Page 6 - TR Hometown Saline County June 2017

6TT SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 2017
HOMETOWN SALINE COUNTY • TRI-LAKES EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
A DAY
IN THE LIFE
Mining for fun in Saline County turns up memorable gems
BY SARAH DECLERK / SPECIAL SECTIONS WRITER
I watched Sling Blade before visiting Saline County, which seemed appropriate because parts of the movie were filmed in Benton, the county seat. Beyond its movie fame, the area boasts a fascinating history and several tight-knit communities, which I was keen to visit.
8:50 A.M.
After finding my bearings at the Geographical Center of Arkansas, near Arkansas 5 in Bryant, I headed to downtown Benton. Among the picturesque old buildings were the Gann Museum of Saline County, the only known structure made of bauxite, an aluminum ore that drove the county’s economy in early years, as well as the Shoppach House, the oldest standing structure in the city, and the 1920 Royal Theatre.
To learn more about local history, I stopped by the Saline County Historical and Heritage Society, where President Steve Perdue showed me extensive county records and family histories, as well as the society’s biannual journal, The Saline. Also displayed are artifacts from the county and an exhibit about Niloak pottery, one of the area’s earliest industries. In addition, the society hosts historic programs on the third Thursday of each month, Perdue said, and July’s speaker will be Rob Reep, who produced The Saline, a documentary about the Saline River.
Although the county is growing, it has retained its sense of community, he said, adding that the small-town atmosphere helps attract new residents.
“I think that’s what people want,” he added. “They want to live where people care about each other and where there are neighbors. I think that’s why it’s growing so much — people are trying to find that.”
11:15 A.M.
To see how that growth is taking shape, I visited the new River Center at Riverside Park, which opened April 1. While an 800-year-old canoe pays homage to the area’s past, the facility is strikingly modern. Along with basketball courts, a walking track and exercise rooms, the facility has an aquatic center with unique features such as a water slide that wraps around the building’s exterior.
Benton Mayor David Mattingly, whom I met at the center, said Benton lacked a pool for more than 20 years. The lack of amenities was a major obstacle to the city’s
development, he said, so in October 2013, the city passed a quality-of-life tax that led to the creation of the River Center, as well as new ball fields and a new Boys & Girls Club facility. Such improvements are linked to economic prosperity, he added.
“Why are businesses coming here? Bec- ause we are business-friendly, we’ve got great schools, we’ve got affordable homes, and now we have amenities,” he said. “You don’t have to go past the county line to get a good meal. You don’t have to go past the county line to find a great place to swim. All these sports activities and all these other things are right here in your own community.”
Old River Bridge, a more than 100-year-old structure that spans the Saline River between Benton and Haskell, was featured in Billy Bob Thornton’s 1996 film Sling Blade.
At the adjacent Benton Senior Wellness
and Activity Center, some guests ate lunch, while others played seated volleyball. Site manager Sherry Parsons said the center’s new facilities provide space for separate areas dedicated to various activities, including a computer room, a gift shop and game rooms.
“We’d been in the other building about 40 years, and it was owned by the city of Benton, so they moved us over here to a new updated facility so we can serve the needs of seniors better,” she said.
Westin Riddick, 18, of Benton helps Garrett Snellings, 13, of Benton improve his weight-lifting form at the city’s new River Center.
12:50 P.M.
After leaving the River Center, I headed to Bryant, another major city in Saline County. After dining at TaMolly’s of Bryant, I visited the Mabel Boswell Memorial Library, where signs pro- claimed that the library is for everyone.
“We have books, audio books, fishing poles, cake pans — something for whoever is interested in whatever,” said Rachel Wallace, interim manager. “We’re doing our best to provide for everybody’s interests.”
In addition to books, visitors can borrow DVDs, board games and a number of usable items. Young adults have a nook for playing card games and video games, and in another room, little kids use various materials to build anything they imagine as part of the Libraries Are for Makers program.
At Bishop Park, a gathering point for the Bryant com- munity, staff member Jacob Uzzell showed me the facility’s exercise rooms, basketball courts, pool area and splash pad. I asked Uzzell, who attends the University of Richmond in Virginia but comes home to work during the summer, what he found most unique about the city.
“It’s probably the close connection that people seem to have with the high school, because I don’t think you get
that in a lot of places,” he said. “People who aren’t even from here seem to get really invested, especially once their kids go through. There’s a lot of pride.”
3:10 P.M.
I took the long way back to Benton by driving through Bauxite, a small town with about 500 residents nestled in its green hills. The Bauxite Historical Association Museum was closed when I arrived, but I explored the grounds, which fea- ture a statue of a miner and his family, as well as a gate that incorporates a piece of Bauxite into its design.
I’ll have to go back to see unique exhibits, such as a gown made from aluminum thread and a set of “Bauxite Teeth,” which were discolored but strengthened by the local water.
Soon after returning to Benton, I spotted Garry’s Sling Blade Drive-Thru, the eatery where Sling Blade’s protagonist, Karl, ate “french-fried potatoes.” I ordered a hand-dipped ice cream cone and asked co-owner Cathy Huckaby how often people mention the film.
“All the time,” she said. “They want to know about the old bridge. They want to know where Karl sat. They just ask questions in general about it. They do imitations of Karl and his taters and mustard and biscuits.”
4:05 P.M.
Hoping to partake in one of my favorite childhood activ- ities, I ventured to Hangtime Trampoline Park in Benton, where I played dodgeball with three young boys who seemed to be having the time of their lives. Staff member Nichole Moore said the trampolines have a knack for bringing out the social butterfly in everyone.
“It brings people together because a lot of times, different groups will come in, and then by the end of it, they’re all play- ing dodgeball together, and they’ve all bonded,” she said. “They get each other’s phone numbers, and they come back here, and they hang out as friends.”
4:45 P.M.
After her shift, Moore offered to take me to Old River Bridge, which was featured in Sling Blade. Hanging out by the bridge, which spans the Saline River between Benton and Haskell, is a quintessential part of Saline County life, she said.
When we reached the aging structure, we saw a scene that would be familiar to most Arkansans — kids swinging into the tranquil water by rope. The image, which took me back to childhood summers I spent on riverbanks, would surely spark nostalgia for anyone with roots in Saline County.
PHOTOS BY SARAH DECLERK/TRI-LAKES EDITION