The 1st Annual “Scare on the Square” was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who was involved and made it such a good time for everyone! We are now into the holiday season. Purple Friday Weekend is coming up on November 21st and 22nd on the square in downtown Ozark from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Friday; 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. Local stores will be open for shopping. Santa will be on hand, along with an inflatable slide, ice skating and carriage rides for the kids. Open House is for local businesses to be open on Sunday, Dec. 7th from 1-5 p.m. for holiday shopping. The Ozark Christmas Parade will be Saturday, December 13th starting at 6:00 p.m.
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Chey’s Place Salon Ribbon Cutting
Pictured L to R: Missy Moore (Bank of the Ozarks), Sandy Key (Main Street Ozark), Baylee Hall (employee), Keva Apex Communic Chrisman (A Touch of Class), Cheyenne Battles (owner), Mayor Carol Sneath, Amber Jones (employee), Linda Millsap (Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce), Jessica Birchler (ATU-Ozark Campus)
Ozark Rotary Club Ribbon Cutting The annual Scavenger Hunt is running from October 18th (Square Gathering) through November 22nd (Purple Friday Weekend). Businesses interested in participating may call Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce at 479-667-2949. Business participation is $35.00. (There are only 60 spots open for business participation). KDYN/KLYR 92.7 is running daily. The Spectator is running clues consecutively. Clues also appear on the Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce website. http://www.ozarkchamberofcommerce.com Scavenger Hunt 2014 Rules and Regulations 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
All participants must enter the place of business to receive a trinket. There is no age limit for the Scavenger Hunt, HOWEVER the participant must be able to repeat the clue correctly to receive a trinket. Teams are allowed (and encouraged), but only one (1) trinket per team is allowed. Businesses involved with the Scavenger Hunt CAN participate. No Chamber committee members or Chamber employees may participate. Must be present to win. Prizes are as follows: $1000, $500, and $250. All successful participants (that get all the trinkets) will receive $20 in Scavenger Hunt Bucks.
For more information or questions please call the Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce at 479- 667-2949.
http://www.popsugar.com/food/Thanksgiving-Potluck-Recipes-25910735 http://www.southernliving.com/food/holidays-occasions/thanksgiving-dinner-side-dishes http://allrecipes.com/recipes/holidays-and-events/thanksgiving/ http://www.foodandwine.com/ultimate-thanksgiving http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/category/holidays/thanksgiving/ http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/thanksgiving/thanksgiving http://www.butterwithasideofbread.com/2012/11/homemade-or-store-bought-time-saving.html
Tony’s Tips from AVECC Rinse dirty dishes with cold water before putting them into the dishwasher. Use cold water for the garbage disposal. Only run dishwasher when fully loaded and use the air-dry cycle instead of heat-dry cycle.
From Tony Wilson, Member Services/Key Accounts
From The GrapeVine Pictures from Post Winery (L to R) White Muscadine Harvest (photo by Jacqueline ScaLisE), Fall color in the Muscadine Leaves, 2014 Harvest of White Muscadine Juice being bottled
The Ozark Rotary Club is continuing its dictionary program this fall to third graders at Elgin B. Melton Elementary School. Local Rotarians have funded the dictionaries for several years and teachers say it has received positive feedback. Rotary president Chris Brockett recently was inducted as the 10th Ozark Rotarian to be named a Paul Harris Fellow. The honor comes in recognition for his financial contribution to Rotary International which was founded by Paul Harris in 1905.
St. Mary’s Annual Thanksgiving Day Celebration Thursday, November 27 Lawrence Hall – Altus Dinner Served: 11 a.m. til 1 p.m. Adults - $10 ** Children (6-12) - $5 Ages 5 & under – Free (if dining in) Carry – Outs Available *Quilt Auction *Handcraft Bazaar *Big Turkey Giveaway *Raffle Drawings (need not be present to win)
MSO Economic Up-Date Over the last several months the Main Street ER Committee has made great progress in our efforts to recruit a marina for Ozark. We are nearing completion of all required documents for submission to the Corps of Engineers for approval. A public comment workshop was held at city hall on Monday November 3rd and another question and answer session at this year’s Old Fashioned Square Gathering. Anyone who would like to submit comments to the Corps of Engineers or learn more about the plan was invited to attend these meetings. The information is also on file at the Main Street office, City Hall, Franklin County Courthouse, Franklin County Library and at Ozarkchamberofcommerce.com . Please feel free to express your ideas and opinions on this proposal to bring economic development to the Ozark area. The new marina will result in an almost $2,000,000 private investment in the Ozark economy with no cost to the city. The Arkansas River Connection, at statewide coalition to develop the Arkansas River for recreational boating, has applied for a grant for ten transient docks along the River. The grant is through the Boating Infrastructure Grant Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Main Street Ozark is a member of the ARC Board of Directors and has worked with ARC on writing this grant. As a result of the 2011 flotilla event at Riverview Plaza, Ozark has been chosen as one of the key locations for two transient boat docks on the River. The first will be a 60’ dock on the north bank at the Oliver Street location and the second a 100’ dock on the south side at the proposed marina. When the twenty-four yacht flotilla arrived in Ozark with no place to dock and no services available for the boaters the need for a transient dock was apparent. The transient boat dock plan has the support of the Corps of Engineers and of the State of Arkansas so we are confident it stands a very good chance of being approved. We are expecting an answer early in 2015. Ozark’s flotilla event which was the catalyst for our being chosen for these transient docks was announced weeks in advance at public meetings, social events and at the Ozark City Council meeting which was broadcast by television to the entire city. Invitations were mailed out to only a few elected officials and out of the area dignitaries. The event was attended by over 300 people who had a wonderful time enjoying great, food and entertainment. The wineries participated with wine tasting booths and one local business provided some beer to compliment the BBQ. There was no hard liquor involved at all so there were no permits required. We had plenty of iced tea, lemonade and soft drinks provided by local organizations and lots of food and deserts. The flotilla event “Falling in Love With Ozark” was one of the nicest ever presented in downtown and took many hours of hard work by dozens of volunteers from local businesses, schools and civic organizations. Main Street could not be more proud of hosting the event and of our community for the way it came together to welcome guests from all over the state of Arkansas. They left with a lasting impression of the great hospitality of our citizens and the natural beauty of Ozark. We are still reaping
the benefits of showcasing what we have to offer in such a fun and creative way. We can’t wait to do it again!
Main Street’s Riverview Plaza grant project is now underway and weather permitting the first phase is scheduled for completion by the end of the year. The plaza will serve as a viewing area for the Arkansas River, as well as an event and educational venue. Information on historic buildings will be linked to plaques by video via QR code in front of the plaza. There will also be some new sidewalks, landscaping and lighting. Since 1996 the Main Street ER Committee has been responsible for bringing $2,879,233 of outside grant money and property into the City of Ozark. Remember, grant money doesn’t go back to the tax payer if not used. You have to fight for it or it goes to some other city to be used in their economies. The city has invested an average of less than $16,000 per year in the Main Street program and seen a return of an average of $159,957.00 per year. This grant money has resulted in such great projects as:
Lighting the Arkansas River Bridge New downtown sidewalks New street lighting Landscaping Roy Garner Memorial Park Rehabbing a historic building for office and conference room space Multiple downtown design projects
In 1997 Main Street was successful in getting a new post office located in downtown on River Street. Not only does the new post office represent an over $1,000,000 investment in our city, this action cleaned up the most blighted area in Ozark sitting right on the Arkansas Riverfront. It resulted not just in keeping the post office downtown but beautifying the area and clearing the way to build even more tourist attractions on River Street. Since 1989 there has been an additional $54,440 in Main Street Arkansas Model Business grants awarded to the following downtown business owners to improve their buildings: The former Mike Womack Accounting Office (Now A+ Insurance) T. R.’s Pawn and Loan Now (Part of Rivertowne BBQ) The old Ford building owned by Rick Keisman Rivertowne BBQ expansion Main Street Ozark has without a doubt been the single most profitable investment the city has ever made in itself.
We have a new data base located on the www.arvrls.com site. The data base is NewsBank it can be accessed with your library card outside the library. For information on events and the data base call the library at 479-667-2724. We are located at 120 South Second Street, east side of the courthouse across from the gazebo. Library hours are: Monday 12:00 noon-7:00 pm Tuesday-Friday 9:00 am-5:00 pm Saturday 10:00 am-12:00 noon. There is still construction going on, but we are looking forward to reopening back into our old location later in the year.
http://turnerbend.com/
http://www.byrdsadventurecenter.com/
http://www.mulberrymountainlodge.com/
The Mulberry River is a 70-mile-long (110 km)[1] tributary of the Arkansas River in northwestern Arkansas in the United States. Via the Arkansas River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. It has been designated a National Wild and Scenic River. The drainage basin of the Mulberry River has an area of 373 square miles (970 km2) and the annual average mean flow of the river near its mouth is 557 cubic feet per second.[2] According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known as "Mulberry Creek". The United States Board on Geographic Names settled on "Mulberry River" as the stream's name in 1976. The Mulberry River flows for most of its length through the Ozark National Forest in the Ozarks. It rises in southwestern Newton County and initially flows generally westwardly through Johnson and Franklin counties. In Franklin County it turns southward into the valley of the Arkansas River and flows past the town of Mulberry. It joins the Arkansas about 3 miles (5 km) south of Mulberry, on the common boundary of Franklin and Crawford counties.
e-mail: mmorris@atu.edu Phone: 479-667-2117 Fax: 479-667-1422 ________________________________________________________________________ Megan D. Morris Public Information Specialist
News Release (10/23/14)
Arkansas Tech-Ozark Breaks Ground on New Building
OZARK – A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday for a new 20,273 square-foot allied health facility at Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus. Members of the River Valley communities joined Arkansas Tech University and Arkansas Tech-Ozark officials in celebration of the new facility. The new allied health building will house five of the campus’ allied health programs — paramedic, health information technology, physical therapist assistant, practical nursing and registered nursing. Chancellor Bruce Sikes said the building represents campus dedication and partnership in providing access to a quality educational environment.“This facility is the result of strategic planning with faculty, staff and students” he said. It also reflects the commitment of the Board of Advisors and Board of Trustees.” Sandra Cheffer, chief fiscal officer at Arkansas Tech-Ozark, said the facility will benefit the five programs to be housed there but will also benefit the entire campus from the additional space and computer labs to the fitness center and student lounge areas. The multipurpose facility will be the campus’ first two-story structure and will also feature laboratory and technology expansion, offices for faculty and support staff and a testing center. Cheffer added the building provides opportunity for campus growth in program offerings as well as services to students and the region. Arkansas Tech President Dr. Robin E. Bowen said the facility is “a critically needed new building.” “We’re bursting at the seams,” she said. Enrollment at Arkansas Tech-Ozark has increased 619 percent, Bowen said. When the campus merged with Arkansas Tech University in 2003, it had an enrollment barely over 300 students. Enrollment for fall 2014 was 2,172.
“Our friends and citizens will need and deserve excellent health care services,” Bowen said. “The first step to excellent health care is excellent education in the health care professions. In this building, the education of tomorrow’s health care providers will directly benefit those in this audience, in this city, this county and this great state.” The building is scheduled to be open for spring 2016 classes. According to Cheffer, the construction will be funded by proceeds from revenue bonds.The Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE) Higher Education Coordinating Board approved the economic feasibility of bonds toward the construction during its regular quarterly meeting on July 25. The Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees previously approved the funding during its May 15 board meeting. The architect is Wes Burgess from Crafton Tull out of Rogers with the construction bid going to The Cone Group, Inc., out of Little Rock. Arkansas Tech-Ozark offers health care options in health information technology, physical therapist assistant, cardiovascular technology, occupational therapy assistant, medical assisting, nursing assistant, practical nursing, registered nursing, emergency medical technician, paramedic and human services. To learn more about program offerings at Arkansas Tech-Ozark, visit www.atu.edu/ozark.
Arkansas Tech President Dr. Robin E. Bowen speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony.
(From left) Arkansas Tech-Ozark Board of Advisors Ron Vest, Jim Rofkahr and Bruce Coleman; Jimmy Cone from The Cone Group, Inc.; Crafton Tull Architect Wes Burgess; Arkansas Tech University Board of Trustees Chairman Tom Kennedy; Arkansas Tech President Dr. Robin E. Bowen; Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees representatives Eric Burnett, Leigh Burns Whiteside, Charlie Blanchard and John E. Chambers III; Arkansas Tech-Ozark Chancellor Bruce Sikes; Arkansas Tech-Ozark Board of Advisors Tom Banhart; and Arkansas Tech-Ozark Chief Fiscal Officer Sandra Cheffer.
The King Fire covered almost 100,000 acres of California
Approximately 172 hand crews, 418 engines and 21 helicopters were assigned to this fire
The King Fire was
CASS JOB CORPS FIGHTS KING FIRE Cass Job Corps students and staff had the honor of helping fight the King Fire which started September 13th, 2014. Twice a year Cass Job Corps holds the required training for students to be active wildland firefighters under the umbrella of the USDA Forest Service. Jennifer Hennigan and Dustin Jones worked alongside Job Corps students Brian Corte and Austin Mott, to help put their training into action. The King Fire was declared 100% contained on October 8th, 2014. Grooming the next generation of firefighters is part of the Forest Service mission. With this partnership, Job Corps students have spent over 120,000 hours helping with the fire effort throughout the county this year – a record setting year!
caused by arson
At the Capitol, this month we continue to hear from state agencies about the needs for the upcoming fiscal year in our Pre-Session budget hearings. The House has posted a copy of the history of state agencies and budget requests on our website www.arkansashouse.org. We have also posted a copy of the legislative tax handbook on our website. This details every tax currently collected by the state, when it was enacted, and how much revenue it generates. Arkansas’ two largest sources of general revenue are collected from a portion of the 6.5% state sales/use tax and from the Arkansas individual income tax. Other general revenue sources include: taxes on alcohol and tobacco products; gaming and pari-mutuel betting on horse and dog racing; severance taxes on oil, minerals, gravel, and natural gas; corporate franchises and corporate income; and real estate transfers. We will know exactly how much of this revenue is expected to be generated next year when the Department of Finance and Administration presents its forecast in mid-November. Our budget must be balanced. Deficit spending is prohibited by law.We know Arkansans have worked hard for every dollar that comes into the state. That is why we spend several weeks reviewing every single expenditure before the session begins. And as you know, elections are just around the corner. Just days after the election, our newly elected House members will get to work. The Friday following the election, all members-elect will meet in our recently restored House Chamber for the purpose of drawing numbers for seniority. Then in order of that seniority, members will choose their seat in the chamber. This will be the seat assigned to that member for the duration of the 90th Regular and Fiscal Sessions. You will have the opportunity to see the new members and watch this seniority process live beginning at 8am on www.arkansashouse.org. After seat assignments, the members-elect will then begin the process of forming standing committees. The Arkansas House of Representatives has ten standing committees, where House members meet to review and discuss bills, resolutions and interim studies before members decide whether to send the measures to the full body for consideration. The ten House committees are split evenly into A and B categories. All House members serve on one A Committee and one B Committee. Each committee includes 20 members. To ensure that committees are representing interests statewide, there is a requirement that 5 members from each congressional district are seated at every committee. After the committee lists are complete, the House will post the lists on our website. The Speaker will later select a chairperson for each committee. Those chairs will be announced on the first day of session, January 12. The 90th General Assembly will face tough decisions in the upcoming session. We are looking at increases to education funding, the need for more correctional facilities, and decisions regarding healthcare. I will continue to keep you updated in the weeks ahead.
-Bill
It’s been an interesting month so far here at the hospital. The ER has been busy. We have been blessed with our dedicated team of staff who are ready and eager to serve our community with a high level of skill and compassion. We had great weather for our “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” event that took place on October 1, 2014. Runners and walkers alike put their best foot forward to help with our very worthy cause to raise funds for needy children in Franklin County. We appreciate the involvement of each one of them and the local business sponsors that helped make this event a success. Our three trophy winners are pictured here. Teresa Williams & Jacob Edge
Teresa Williams & Jonathan Wyers
Teresa Williams & Mike Dunkle
Some of our great participants who helped make this a success story! In mid October we also hosted a Trauma Nursing Core Course at our facility where 25 medical responders who lived locally and from the surrounding areas attended to upgrade their certifications. That’s a win not only for the hospital staff who attended, but also benefits our community by renewing their Trauma Response skills. The folks who attend such classes are taught the skills to provide the very best in medical care in line with nationally recognized standards.
Anne Porter RN Mercy Ozark Administration
Wine Country The small, rural town of Altus is a distinctive and important aspect of Arkansas's history and culture. Altus preserves the heritage of German-Swiss immigrants and the art of wine making. Its downtown pays tribute to its coal mining history while offering visitors unique shopping and dining experiences in a classic, small downtown square setting. In the Arkansas River Valley rich soil gives life to vineyards. Thousands of visitors stop to savor Arkansas’s award-winning wines, tour its wineries and soak up the history of Arkansas Wine Country each year. Four wineries – Post Winery, Wiederkehr Wine Cellars, Mount Bethel Winery, and Chateau Aux Arc - now operate in the Altus area. Each offers free tours and operates free tasting rooms. Some offer extra amenities such as a gift shop, a restaurant, an RV park, or a bed and breakfast inn. In nearby Paris, Cowie Wine Cellars offers tours and tastings and is home to the Arkansas Historic Wine Museum, which preserves the viticultural past of The Natural State with winemaking artifacts and biographical histories of winemakers. The pastoral landscape of the region, boasts more than 120 years of viticultural history with some historic vineyards run by the fourth and fifth generation descendants of the original wine families. Arkansas is the oldest and largest grape juice and wine producing state in the southern United States. Drawn by the Benedictine of Subiaco Abbey, a colony of German-Swiss immigrants settled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains and began growing grapes in the 1870s at Altus in Franklin County. These early viticulturalists found great potential for grape production in this Arkansas River Valley region with mountains and valleys, and well-draining sandy soil that closely resembled the microclimates that had for centuries nurtured Europe’s great wines. Lodging can be found at several motels, bed and breakfast inns and RV parks in nearby Ozark.
Royce Gattis- Tourism Committee Chairman For more information, please see our website http://www.ozarkchamberofcommerce.com/news_events
Subway inside Loves #271: The featured product is the Big Hot Pastrami Melt for the month of November. Also there is the Simple $6 Menu – the best six inch sandwiches, chips & 21 oz. fountain drink. Hillbilly Hideout at The I-40 Travel Center: The Hillbilly Hideout offers daily lunch specials, and a deli both open 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week. You can call in your order for pick up at (479)-667-0711. KFC/Taco Bell: KFC- Favorites Bucket Meal: 8 pc meal plus choice of 6 tenders or 12 hot wings. Taco Bell- Grilled Breakfast Burrito, Cantina Power Menu, also a $1 Cravings menu. $1 Happier Hour from 2-5 pm. The Coffee Break: All sandwiches and Panini’s are $6.00 each and are served with a pickle spear and your choice of regular or BBQ chips. During the colder months, you can get soup instead of chips. They also have iced and hot coffees and cappuccino.
Rivertowne BBQ: BBQ ribs, sandwiches, salad, bean ‘slop’, burgers and more. Choose from beef, chicken, or pork. Carry-out and catering available. (479)-667-1808. Hours: Open 7 days a week, Sun-Thurs 11am-8pm and FriSat 11am-8:30pm. Wiederkehr Weinkeller Restaurant: Featured are smoked baby back ribs and smoked pulled pork. The Weinkeller's menu offers delicacies from the German, French, and Italian regions of Switzerland, as well as specialties from central Europe and America. Open every day except major holidays. Hours: Mon-Saturday, Lunch 11:00 am – 3:00 pm, Dinner 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Sunday 11:00 am- 9 pm. Reservations are recommended for dinner (479)-468-3551 or 1-800-622-WINE PJ’s Fina & Pizza Pro: Pizza, wings, breadsticks, cinnamon sticks. Specialty pizzas. Get the 2nd pizza for only $5.00 (12 in.) or $7.00 (14 in.) equal or lesser toppings, carry out only. Subway on Commercial: The featured product is the Big Hot Pastrami Melt for the month of November. Also there is the Simple $6 Menu – the best six inch sandwiches, chips & 21 oz. fountain drink. Southern Grill: Serving breakfast 6-11 a.m. then lunch from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Daily specials and carry out orders. Call 667-0704. Altus Handy Mart: All Day Every Day! Buy any 1 Topping 14 in. Pizza for $8.99 and get a 14 in. Cheese Pizza for only $6.99 or get a 16 in. Cheese Pizza for $10.99 Offering breakfast and lunch. There are lunch specials every day. Lunch combos come with fries and a drink including chicken strips, hot ham and Swiss, burgers, etc. Salads as well as individual foods like crispitos, corndogs, eggrolls, etc.
The Judge’s Jot Work is continuing in the courtroom at Ozark. New ceiling tiles have been placed and the entire room has been painted. We had three of the 5 benches returned this week and they look beautiful. The courthouse lawn is improving each week. New shrubs and flowers have been planted, along with lots of TLC on some much needed areas. I appreciate each and every volunteer’s hard work. The lawn is looking amazing. The 2015 Budget did pass with a vote of 6 to 0 with Justice Cains and Justice Ree absent. I felt that we should pass the same budget as last year with the exception of a 5% salary increase for all county employees. In January there will be a new Franklin County Judge and I wanted him to be able to have a hand in the budget that will start with his term. Changes can be made throughout the year as usual. The county was also awarded two separate grants for Pleasant View and Watalula water systems. Pleasant View grant was in the amount of $500,000.00 and Watalula $1,150,000. We are all very excited to receive these grants and work should start very soon on these water systems. Thanks for reading about Franklin County and as always if you have any questions or comments please contact my office anytime. 479-667-4726
Thanks,
- Janet Powell, Franklin Co. Judge