The Saturday morning program was the official celebration which was billed as “The Saturday Hunt Event” at the Silas Hunt CDC. In addition to those who had attended the reception the evening before, including Stephanie Flowers, there were a number new faces in the crowd on Saturday. I was tickled to meet another of our law school alums, Garland Yarber.
L to R: Carlton Jones, Dean Nance, and Garland Yarber
Garland is in solo practice and family law and has represented the Army for 20 years. In 1986, as a law student, he was awarded a Silas Hunt Award for leadership. Carlton Jones, also our alum and a prosecutor also came out to meet us and to celebrate Silas Hunt.
L to R: Dean Nance and Stephanie Flowers
We were honored that several board members of the Silas Hunt Community Development Center attended the event as well. After Precious welcomed everyone and gave a few opening remarks, Chris Erwin and I both gave formal remarks, bringing greetings from the University of Arkansas and recognizing the importance of this event for the University of Arkansas and the State of Arkansas. Representative Flowers spoke about her dad’s involvement with Silas Hunt and how important his memory was to her personally. The programs concluded with a recognition of “friends of the Silas Hunt Community Development Center,” and members of the board. It was a memorable event.
Then it was time for Chris and I to head back to Fayetteville because that evening we both had special events to attend (more on that later). We stopped in Mena, Arkansas for lunch at a really terrific barbeque restaurant, Branding Iron BBQ & Steakhouse. All the while we had been driving North back to Fayetteville, I tried to reach Jake Looney, the former Dean of the Law School and a really good friend who is now a Judge in Mena, Arkansas. The only number I had for him, it turned out, was for his farm house, so I wasn’t able to reach him. I would have loved to seen him and to have him join us for lunch. The meal was great, both in terms of quality and quantity. The well seasoned meat just fell off the bone. If you are a barbeque fan, I recommend it if you find yourself headed down 71 South through Mena. The service was fantastic and warm. What a meal. Chris and I laughed about driving back the rest of the way because we had such a fantastic meal and it was going to be a challenge to stay awake but we were good company for each other, and enjoyed a pleasant trip home.
Once I got back to Fayetteville, I rushed into the house and changed into jeans to go to an informal, but wonderful and warm gathering in honor of Dean Dan Worrell’s 60th birthday. His wife, Diane, cooked a fabulous Mexican spread (as if I needed to eat again, I know). It was terrific as were the margaritas. Of course after such a long week, I had no choice other than to enjoy. Seriously, it was a wonderful event. I got to meet Dean Worrell’s mom and to be part of a small gathering of friends (sorry no pictures). It was a very pleasant way to relax after a long, eventful week.
Nancecy 