Maumelle Charter’s Borad makes perfect ACT score
Arkansas to face UCA this Saturday; Hogs headed to the Liberty Bowl; Simmons Bank Championship honored by the PGA Tour plus headlines and sports
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MEETINGS: The Maumelle City Council will meet next Monday night at City Hall.
EVENTS: River City Men's Chorus to have final Christmas performance at 7 p.m. tonight at St. James United Methodist Church in west Little Rock. The performance is free and open to the public. Just 13 days until Christmas, so make a list, send it twice so some of us can get to shopping! (Editor’s note: This last line was for my wife!)
Maumelle Charter’s Borad makes perfect ACT score
Maumelle Charter freshman Anant Borad recently scored a perfect 36 on the ACT test.
Maumelle Charter principal Katie Johnson noted that only .22 percent of all test takes make a perfect score out of millions of annual tests.
“Anant exemplifies the hardworking, dedicated students we have at Maumelle Charter,” Johnson said. “He never ceases to amaze me with his tremendous academic achievements mixed with a strong work ethic and hefty extracurricular involvement. As a 9th grader, Anant is a role model for us all. We couldn’t be prouder of his success and are looking forward to watching him continue to excel throughout high school and college!”
Borad was first featured in ArkansasNewsroom.com back in 2021 when he won an international chess tournament.
Maumelle Charter’s Anant Borad wins international chess tournament (Sept. 8, 2021 publication date)
Borad is also active in Quiz Bowl, Model UN, SGA, Student Leadership, and also plays the piano.
For more, check out the graphic from Maumelle Charter below that highlight’s Borad.
Education news
PCSSD gives quarterly Inspiration in Education Award
The Pulaski County Special School District recently awarded the second quarter Inspiration in Education award for the 2024-2025 school year at the Board of Education meeting on Dec. 10.
The recipient was Daniel Cooper, above, band director at Robinson Middle School, and he was selected out of 44 nominations. He received 22 nominations, 20 of which came from students.
Cooper has worked with PCSSD for nearly 10 years, currently serving as the band director at Robinson Middle School. Prior to Robinson, Cooper was the band director for Mills Middle and Mills University Studies High School up until last school year. Ben Light, former PCSSD Teacher of the Year and fellow Robinson band director, said Cooper’s work in the Mills feeder was incredible.
The Board of Education created the Inspiration in Education award to honor certified and support staff members who are inspirational to their students or colleagues in their roles at PCSSD. Additionally, the award recognizes employees who exhibit traits including leadership, mentoring, dedication, excellence and effectiveness in their places of work.
Holiday season
Stock the pantries has started in Maumelle
There’s nine pantries in Maumelle that are participating in the city’s annual food drive that began last week.
The little pantries are collecting non-perishable food items, along with pet food.
The little pantries are located at:
Maumelle Philanthropists, 404 Edgewood Drive
Calvary Chapel Parking Area, Lake Point Place (across from tennis courts)
First United Methodist Church, 1201 Edgewood Drive
First Baptist Church, 100 Valencia Drive
Maumelle Library Food Pantry, 10 Lake Pointe Drive (inside)
St. Nicholas’ Episcopal Church Food Pantry, 2001 Club Manor Drive (parking lot)
Maumelle Police & Fire Station, 2002 Murphy Drive
Klipps Blvd Barbershop, 301 Millwood Circle (inside)
Maumelle Little PET Pantry, #2 Jackie Johnson Cove
Willastein Whimsical Trail
The Whimsical Trail is now open at Maumelle’s Lake Willastein and will be open starting at 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. nightly until Jan. 5.
The lighted trail’s entrance is between the boat ramp and playground at Lake Willastein Park. Admission to the walking trail is free.
Holiday highlights
The North Little Rock High School Dance Troupe will be having its annual Holiday Highlights at 6:30 p.m. tonight at the high school For more, check out the flyer below.
Baklava for Christmas? Hear the Good News indeed!
In super important Christmas treat news, do you love baklava?
Do you wish that the terrific baklava you get at the Greek Food Festival in Little Rock was available at other times of the year?
If the answer was yes to either, then good news! The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church is selling baklava this year, along with cookbooks and bottles of Pete’s Famous Greek Salad Dressing.
The sale begins today at 3 p.m. and lasts until 6 p.m. with another day to buy on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.
The church is located at 1100 Napa Valley Drive in Little Rock and supplies are limited.
For more, check out the photo below for pricing and the crumbles make a most excellent topping for ice cream in case you want a Sundae in Athens.
Other upcoming events
Now through the leaves get sucked up
North Little Rock leaf collection, as promised, has begun.
Now through Friday
The Methodist Family Health Christmas site is open and one of the best ways to help those in need this holiday season. I promise giving will make you feel great. For more, click the graphic above. The last day to donate is this Friday!
Christmas Story the Musical now in North Little Rock
The Argenta Contemporary Theater will be having performances of its up-coming production of the holiday favorite A Christmas Story the Musical. This classic tale with book by Joseph Robinette and music and lyrics by Benji Pasek and Justin Paul is based on the movie classic that runs round-the-clock on TV every Christmas.
A Christmas Story the Musical is directed by Anna Kimmell of Asheville, North Carolina making her debut at ACT with music direction by Leann Jones. The show features Jaydon Clark as Ralphie, Craig Wilson as Old Man, Michele May Clark as Mother, Pate Wilson as Randy and Chris Flowers as Jean along with a talented cast of 20 other central Arkansas performers.
Performances started on Wednesday and run through Dec. 22 and includes three student matinees sponsored by Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Janna Knight & Blackberry Market. Evening performances begin at 7 p.m. and the Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m. Ticket prices range from $10-$88 and are available at argentacontemporarytheatre.org.
A Christmas Story the Musical is sponsored by Karla and Will Feland, The City of North Little Rock, The Tenenbaum Foundation, Legacy Termite & Pest Control, The Arkansas Arts Council, North Little Rock Tourism and The Insalaco Family. The VIP Balcony is sponsored by Gwatney Chevrolet and Colonial Wine & Spirits.
Sports
Basketball: Arkansas to face UCA this Saturday
Arkansas makes its annual trip to central Arkansas to face Central Arkansas in basketball at 3 p.m. this Saturday at Simmons Bank Arena in downtown North Little Rock.
The Hogs are coming off beating No. 16 Michigan in the Dickie V Classic at Madison Square Garden and UCA lost at UAPB in in its most recent outing.
Arkansas is 8-2 overall and should be ranked in the next Associated Press poll, while UCA is 2-7.
A few years ago, there might have been a shine to this game, or at least back when UCA was good.
That hasn't been the case as first-year head coach John Shulman pointed out after losing to Little Rock last week when he noted the Bears have had one winning season in the last 18 years.
Shulman also said UCA was playing with just nine scholarship players on a rather thin roster.
There's no Clifton Bush or Anthony Samuels either but it will be a full house, as it always is at Alltel, Verizon, Simmons Bank Arena as fans of the Razorbacks can never get quite enough of their beloved Hogs.
Arkansas has freshman guard Boogie Fland and John Calipari leading the program in his first year on the Hill.
While I doubt Calipari remembers, he once called me a "Real Piece of S***" at an impromptu press conference of sorts back in his Memphis days.
To be fair, he was correct.
As for Saturday, the game will be televised on SEC Network+ and limited tickets for the game were still available at ticketmaster.com.
Football: Arkansas to face Texas Tech in Liberty Bowl
In the expanded playoff era, does a bowl game mean as much as it used to?
The answer is obviously no, but that doesn't mean it won't likely be a sellout on Friday, Dec. 27 when Arkansas faces Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl at Memphis.
The game will kickoff at 6 p.m. and be televised on ESPN.
To order tickets, call the AutoZone Liberty Bowl at 901-795-7700 and it is important to note that a large portion of the seating will not be available as the stadium is under renovation. Those missing seats will be on the Texas Tech side. See the stadium map below.
Seats start at $75 and various packages are also available.
On the North of the River roster front, Maumelle's Nico Davillier has entered the transfer portal and is not expected to play in the bowl game. Davillier started in six games this past season and saw action in a total of 10.
He's had a total of 23 tackles this past season with one sack while missing the final two games of the year.
North Little Rock's Quincy Rhodes Jr., who was Davillier's backup at defensive end, is returning to Fayetteville. Rhodes saw action in 11 of 12 games and finished the year with 13 total tackles and one sack.
Arkansas 2025 schedule
Aug. 30 ... Alabama A&M
Sept. 6 ... Arkansas State (Little Rock)
Sept. 13 ... at Ole Miss
Sept. 20 ... at Memphis
Sept. 27 ... Notre Dame
Oct. 4 ... Open Date
Oct. 11 ... at Tennessee
Oct. 18 ... Texas A&M
Oct. 25 ... Auburn
Nov. 1 ... Mississippi State
Nov. 8 ... Open Date
Nov. 15 ... at LSU
Nov. 22 ... at Texas
Nov. 29 ... Missouri
Golf: Simmons Bank Championship honored
If you went to the Simmons Bank Championship at Pleasant Valley Country Club, you could tell it was a first-class experience from the lobster tails on the Champions Club buffet to the fleet of Lexuses (Lexi?) ferrying folks to and fro.
Turns out, the players noticed as well as the Simmons Bank event was honored with the Players Award at the PGA Tour’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida this week.
The award is given to the players’ favorite event on the tour and this is only the second time a first-time venue has been honored with the other being the Dominion Energy Charity Classic in 2016.
The press release noted that, “the Players Award represents recognition for a tournament that goes above and beyond in the experience they provide to PGA TOUR Champions players.”
And, boy howdy, did they ever.
Among the highlights noted by the PGA included the large and extended viewing areas for the fans as the event saw capacity crowds.
The personal involvement of Simmons Bank Chairman George Makris, who also served on the tournament board along with the involvement of the entire Simmons executive team in executing the event.
The hospitality wagon included the event serving as concierges to the players from restaurant recommendations to a dinner at the Governor’s mansion to the Lexus courtesy vehicles provided as well as complimentary hotel rooms for the caddies.
And, as everyone knows, caddies are the key.
The players also called PV one of the top venues on the Champions tour.
Other winners include:
President’s Award - Principal Charity Classic
Sales Award - Chubb Classic presented by SERVPRO
Volunteer of the Year - Lisa Arvidson, Insperity Invitational
President’s Award - Principal Charity Classic, held at the Wakonda Club in Des Moines, Iowa,
High School state championships this Saturday
Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium is hosting two state championship games on Saturday.
The games are:
Saturday, Noon - 4A – Arkadelphia vs. Elkins
Saturday, 6:30 p.m. - 3A – Bismarck vs. Salem
The games will also be broadcast live on Arkansas PBS.
Health news
Pandemic deaths back to 0
The state Department of Health updated the state’s dashboard this week, and showed no new new deaths and 481 deaths for the year. The virus has now killed 14,125 Arkansans since the pandemic began more than four years ago. That would mean the pandemic death toll has now passed Marion’s 13,635 people, the state’s 29th largest city.
Covid toolkit
There’s now a one-stop shop to learn about vaccination sites and other Covid related information. Click here to learn more.
If you don’t want to get sick and die, there’s some things you can do:
Get vaccinated
Get boosted
Wear a mask
Avoid crowds
Senior living
A Centenarian thrives living alone, active and engaged
Stories by Judith Graham / KFF
“The future is here,” the email announced. Hilda Jaffe, then 88, was letting her children know she planned to sell the family home in Verona, New Jersey. She’d decided to begin life anew — on her own — in a one-bedroom apartment in Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan.
Fourteen years later, Jaffe, now 102, still lives alone — just a few blocks away from the frenetic flashing lights and crowds that course through Times Square.
She’s the rarest of seniors: a centenarian who is sharp as a tack, who carries grocery bags in each hand when she walks back from her local market, and who takes city buses to see her physicians or attend a matinee at the Metropolitan Opera.
Jaffe cleans her own house, does her own laundry, manages her own finances, and stays in touch with a far-flung network of family and friends via email, WhatsApp, and Zoom. Her son, Richard Jaffe, 78, lives in San Jose, California. Her daughter, Barbara Vendriger, 75, lives in Tel Aviv.
She’s an extraordinary example of an older adult living by herself and thriving.
I’ve spoken with dozens of seniors this past year for a series of columns on older Americans living alone. Many struggle with health issues. Many are isolated and vulnerable. But a noteworthy slice of this growing group of seniors maintain a high degree of well-being.
What might account for this, particularly among people in the farthest reaches of old age?
Sofiya Milman is director of Human Longevity Studies at the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She studies people known as “superagers” —95 and older. “As a group, they have a very positive outlook on life” and are notably resilient, like Jaffe, she told me.
Qualities associated with resilience in older adults include optimism and hopefulness, an ability to adapt to changing circumstances, meaningful relationships, community connections, and physical activity, according to a growing body of research on this topic.
Jaffe has those qualities in spades, along with a “can-do” attitude.
“I never expected to be 102. I’m as surprised as everybody else that I am here,” she said recently over lunch at a Chinese restaurant just steps from her 30-story apartment building.
Jaffe’s perspective on her longevity is unsentimental. She credits her genetic heritage, luck, and her commitment to “keep moving,” in that order. “You don’t work toward it: It happens. Every day, you get up and you’re a day older,” she said.
This matter-of-fact stance is characteristic of Jaffe’s approach to life. Asked to describe herself, she quickly responded “pragmatic.” That means having a clear-eyed view of what she can and can’t do and making adjustments as necessary.
Living alone suits her, she added, because she likes being independent and doing things her way. “If a problem comes up, I work it out,” Jaffe said.
In this, she’s like other older adults who have come to terms with their “I’m on my own” status and, for the most part, are doing quite well.
Still, Jaffe is unusual, to say the least. There are only 101,000 centenarians in the U.S., according to the most recent Census Bureau data. Of this small group, 15% live independently or operate independently while living with someone, according to Thomas Perls, the founder and director of the New England Centenarian Study, the largest study of centenarians in the world. (Jaffe is one of 2,500 centenarians participating in the study.)
About 20% of centenarians are, like Jaffe, free of physical or cognitive impairments, Perls said. An additional 15% have no age-related illnesses such as arthritis or heart disease.
Practically, that means Jaffe doesn’t know anybody like her. Nor do her physicians. “My primary care doctor says, ‘You’re the only centenarian who walks in without an assistant or a cane. You’re off the charts,’” Jaffe said, when I asked about her health.
She has only a few medical conditions — reflux, an occasional irregular heartbeat, osteoporosis, a touch of sciatica, a lung nodule that appeared and then disappeared. She monitors those conditions vigilantly, following her doctors’ advice to the letter.
Every day, Jaffe tries to walk 3,000 steps — outside if the weather is good or inside, making laps in her hallway, if the weather is bad. Her diet is simple: bread, cheese, and decaffeinated coffee for breakfast; a sandwich or eggs for lunch; often chicken and a vegetable or restaurant leftovers for dinner. She never smoked, doesn’t drink alcohol, and sleeps an average of eight hours each night.
Even more important, Jaffe remains engaged with other people. She has subscriptions to the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and a chamber music series. She participates in online events and regularly sees new exhibits at four of New York’s premier museums, where she has memberships. She’s in regular contact with family members and friends.
Jaffe also belongs to a book club at her synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and serves on the synagogue’s adult education committee. For more than a decade, she’s volunteered several times a week as a docent at the New York Public Library’s main branch on Fifth Avenue.
“Loneliness, it’s not an issue,” she said. “I have enough to do within my capability.”
On a recent Tuesday afternoon, I followed Jaffe as she led visitors from Mexico, England, Pittsburgh, and New Jersey through the library’s “Treasures” exhibit. She was a wealth of information about extraordinary objects such as a Gutenberg Bible from 1455 (one of the first books printed in Europe using movable type), Charles Dickens’ writing desk, and an enormous folio of John James Audubon’s “The Birds of America.” She spoke without notes, articulately.
When I asked about the future, Jaffe said she doesn’t worry about what comes next. She just lives day to day.
That change in perspective is common in later life. “Focusing on the present and experiencing the here and now becomes more important to older adults,” said Laura Carstensen, founding director of Stanford University’s Center on Longevity, who has studied emotional changes that accompany aging for decades. “As does savoring positive things in their lives.”
Carstensen’s research group was the first to show that older adults were more resilient emotionally during the covid-19 pandemic than young or middle-aged adults. “Older people are better able to cope with difficulties,” she said. In part, this is because of skills and perspective gained over the course of a lifetime. And, in part, it’s because “when we see our future as shorter, it feels more manageable.”
Jaffe certainly understands the value of facing forward and letting go of the past. Losing her husband, Gerald Jaffe, in 2005 after 63 years of marriage was hard, she admitted, but relinquishing her life and most of her belongings in New Jersey five years later was easy.
“It was enough. We had done what we had wanted to do there. I was 88 at that point and so many people were gone. The world had changed,” she told me. “I didn’t feel a sense of loss.”
“It was so exciting for me, being in New York,” she continued. “Every day you could do something — or nothing. This location couldn’t be better. The building is safe and well maintained, with lots of staff. Everything is here, close by: a market, the pharmacy, restaurants, buses. In a house in New Jersey, I would be isolated. Here, I look out the window and I see people.”
As for the future, who knows what that will hold? “My joke is I’m going to be done in by a bicycle delivery person cutting through the pedestrian crosswalk,” Jaffe said. Until that or something else happens, “I live in a state of surprise. Every day is a new day. I don’t take it for granted at all.”
We’re eager to hear from readers about questions you’d like answered, problems you’ve been having with your care, and advice you need in dealing with the health care system. Visit kffhealthnews.org/columnists to submit your requests or tips.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
Resources are expanding for older adults on their own
Jeff Kromrey, 69, will sit down with his daughter the next time she visits and show her how to access his online accounts if he has an unexpected health crisis.
Gayle Williams-Brett, 69, plans to tackle a project she’s been putting off for months: organizing all her financial information.
Michael Davis, 71, is going to draft a living will and ask a close friend to be his health care surrogate and executor of his estate.
These seniors have been inspired to take these and other actions by an innovative course for such “solo agers”: Aging Alone Together, offered by Dorot, a social services agency in New York City.
Most of them live alone, without a spouse, a partner, or adult children to help them manage as they grow older.
Until a few years ago, few resources were available for this growing slice of the older population.
Now, there are several Facebook groups for solo agers, as well as in-person groups springing up around the country, conferences and webinars, a national clearinghouse of resources, and an expanding array of books on the topic.
All address these seniors’ need to connect with other people, prevent isolation, and prepare for a future when they might become less robust, encounter more health issues, and need more assistance.
“Older adults who cannot rely on family members need to be very intentional about creating support systems and putting other plans in place,” said Ailene Gerhardt, a patient advocate in Boston who created the Navigating Solo Network three years ago.
In a survey published last year, AARP — which broadens the definition of older Americans to people 50 and older — examined those who live alone and don’t have living children. Ten percent of those 50 or older meet this definition, AARP estimates. An additional 11% have at least one living child but are estranged from them. And 13% have children who they believe can’t or won’t help them manage their finances and health care.
Preparing in isolation for the future can be daunting. “If solo agers don’t feel they have people to talk to as they craft their aging plan, they often will skip the whole process,” said Gerhardt, who endorses a group planning model for these seniors.
That’s the format Dorot has adopted for Aging Alone Together, which is available nationally online free of charge and in person in New York City. More than 1,000 people have participated in the program since it launched in 2021. Dorot is working with partners around the country to expand its reach.
The program consists of six 90-minute, interactive weekly sessions that focus on these seniors’ key concerns: building communities of support, figuring out where to live, completing advance care directives such as living wills, and getting financial and legal affairs in order.
One goal is to help participants identify their priorities and overcome the fear and hesitation that so many older adults feel when peering into their uncertain futures, said Claire Nisen, a Dorot staffer who runs the program. Another is to offer practical tools, advice, and resources that can spur people to action.
Yet another is to foster a sense of community that promotes a “can do” attitude. As Nisen said repeatedly when I took the course in September and October, “Solo aging doesn’t mean aging alone.”
That message resonated deeply with Williams-Brett, who lives with her severely disabled mother, 97, in a two-story brownstone in Brooklyn. Williams-Brett, who is divorced and never had children, expects to be on her own as she grows older. Her mother had a devastating stroke three years ago, and since then Williams-Brett has been her full-time caregiver.
Overwhelmed by everything on her to-do list — declutter the house, make home repairs, straighten out her finances, safeguard her mother’s health — Williams-Brett told me she’d been struggling with shame and fear. “All the time, I feel I’m not doing what I should be well enough,” she said.
Hearing other seniors voice similar concerns during Aging Alone Together sessions, Williams-Brett realized she didn’t judge them as she was judging herself. “I thought, we all have issues we’re dealing with,” she said. “You don’t have anything to feel ashamed of.”
Kromrey, who lives alone in Tampa, Florida, knows he’s fortunate to be healthy, financially stable, and very close with his adult daughter, who will be his health care and legal decision-maker should he become incapacitated. Kromrey, widowed nine years ago, also has three sons — two in South Carolina and one in West Palm Beach, Florida.
While participating in Aging Alone Together, Kromrey realized he had assumed he’d never have a health crisis such as a stroke or heart attack — a common form of denial.
His daughter and her husband planned to travel from North Carolina to join Kromrey over Thanksgiving. During that visit, Kromrey said, he would give her passwords to his computer and online accounts, explain his system for keeping track of bills, and show her where other important files are.
“That way, she’ll just be able to take right over if something unexpected occurs,” he said.
Davis is an artist who never married, doesn’t have siblings and lives alone in Manhattan. In a phone conversation, he said his most pressing concern is “finding something to do that’s worthwhile” now that arthritis has made it difficult for him to paint.
In some ways, Davis is prepared for the future. He has a long-term care insurance policy that will pay for help in the home and a rent-regulated apartment in a building with an elevator. But he recognizes that he’s become too isolated as his artistic activities have waned.
“There are days that go by when I don’t say a word to anyone,” Davis acknowledged. “I have my friends, but they have their own lives, with their children and grandchildren. I’m turning to Dorot for more social contact. And Aging Alone Together has helped me focus on the here and now.”
For more information about Aging Alone Together, email agingalonetogether@dorotusa.org or visit the program’s website.
A national clearinghouse of resources for solo agers and information about solo-ager groups in the United States is available at the Navigating Solo website.
The National Council on Aging has assembled a guide to resources and support for older adults living alone.
Facebook groups for solo agers include Elder Orphans (Aging Alone), Elder Orphans, NYC Solo Agers, and Solo Aging Without Personal Representative. Another online community is the Solo Ager/Aging Together.
Books about planning for solo aging include “Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers,” “Solo and Smart,” “Who Will Take Care of Me When I’m Old?” and “The Complete Eldercare Planner.”
Several videos about planning for solo aging can be found on YouTube, including this helpful video from CJE SeniorLife.
We’re eager to hear from readers about questions you’d like answered, problems you’ve been having with your care, and advice you need in dealing with the health care system. Visit kffhealthnews.org/columnists to submit your requests or tips.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.