Cyd King
Stories by Cyd
Lawyers laud partner for his 50-year career
FAYETTEVILLE — They joked about the draw of free food and booze, but the standing-room-only crowd of lawyers gathered March 5 at Pratt Place Barn were there out of respect for one of their most beloved and distinguished, Sid Davis. Read More »
Northern lights - Followers whoop it up for voice of the Hogs
FAYETTEVILLE — Dismayed by the hoop Hogs’ heartbreaking loss to the University of Mississippi, longtime voice of the Razorbacks, Mike Nail, was visibly buoyed by the standing ovation he received as he entered a retirement reception held for him after the game March 6. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS Wine-tasting fundraiser enables independence
FORT SMITH — Sip a bit, snack a little, sip some more, laugh a lot, repeat. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS Gala: Lost flab, true fab, auctioned trips, pig lips
ROGERS — Last weekend’s “Fab Boar” Kiss a Pig Gala had a lot to offer — a smallscale British invasion, some winners and a big loser. Read More »
Northern lights Crowd at Soup Sunday pours $18,500 into group
SPRINGDALE — With the Rev. Lowell Grisham, Lynn Carver and Susana O’Daniel greeting guests at the door, one could sense that something extraordinary was going on inside. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS Father’s service award partly for son’s success
SPRINGDALE — At first, Life Styles board president Charles Harwell gave few clues as he described the individual who would receive this year’s Buell Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor bestowed by the organization. Read More »
SPOTLIGHT GRANNY’S QUILTS OF LOVE Granny’s quilts wrap sick children
PEA RIDGE — The note scratched out in pencil by a boy named Tad is short but sweet: “Thank you for the quilt. It’s perfect.” The card is one of many handwritten accolades packed into the bulging fabric-covered scrapbook belonging to Granny’s Quilts of Love, a nonprofit whose members make colorful quilts for the young patients at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. Read More »
Chocolate, wine, bacon get fundraiser revved up
LITTLE ROCK — “You had me at ‘bacon,’” Fred Yarborough of Little Rock told Angie Graves, mimicking the now-famous line uttered by Renee Zellweger at the sappy climax of Jerry Maguire. Read More »
Northern lights President of Panama gets a royal reception
LITTLE ROCK — Shuttle buses pulled up to the door and jaws dropped to the ground as many got their first glimpses of Joan and Bruce Johnson’s Dromborg Castle, south of town. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS Panama leader throws hat in scholarship ring
FAYETTEVILLE — Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli is the only University of Arkansas alumnus to become a head of state — with one exception — Arkansas’ native son, former President Bill Clinton. Read More »
SPOTLIGHT SOUP SUNDAY Family-advocates group ready to say ‘soup’s on !’
FAYETTEVILLE — Dee Lea was reared on a farm in Minnesota, so a little — or a lot — of the white stuff doesn’t bother her. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS Opera students deliver musical valentine show
FAYETTEVILLE — Close your eyes halfway, Cross your arms on your breast And from your sleeping heart Chase away forever all your plans. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS Laughing is beneficial for heart association
ROGERS — After 45 minutes of side-splitting laughs from a ballroom full of 850 women dressed in red, comedic writer Lisa Smartt delivered a serious message perhaps more memorable than her funny stories: “Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.” Read More »
Northern lights Cotillion ball presents refined new youngsters
FAYETTEVILLE — Turning awkward sixth- seventh- eighth- and ninth-graders into dancers the quality of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers can’t be easy. Yet Northwest Arkansas Junior Cotillion founders Susan Gessler and Pam Jones have been doing it for 17 years, with a smile, and always in style. Read More »
Tea party sets the table for aiding homebound
ROGERS — Fending off the blues since she closed the doors of her decor store last spring, Vicki Marquez has discovered how good it feels to focus on others. Read More »
William Kelly Newton Rock solid
SELF PORTRAIT Date and place of birth: March 21, 1950, Fort Smith My favorite gift to my wife was probably “Mimi’s ride,” a golf cart. We take our grandchildren on rides with it. Read More »
Northern lights Krazo royalty
King Zeek, Queen Elise hail successors
EUREKA SPRINGS — Royalty for life — now that’s something you can throw a doubloon at. Read More »
SPOTLIGHT STEVE WOLF Wolf, pig-kissers ready for Beatles-esque benefit
ROGERS — The situation begs playful jest — a guy with the last name “Wolf” who likes to dally with pigs. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS Red spotlight shines on 6 unique athletes
ROGERS — Razorbacks junior tight end D.J. Williams plays the piano and is said to play it well. He recently gave an impromptu performance at the University of Arkansas chancellor’s residence, Fowler House, while taking a break from sledding near the university. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS He means it this time, three-time retiree says
FAYETTEVILLE — The third time could be the charm for University of Arkansas fundraiser Harley Lewis. He retired in December as senior director of development, though he’s said goodbye twice before — as athletic director at the University of Montana and as an administrator with the National Collegiate Athletic Association in Kansas City, Mo. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS Von Holdt turns over new leaf with garden
FAYETTEVILLE — Rae von Holdt. Say it out loud. Have her spell it for you; she won’t mind. Read More »
SPOTLIGHT TOM PETRIZZO Ozark Guidance nears 40 years of helpfulness
SPRINGDALE — Ozark Guidance chief executive officer Tom Petrizzo turned his back on a promising career as a corporate lawyer — and on a corporate lawyer’s paycheck — to pursue something more meaningful. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS Kiss a Pig rivals strive to bring home THE BACON
BENTONVILLE — Lawyer Andrew Huntsinger thought he’d be in a jury trial Tuesday and prepared for court more than he did for his presentation at the 2010 Kiss a Pig campaign kickoff luncheon. But his case was predisposed, and he found himself at the podium inside Northwest Arkansas Community College’s Shewmaker Center, armed with little more than his wits. Read More »
Northern lights Pack paints town red for a heartfelt charity
FAYETTEVILLE — If the amount of refuse going out the back of the Fayetteville Town Center was any indication of partying inside, then the American Heart Association’s Jan. 15 Paint the Town Red fundraiser proved one for the ages. Read More »
Whitleys get spotlight at King legacy events
FAYETTEVILLE — Houston lawyer Marlen D. Whitley, wife Laura and their dapperly dressed sons Jackson and Jordan, 7 and 3 respectively, were the center of attention at a reception at the Bank of Fayetteville on Monday. Read More »
Northern lights Eureka Gras is rolling with good, cold times
EUREKA SPRINGS — One observer, bundled for the ski slopes, said she only thought she was cold during last year’s Eureka Gras’ “second line,” the one held during the annual King’s Day kickoff. A frigid fog clung to her colored umbrella as she and about 50 others snaked through the semi-slick parking lot of the Rowdy Beaver Tavern. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS 250 friends say ‘thanks’ to retiring Dr.Arkins
BENTONVILLE — As the Walton family’s doctor and a founding member of Fellowship Bible Church of Northwest Arkansas, one of the area’s largest churches, Dr. James Arkins reaches well above the threshold for what one would consider high-profile. Read More »
Most appearances in 2009 - it’s a tie
SPRINGDALE — University of Arkansas Chancellor Dave Gearhart’s assuring grin continues to dominate the pages of Northwest Arkansas Profiles, tying Arkansas Highway Commissioner Dick Trammel for the Sunday society section’s most-photographed individual in 2009. Read More »
SPOTLIGHT THE JONES CENTER Big Night: Big band - big bucks?
FAYETTEVILLE — Size matters. So does timing. First, start with a big band — literally, a big band. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS: Santas arrive to welcome UAMS chancellor, wife
FAYETTEVILLE — An assembly of pudgy, wooden Santas in varying heights greeted guests at a Dec. 7 event meant as its own greeting for University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Chancellor Dr. Daniel Rahn and his wife, Lana. The pair traveled from Little Rock with Jean Sugg, wife of UA System president Alan Sugg, for a reception at Fowler House hosted by Jane and Dave Gearhart, chancellor of the UA’s flagship campus. Read More »
Northern lights Sweethearts warm up for spring dinner, gala
FAYETTEVILLE — Dolls, every one of them, in their skinny jeans, silky scarves and eyelashes as long as their Christmas wish lists. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS PARTY
A day’s labor prepares home for night’s
FORT SMITH — Retired but ever-busy home interior designer Earl Douglas had just eight hours to work his magic. Read More »
Gene Morgan Stout Jr. Man with a meal plan
FAYETTEVILLE — Louisiana-born Morgan Stout wants you to believe he’s a plain, rice-and-beans kind of cook. He’s unpretentious to the point of ridiculous, when in fact he’s a culinary genius with the respect of many high-end restaurateurs in the city. Read More »
SPOTLIGHT MAGGIE MALLOY Gotta Have Art is plea of Fort Smith fundraiser
FORT SMITH — In the frigid environment of the vacated bank building, fundraising wizard Maggie Malloy is warm in her fur coat. Read More »
Scholarship fund grows at shiny new party spot
FAYETTEVILLE — The Trees at Waterside building was christened as an upscale event venue with the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas’ Jingle Mingle the night of Dec. 3. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified building, with two-story glass walls and stone fireplace, threatened to outshine the event. Read More »
Northern lights Didiers host fundraiser for art center project
FORT SMITH — Besides the onerous task of raising money to reinvent the Fort Smith Art Center in a donated bank building downtown, there remains a need to keep the lights and heat on at the old place until the transformation is complete. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS: Christmas dinner, dance are good for heart center
FORT SMITH — The vital signs were good — the crowd of 320 was a sellout, heavy bidding from both ends of the room made for a spirited auction, and the band kept partygoers on the dance floor through the horn section’s final note. Read More »
SPOTLIGHT THE MERLIN FOUNDATION: Leach’s Merlin Foundation works magic with abused kids
GREEN FOREST — Dr. Merlin Leach’s world of money juggling and bureaucracy can be complicated. Read More »
Winemaker’s tequila SHOT in arm for dinner
FAYETTEVILLE — Napa, Calif., winemaker Steve Reynolds started the Nov. 19 wine dinner per his custom — with a round of tequila shots. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS: Relay for Life poised to hit the starting line
BENTONVILLE — The American Cancer Society’s Bentonville Relay for Life is more than half a year away, but these things take time to organize, and chairman Shelle Mitchell is looking to the power of organized teams to hit the 2010 goal of $70,000. Read More »
THROUGH THICK AND THIN: Pals enjoy close ties, and want no knot
LITTLE ROCK — EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an occasional feature about how longtime friends met and became close. Read More »
First visit to NW campus uplifting for UAMS chief
FAYETTEVILLE — Dr. Dan Rahn was on the run. Read More »
Indoor forest inspires the foes of Alzheimer’s
SPRINGDALE — At the heart of the outdoor winter lounge that designer Daniel Keeley assembled for last weekend’s Alzheimer’s gala were three tiny tweeties flitting around inside a tall wire mesh cage. Read More »
Retired general named first Johnson Fellow
FAYETTEVILLE — Retired Lt. Gen. Mar tin Steele’s recent whirlwind visit was topped with some homage to and from the couple who brought him back — Marcia and Dr. Jeff Johnson of Springfield, Mo., and Fayetteville. Read More »
SPOTLIGHT TheatreSquared Broadway actor uses home-grown skills
LITTLE ROCK — Rob Sutton lists clogging in the “special skills” section of his resume. Read More »
All-dressed-up Lyric sings happy old tune
HARRISON — We should all look so good at 80. Read More »
World traveler Steves drops in on Arkansas
FORT SMITH — Art was everywhere — intriguing pieces collected by hosts Lynn and Terry Weidman, as well as some large, vibrant works trucked in from Conway by abstractionist/impressionist Steve Griffith and smaller, more sentimental pencil portraits by Lisa James of Memphis. Read More »
Student gallery embellishes Bentonville
BENTONVILLE — “The University of Arkansas in downtown Bentonville — don’t you love it?” exclaimed Sandy Edwards, a former UA fundraiser now wedded to the arts community as the associate director of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Read More »
Edith Annette Hawkins Strength in mercy
LITTLE ROCK — SELF PORTRAIT Date and place of birth: May 14, 1939, Crocketts Bluff Nicknames I’ve had over my lifetime include “Granny’s Gal,” “Sugar Babe,” “Ducky,” “Pretty,” “Sister Hawkins,” “Momma Hawkins” My parents would describe me as the best thing that ever happened to them. Read More »
NORTHERN LIGHTS Children’s advocates told poverty rate rising
FAYETTEVILLE — The area’s growing — no new news there. Read More »