museum Hotel in Bentonville. The evening will be “a night of honoring the courage of our clients and raising funds to support the programs of the NWA Women’s Shelter,” according to the group’s website.

The benefit will feature casino-style table games such as poker, blackjack, roulette and craps. Gaming chips are included with ticket purchase and additional chips will be available for purchase. In addition to gaming, the evening will include complimentary wine and beer, heavy hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction.

Tickets for the cocktail-attire fundraiser are $100 for general admission or $175 for VIP tickets. General admission tickets include $200 in gaming chips.

VIP tickets include $350 in gaming chips and holders will gain early entry at 5 p.m. to the Mars Wrigley VIP Lounge with exclusive gaming tables, a dedicated bar and seating.

Honorary chairpersons for the fundraiser are Venessa Yates, Heather Clark and Whitney Cooper. Jessica Wright serves as the development committee chairperson.

The mission of the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter is to provide shelter and support at any hour for those affected by domestic violence in Northwest Arkansas.

“Our shelter sustained significant damage from the storm, and in the process of cleanup, significant amounts of mold were found in the building, making it uninhabitable for the foreseeable future. We are continuing to meet the needs of survivors seeking safety by providing hotel stays. This unexpected pivot has increased the monthly amount required to safely house and support our clients with things like food, transportation, clothing, laundry, medications, etc. Please consider sponsoring and/or attending Fresh Start to help us continue this important work.”

For more information visit https://nwaws.org/freshstart2024/.

Andante Music Club and Northwest Arkansas Women’s Chorus

The Andante Music Club of Bella Vista invites the public to a free public music program by the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Chorus at 2 p.m. Oct. 1 at Highland Christian Church located at 1500 Forest Hills Blvd. in Bella Vista.

The Northwest Arkansas Women’s Chorus, previously the Bella Vista Women’s Chorus, sings a wide variety of musical selections ranging from popular songs, show tunes, folk songs and spiritual arrangements to classic compositions of Benjamin Britten, Gustav Holst and Johannes Brahms.

The chorus sings for many organizations, nursing homes and schools in the area, and has traveled to Natchez, MS, San Antonio, St Louis, Kansas City and performed on the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC.

The chorus was founded in 1975 by 12 women gathered for a single performance. The Bella Vista Women’s Club sponsored a permanent chorus that has varied in size from the original 12 to more than 40 members.

Larry Zehring holds a doctorate in vocal music performance, choral conducting and musicology and has served as the chorus’s director for 30 years.

He is the director of music ministries for the First United Methodist Church of Bella Vista.

Zehring holds degrees in vocal music performance from the University of the Ozarks and Tulsa University, and in choral conducting and musicology from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He has done additional post-graduate work in choral music at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, Westminster Choir College and the Julliard School.

Denise Richards is the pianist for the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Chorus. She is a native Arkansan, born in El Dorado, where she began playing piano at the age of five. After graduating from Hope High School, she attended the University of Arkansas where she trained be a music educator. After teaching for three years in Texas public school band programs in East Texas and the Fort Worth area, Richards returned to college at North Texas State University (now University of North Texas) in Denton, graduating in 1986 with a master’s degree in administrative management.

Andante Music Club is an affiliate of the National Federation of Music Clubs and the Arkansas Federation of Music Clubs.

Information: andantemusicclub.org or email Cynthia Augspurger at cynthia.augspurger@gmail.com.

Walton Arts Center AMP Up the Arts

Walton Arts Center and the Walmart AMP debuted a new fundraising event on Sept. 12 to support arts education, AMP Up the Arts. The multi-phased event and benefit concert was headlined by hip-hop superstar Nelly, led by honorary chair Latriece Watkins, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Walmart US, and presented by General Mills.

AMP Up the Arts started with an exclusive backstage cocktail hour for sponsor representatives with Watkins and a meet-and-greet with Nelly. Additional sponsor guests joined for an intimate dinner in Land O’Lakes Lounge where Watkins led a q&a with Nelly. To cap off the night, dinner guests joined 2,000 community members whose donation to Walton Arts Center’s arts education programming reserved them a ticket to Nelly’s performance.

In keeping with the theme of the night, the work of Patricia Relph, Ph.D., “Dr. Pat”, arts education advocate, was recognized as part of the event. Relph has been an arts learning specialist at Walton Arts Center almost since the organization started more than three decades ago. She contributes to learning and engagement experiences for 26,000 students and teachers from 17 school districts annually and works with the NWA Education Service Cooperative and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the Partners in Education Program. The award will be named in her honor, the Dr. Patricia J. Relph Arts Education Award and presented annually to an arts education advocate at this event.

The inaugural event raised $300,000 that will support Walton Arts Center’s learning and education programs that ensure the arts remain an essential part of the lives of students, teachers and families in Northwest Arkansas.

For more information call (479) 443-5600 or visit https://waltonartscenter.org/

Christian Women’s Connection

The Christian Women’s Connection will meet for brunch on from 9 to 10:45 a.m. Oct. 9 at the Bella Vista Community Church. located at 75 E. Lancashire Blvd. in Bella Vista.

The inspirational speaker will be Shellie Thill of Bella Vista whose message will be “Be the Light.”

Registration is $10 and includes brunch. The deadline to RSVP is 2:30 p.m. Oct. 4.

For information or to RSVP call Glenda at (479) 366-7562, text Dorothy at (479) 381-6516 or email BellaVistaCWCStonecroft@gmail.com.

The October Prayer Connection for Bella Vista Christian Women’s Connection will be held at 9 a.m. Oct. 2 at 12 Coylton Drive in Bella Vista. Reservations are not necessary for the Prayer Connection.

Washington County Historical Society

A retired educator and a longtime promoter of local history are the recipients of the Washington County Historical Society 2024 Distinguished Citizen awards.

John L Colbert, who retired as superintendent of Fayetteville Public Schools after a 47-year career in education, and Maylon Rice, a past president of the historical society, will be recognized by the organization at its annual meeting and luncheon at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6, at Mount Sequoyah’s Bailey Hall in Fayetteville. The historical society’s new slate of officers and board members will also be elected at the meeting. Registration for the event is available at https://tinyurl.com/wchsmeeting.

Colbert joined the Fayetteville Public Schools as a special education teacher at Bates Elementary, then served as principal of Jefferson Elementary and as the principal of Holcomb Elementary. In August 2008 Colbert joined the administrative team where he served as the associate superintendent for elementary education and then as the associate superintendent for support services. He is the first African American to serve Fayetteville Public Schools as superintendent. Colbert retired from Fayetteville Public Schools in 2023. Mayor Lioneld Jordan proclaimed May 25, 2023, as “Dr. John L Colbert Day.” Rice, who came to the historical society board after a career as a longtime journalist, has organized the Washington County “This Place Matters” campaign for the past three years to observe Historic Preservation Month. Each day he has posted a photograph of a historic place with accompanying text explaining its significance. Rice received an Arkansas Historical Association Award of Merit for 2024 for this project.

Rice promotes the history of Washington County by posting an “On this Day” story on Facebook each day, sharing fascinating and interesting events. He also publicizes WCHS events by appearing on local television news channels. Rice has written 21 articles for the award-winning Flashback journal, a WCHS quarterly publication. He recently received a historic preservation award from the City of Fayetteville, a Letter of Acclamation. He has also arranged guest speakers for the Statehood Day program, an annual event hosted by WCHS.

For more information visit https://washcohistoricalsociety.org/meetinginfo.php?id=26&ts=1724975732

Heartland Whole Health Institute

Heartland Whole Health Institute recently announced that Claude Pirtle, MD, will join the organization as Chief Digital and Informatics Officer, effective Sept. 23. In his new role, Dr. Pirtle will lead the institute’s efforts to leverage information technology, data analytics and clinical knowledge to reduce costs, improve outcomes and expand access to whole health care in the Heartland.

“Dr. Pirtle brings valuable leadership experience, in both clinical settings and health information technology, to the Institute,” said Walter Harris, president and CEO, Heartland Whole Health Institute. “I look forward to working with him to catalyze new delivery models and transform the health care system through innovative solutions.”

Dr. Pirtle most recently served as Walmart Health’s Chief Medical Informatics officer and senior director. Prior to Walmart Health, he served as vice president, chief medical information officer for West Tennessee Healthcare and Assistant Chief Medical Officer of Jackson Madison County General Hospital.

“I am excited to join the innovative team shaping the future of health care at Heartland Whole Health Institute,” said Dr. Pirtle. “Together, we have an opportunity to reimagine how care is delivered, leveraging technology and data to create meaningful, lasting change for patients across the Heartland.”

“Heartland Whole Health Institute is committed to using advanced analytics and tech-enabled delivery solutions to reduce friction, improve patient experience and expand access to high quality care in Arkansas and beyond,” said Dr. John Findley, chief medical officer. “Dr. Pirtle’s expertise will accelerate the solutions we bring forward to overcome disparities in health care deserts across the state.”

Founded in 2019 by philanthropist Alice Walton, Heartland Whole Health Institute puts a whole health approach at the center of the broader health care system to address the current health care crisis. Construction of the Institute is underway on the campus of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The 75,000-square-foot building will include office space and community gathering areas.

Fayetteville Firefighters Hero Half Marathon

The 11th annual Fayetteville Firefighters Hero Half Marathon Powered by Lewis Automotive will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12 at the Northwest Arkansas Mall in Fayetteville.

The fundraising race and community event hosted by The Spark Foundation in partnership with Fayetteville Firefighters’ IAFF – Local 2866.

The race honors the sacrifices of firefighters and first responders while encouraging all participants to build habits for a healthy, active lifestyle. Runner may choose to participate in the half marathon, quarter marathon or 5K.

The race also includes the annual Firefighter Challenge in which active-duty firefighters complete the 13.1 miles in full bunker gear, weighing almost 40 pounds.

The Fayetteville Fire Department will host their annual free Family Fire Safety Fair with bucket lifts, truck rides and fun for the whole family at the finish line from 8 to 11 a.m. as part of Fire Safety Week, which is Oct. 6-12.

Race proceeds benefit organizations such as local elementary schools, that meet important community needs, increase fitness opportunities and education and make Fayetteville a great place to live, work and play,

The Spark Foundation is a Northwest Arkansas-based nonprofit with a mission to provide increased access to health and fitness opportunities and education through racing events, outreach programming and local giving. Started by two Fayetteville natives in 2011, Spark encourages people of all ages to build the habits for a healthy, active lifestyle with a focus on running.

For more information visit mysparkfoundation.org.