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T ‘ Tauri Woman on a Mission Mark Twain in the Ozarks A Publication of MeadowLand Media, Inc.

July 2011

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July Special

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Phone: 799-3243 Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

July 2011 | 3

In This Issue 6 / Letter from the Publisher Independence

7 / Fork in the Road Farmers Markets Abound in and around Batesville

9 / The Morning Line

9

20

10

22

14

34

18

38

Cardinal Baseball

10 / Feature T Tauri Prepares and Celebrates Next Generation of Film Talent

12 / T Tauri Judges 14 / People Resa Garner, A Nurse on a Mission

15 / Main Street Crowburlingame Co. Bumper To Bumper Auto Parts

18 / Wandering the White River Valley Mark Twain in the Ozarks

20 / Homes The Reichardt Home

22 / I Do Morrison Weddings

24 / Youth P.O.W.E.R. Camp

27 / The Arts 28 / Film Grants Announced 31 / A Lil’ Art Tidbit 32 / Eye On Events 33 / Notes from the Clearing T Tauri

34 / Birds, Bees, Flowers and Trees

For advertising, distribution, or editorial contribution, contact Kimberlee Thomas 870.503.1150 kthomas@eyeonmag.com.

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Eye On Independence July 2011

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T ‘ Tauri sion Woman on a Mis ansas Mark Twain in Ark

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Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements, unless otherwise noted, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Publisher or the staff. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information presented in this issue is accurate and neither MeadowLand Media or it any of its staff is responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine. Copyright © 2010 MeadowLand Media, Incorporated. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the Publisher.

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July 2011 | 5

Letter from the Publisher Independence

Kimberlee Thomas July is a special month to Joseph and me. We celebrate Joseph’s birthday with family and friends on the 3rd day of the month and the fireworks and nation wide celebrations always add that little something extra.

It is also a time when we all may very easily get swept up in our patriotism despite our complaints about the government through the year. July is also the height of summer when families are sharing long lazy days creating fond memories of languid summer evenings under a sunset painted sky.

In this month’s issue we share with you Mark Lamberth’s memories of just such a moment, where a radio broadcast of Cardinal baseball provided the perfect ending to a long summer day; with the help of a familiar and comforting voice, of course. Bob Pest brings us information about the Farmers Markets in and around Batesville and he also gives us the inside scoop on this years T Tauri Film Festival and Movie Camp. Autumn Hunter takes a look at Cicadas and brings us this month’s youth feature on P.O.W.E.R. Camp. Julie Fidler has been busy running here and there making sure we can bring you a few tidbits

about our busy community. There is much more to enjoy in this July issue of Eye On, so please read on and may the sun kissed pink of another beautiful sunset find you outside with family and friends adding to the bounty or your summer memories. N

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2401 Harrison Street Batesville, Arkansas

870-793-8287

Fork in the Road Bob Pest Local farmers markets are more important than ever.

While Americans battle with obesity, high cholesterol, and soaring prices for processed and packaged foods, farmers markets offer fresh produce, often harvested the same day it is available for sale.

Many markets also include farm fresh eggs, homegrown plants and herbs, baked goods, and local crafts.

Projects like the Southern Foodways Alliance and initiatives such as “Field to Table” and the “Slow Food Movement” have awakened us to the importance of “eating local” and buying food from people we know and trust. Buying at the farmers market not only keeps small family farms in business, it contributes to the strength of the local economy. Farmers markets are also fun, good places to pick up cooking tips, and great opportunities for teaching your children about healthy eating. The best way to get the most out of a farmers market is to visit with the vendors and ask questions about their products, including suggestions for cooking with them and keeping them fresh until you use them. Most vendors are proud of what they grow and glad to answer any questions you might have.

The White River Farmers Market in Batesville is located on Chaney Drive just a few hundred yards from the banks of the White River. The covered market is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. April to November. Locally grown produce includes tomatoes, peppers, squash, okra, lettuce, and spinach. Fresh herbs and potted plants are also available much of the time. Local grower Dan Guyette, a market regular, is an advocate of the “field to table” movement, “We should eat local and support our local farmers. But we have to get the support from the community to help get more organic farming started so there is enough local food available to consumers. Then we need to get local foods into the restaurants and grocery stores.” Until then, we have our farmers markets. For information about the White River Farmers Market, call Batesville City Hall at 698-2400.

There are also two smaller markets, both on Southside. Farm Fresh Produce, the anchor business at the Southside Farmers Market, is a hidden treasure.

Located across the road from the Batesville Airport, Farm Fresh Produce carries a wide variety of locally grown produce, including Bald Knob strawberries, blueberries, squash, peppers, and tomatoes. You’ll also find Vidalia onions, purple hull pees, cantaloupe, watermelon, fresh brown eggs (delivered twice a week to guarantee freshness), honey, and jam. The market also features a variety of potted and hanging plants.

For your shopping convenience, Farm Fresh produce is open seven days a week; Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Triangle Farmers Market, at the top of Ramsey Mountain next to the Triangle Café, also features a varied assortment of fresh produce, fruit, and decorative plants, as well as honey, jam,

Farmers Markets Abound in and around Batesville and sorghum. Be sure to try the Ozark Kitchen jams and jellies, made in Cave City by members of the Amish Community. The market is open Wednesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. On Mondays and Tuesdays go the Triangle Café and ask for Marie.

The Stone County Farmers Market in Mountain View is currently the only Certified Arkansas Farmers Market (CAFM) in the region. CAFM is a non-profit organization created by farmers for farmers; CAFM market managers work closely with the growers to guarantee a superior product. Only products grown in Arkansas can be sold at CAFM markets, further helping to guarantee freshness. The market is located in Centennial Bank Park at 121 Main Street.

It operates on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. until noon from May through October and Wednesdays from 7:00 until 11:00 a.m. from mid-June through August.

The Stone County Market is open air market that offers a wide range of locally grown produce as well as a diverse selection of prepared food, non-food items, and handmade crafts. Local vendors and chefs conduct occasional food and cooking demonstrations.

The market has an impressive and well-organized website, www.stonecountyfarmersmarket.com, which includes videos about many of the vendors, a slide show about the market, and links to the Southern Foodways Alliance and other valuable resources. For additional information contact executive director Beverly Dunaway at bevdunaway@gmail.com or 870-213-5785.

The Newport Farmers Market takes place on Malcolm Avenue next to Newport Lake every Wednesday and Saturday from June through October.

The market opens at 7:00 a.m. and remains open until vendors are sold out. Vendors may also be set up other days depending upon demand. The market features a variety of fresh produce such as tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, cantaloupe, watermelon, peppers, eggplant, and okra, as well as crafts and plants. All produce is grown in Arkansas. For information call Ann Hearn at 870-217-3514 or email piesrme@gmail.com.

If you are planning to travel a significant distance to a farmers market, especially in early spring or late summer, be sure to call or email first to make sure it is open. Growers may exhaust their crops early, days and hours may have changed, and competing community events sometimes lead to a market cancellation. Bring your own cloth or paper bags and be prepared to pay cash.

First Lady Michelle Obama, an outspoken advocate for fresh, local-grown food, set the tone for a shift to healthier eating when she launched the new “By the White House” market in Washington. To quote the first lady, “This market is not just about food, it’s about our community, and this is just the beginning of the discussion.” We should all look forward to an ongoing national discussion that reshapes what and how we eat and restores the rightful place of the small family farmer. Let’s take back control over the food we eat and feed our families. N July 2011 | 7

A Stroll Down Historic Main

The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the 68th White River Water Carnival Parade will be Saturday, August 6th at 10am. The theme for this years parade is “A Stroll Down Historic Main Street.” Registration forms are currently available at the Chamber for float and parade participants. Deadline to enter the parade is Thursday, August 4 at noon. The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce located at 409 Vine Street, Batesville, AR 72501.

- Photos by Michael McGaha N

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The Morning Line Mark Lamberth

Cardinal Baseball

A trip to St. Louis to “take in” a couple of Cardinal games is an annual event for a lot of families in Arkansas. It’s just a short drive to a long weekend to watch professional baseball in the city that many have dubbed the greatest baseball city in America. Arkansas, Oklahoma, northern Mississippi, and western Tennessee have always been Cardinal Country. Virtually every small town radio station in these areas broadcast the entire 162 game Cardinal schedule live and personalities such as Harry Caray and Jack Buck were as much a part of the fabric of an Arkansas summer as Frank Broyles was in the fall.

an Arkansas Traveler.

Sadly, those days are over as Jack Buck passed away a few years ago. He was one of the last old school broadcasters to ply his trade, only to be replaced by the slick, wisecracking announcers of today who attempt to become famous overnight by coining a phrase and talking too much. Knowing when to shut up is as much a part of the

laid back style of listening.

However, with the proliferation of cable and satellite television and radio, the choices of entertainment available to the average fan are endless. Instead of listening to Cardinal baseball on the local station, you can now watch every St. Louis game on cable or satellite as well as any other major league baseball game from any ballpark in the country. While the golden age of radio has certainly passed, there is still something magical about listening to a baseball game and conjuring up images like Busch Stadium in your minds eye.

I was drawn to it as a kid and fell asleep many nights with the transistor (slang term for a radio for those readers under 40) under my pillow. A master of vivid description, Cardinal Broadcaster Jack Buck made you feel you were at the ballpark and a part of the game. He connected with his audience and even though he was Jack Buck, Harry Caray, and Joe Garagiola at the from Missouri, he was considered

art of broadcasting as is the play by play description.

I shall not lament the demise of those radio days but quote the great American Poet-Robert Frost.

“Time and tide wait for no man, but time always stands still for a woman of 30”. Oh by the way, it’s almost time for the first pitch tonight at Busch Stadium – pass the lemonade. N

KMOX mic.

Listeners were tuned in for the entire game and it was a great background as folks sat on their porches in the cool of the evening, chatting about the day’s events.

In the dog days of an Arkansas summer, it was welcome relief to while away a few hours each night sipping a cold lemonade with family members and neighbors secure in the fact that Jack Buck would be there too. Baseball has always lent itself to an easy and July 2011 | 9

Feature Bob Pest

T Tauri Prepares and Celebrates Next Generation of Film Talent

The T Tauri Film Festival and Movie Camp, the youth division of Ozark Foothills FilmFest, Inc., is one of the country’s most respected programs for aspiring filmmakers. The program takes its name from the astronomer’s term for a new star, a fitting way of recognizing the talent and the promise of the young people who enter the festival, judge the festival, or participate in the workshops.

T Tauri has three distinct elements: a national Young Filmmakers Competition for youth 18 and under, judged by area high school students in the Lyon College Upward Bound APPLE Project; a twoweek movie camp featuring a total of five film-making and film-related workshops for students from 6 to 18; and public screenings of award winning student films, other outstanding entries designated as Official Selections, and films created in the workshops. Movie Camp takes place July 18-30; workshops are held at the historic Landers Theater building in downtown Batesville and on the campus of UACCB. Screenings take place at UACCB July 28-30. Wednesday through Friday evening screenings are free and open to the public. Saturday screenings, also open to the public, conclude with the evening T Tauri Finale and award presentations. Saturday screenings are $3 for adults/$2 for adults 55 and over and Film Society members/$1 for youth 18 and under; admission to the Finale Screening is $5adults/$3senior adults and Film Society members/$2 youth; an all-day Saturday pass is available for $8 adults/$5 senior adults and Film Society members/$3 youth. Award winning films, official selections, and workshop films will also be posted on the online young filmmakers screening room/learning lab, the T Tauri Galaxy

T Tauri Movie Camp

Lights! Cameras! Action!

T Tauri has three distinct elements: a national Young Filmmakers Competition for youth 18 and under, judged by area high school students in the Lyon College Upward Bound APPLE Project;

(www.ttauri.org/galaxy).

This year’s competition categories include Drama, Comedy, Short Documentary (10 minutes or less), Long Documentary (10-30 minutes), Animation, Experimental and Music Video. The ArkanSTAR award will also be given to the best film made by an Arkansas filmmaker. Nearly 100 films were submitted from across the country, including entries from major student filmmaking programs in New York, San Francisco, Boston, Southern California, and Salt Lake City. Lyon College APPLE students view and evaluate each of the films in a four-week Writing about Film class. Both award winners and workshop films have been shown on both public and cable access television as well as at the Indie Memphis and Little Rock film festivals.

The T Tauri workshop offerings include Poetry

...a two-week movie camp featuring a total of five film-making and film-related workshops for students from 6 to 18; 10 | eyeonmag.com

Photos by Keith Sturch and Judy Pest

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For the past seven years, students in the Lyon College APPLE Upward Bound project have served as judges for the T Tauri Youth Film Festival. This year’s judges will view and evaluate 86 movies made by young filmmakers from twelve states. Categories include Short Documentary (less than 10 minutes), Long Documentary, Music Video/ Experimental, Animation, Comedy, and Drama. The students rank the films in four categories: content, structure, technique,

T Tauri Judges

and impact.

The T Tauri Film Festival is one of only a handful of national competitions for young filmmakers (age 18 and under). The peer judging is unique to the festival; it creates a connection between the Arkansas youth who serve as judges and the filmmakers. The award winning films and many more of the entries will be screened July 28-30 at UACCB. Visit www.ttauri.org for more information. N

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Eye On Feature continued from page 10

in Motion, for students entering grades 3 through 6; Acting on Camera, for students entering grades 6 through 12; Claymation, stop-motion animation for students entering grades 4 through 10; Script to Screen: Narrative Filmmaking, for students entering grades 6 through 12; and Final Cut Pro Editing Workflow, an advanced editing course for students entering grade 8 through age 21.

Workshop fees vary from $40 to $150 depending upon subject and length. The enrollment deadline is July 10. Some workshops may already be full; visit www. ttauri.org for detailed workshop descriptions and registration materials.

The T Tauri workshops have proven to be extremely successful thanks to the organization’s commitment to developing and regularly reviewing a sound curriculum for each workshop.

The outstanding faculty of young filmmaker/educators includes Michad Holliday (AETN videographer, editor, and producer), Pat Reed (Certified Final Cut Pro instructor), Jules Taylor (Resident Teaching Artist and Director at Arts Live Theater in Fayetteville, currently touring in the Trike Theatre Touring Company’s Digging Up Arkansas original production); Wes Obrigewitsch (an experienced television/ film animator and graphic effects artist, worked on MacGyver and Highlander while living in British Columbia); Levi Agee (filmmaker, journalist, and film critic); and Juli Jackson (an independent media artist working in film, video, photography, and animation).

Holliday, Agee, Reed, and Jackson have all had films screened at Ozark Foothills FilmFest. Jackson is also a recent recipient of a $30,000 grant from Ozark Foothills FilmFest for her current film project, 45 RPM. N

July 2011 | 13

People Julie M. Fidler A Batesville nurse is preparing for a medical mission to Africa.

Resa Garner, 24, will travel to Zambia this September with Nurses for Africa.

Nurses for Africa is a non-profit organization, based in Chicago, created by mission-minded people from medical communities across the Midwest.

Funding for Nurses for Africa has been underwritten

by Ten Talents Foundation, a private foundation based out of Missouri.

The organization’s goal is to connect people of talent in the medical communities of industrialized nations with the needs of people in developing nations. Zambia is a land-locked country located in sub-Saharan Africa. It has a population of 12.6 million, over 15 percent of whom are infected with HIV/AIDS. Nurses travel from the U.S. on 10-day mission trips to provide medical care to orphans, vulnerable children and chronically ill adults. They also provide training to volunteer caregivers in Zambia.

Garner said her mother, Nancy “Cissy” Dowdy, saw the tail-end of a news report about Nurses for Africa on a Little Rock television station and told her it sounded like something she would like to do.

A Southside High School graduate, Garner became a licensed practical nurse in 2006 after graduating from Ozarka College in Melbourne. She worked about a year in orthopedics at Little Rock Baptist Hospital.

“I couldn’t wait to get home,” she said. She has been a nurse at Med Aesthetics, working for Dr.

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Resa Garner, A Nurse on a Mission Verona Brown, for less than six months. She worked the last two years with Drs. Melody Moody and Nelson Obikwu at Children’s Clinic.

“That job is what really helped me get my foot in the door,” said Garner. “At Children’s Clinic, we were doing vaccines all day long for newborns to kids in college. I’ve had a lot of experience doing that.”

She checked out the web site, nursesforafrica.net.

“They have a documentary on the site,” she said. “It’s won a couple of independent film awards. After I saw it, I knew I had to apply for it.”

So, Garner filled out an application and went through four phone interviews before being chosen for the Sept. 15-27 mission trip.

“They asked all kinds of questions,” she said. “The first few were about: Would I have time to actually do this? Would I have time to dedicate to raising the money? Was I willing to get prepared as far as vaccines that are needed before I go?”

Garner is thinking of ways to raise the $3,000 needed for the trip. That

She checked out the web site, nursesforafrica.net. “They have a documentary on the site,” she said. “It’s won a couple of independent film awards. After I saw it, I knew I had to apply for it.”

covers medical supplies in Zambia, lodging, meals and transportation.

Some of the money will be donated to some of the orphanages there “We’ll be setting up small medical clinics for people in the community to get help with any medical problems they’re having,” said Garner. “We’ll go to orphanages and give vaccines and medications. This year we’re going to be doing home visits. It’s not like going to a neighborhood. We’ll be walking long distances. There are some people who can’t get out of their house to get help. We’ll also be doing a lot of teaching. Most people do have someone living with them, so we’re going to do as much as possible to help them until we come back next year.”

When asked if she plans to make a return trip, Garner said, “I’ll go as many times as they’ll take me.”

She is one of 11 going on this particular trip with the person farthest away from Batesville living in California, and the closest

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Eye On People continues on page 37

Main Street

Kimberlee Thomas

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Crowburlingame Co. Bumper To Bumper Auto Parts centrally located, which helps us to provide faster service to our customers County wide. N

Manager: Donald Duncan Number of Employees: 8 When did Crowburlingame open for business on Main St.? April 11, 2011 What does your business offer the public? Friendly, knowledgeable people to help customers with all of their Automotive needs. We also have a Dupont Automotive Paint, heavy duty truck parts, equipment, and we make Gate Hydraulic Hoses.

What do you like about being on Main Street? It has a high traffic count and is Justin Lamons, Donald Duncan, and Jason Canady July 2011 | 15

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91st Annual Independence County Fair July 18 - 23, 2011 Entertainment will consist of Darryl Worley, Cody Slaughter, Brian Staples, and Collin Raye. There will be special Livestock Events and all of the regular featues that you ‘ve come to love about the Independence Couty Fair. For a complete schedule log onto www.icfair.com

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July 2011 | 17

Wandering the White River Valley Freda Cruse Phillips Born in 1825 in Kentucky, to Joshua Teague and Martha Elizabeth Clemens, Isaac Teague was homesteading the areas now known as Blanchard in the 1840’s. Men of that time traveled long distances searching out new land; how long they were gone marked in the space between the births of their children. Isaac Teague married Margaret Miller from SC in AL with their first 3 children born there. It was here Teague likely met Thomas Riggs and wife, Rhoda Casey. Thomas Riggs settled Riggsville, first site of Mountain View in 1819. It had a blacksmith, livery, tavern, and school. It was also where the Methodist Church and later Flatwoods began.

Born a year apart, Clemens’ grandmother Margaret Peggy Casey,

18 | eyeonmag.com

born in 1803, was a cousin of Rhoda’s born in 1802. Peggy married Ben Lampton; their daughter Jane married John Marshall Clemens in 1823. Samuel was a young boy of only eleven when his daddy died in 1847.

Stories go that he was sent to Arkansas to stay with family for awhile, a place he would return to throughout his life. Raised in Hannibal, MO, a port on the Mississippi, it is likely that Samuel Clemens traveled by steamer docking at Sylamore. This was during the days when steam boats plied the waters with horns whistling and bands playing. Samuel Clemens and his cousins, the Riggs and Teagues, undoubtedly spent time at Sylamore Landing watching the fancy boats and merriment aboard them. Taking Mark Twain as his name is not lost on people who have been raised along the rivers. The depth of the river was sung in a sing song cadence by men who stood at the bow of the boat. The

Mark Twain in the Ozarks depth was measured not in feet but in terms that were understood during wind, hail, and storms by the cadence of the songs as shallow depths were short while the deeper the river the

more prolonged and drawn out the cadence. A depth of 12 feet was a mark ‘twain’, mark three pronounced as a long "thi-ree", was the call for 18 feet and mark four was 24 feet. All water deeper than 24 feet was called a “no bottom.”

When Samuel Clemens died, his estate was sold. His photographs and sketches were bought by a college in New York. A Teague family member was stunned when she discovered a photo being used in a brochure by the college with the image of her grandmother America Teague captioned “Grandma Goes to College” on it. She went home and retrieved a copy of the image which included her grandfather Tom Teague, who looks remarkably like Twain. It was verified with other photographs to have been taken by Samuel Clemens on one of his return trips to the area now known as Blanchard Springs.

Isaac Teague, a first cousin to Samuel

Clemens, homesteaded the area in 1848. A portion was acquired by Malinda Mitchell. Her son, Steve, sold the land to an aging John Blanchard in 1906. He secured a patent on the land sixty years after Isaac Teague first homesteaded it. It would be another sixty years before serious exploration of the big hole would open up to become Blanchard Caverns, taking the name of the man who owned it for less than 10 years before his death. It was acquired in 1908 by the U.S. Forest Service.

In 1909, Twain said, “I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don't go out with Halley's Comet. The Almighty has said, no doubt: "Now here are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together."

The area between Batesville, the oldest surviving city in the state,

and Buffalo City, where the White and Buffalo Rivers converge, is the Jamestown of the Ozarks--where the Ozarks were birthed. Preserving not only our oral history but our land marks-- rock walls built before the Civil War, old homes, cemeteries, and settlements--were the key to our future economic success. Twain died in 1910. I believe he would have agreed. **Phillips writes pre civil war history of the Ozarks White River Valley appearing in the Stone County Citizen, Ozarks Regional Magazine, White River Current and Eye on Independence. Her newest book, “Places of Our People,” featuring stories including Jesse James, Mark Twain, Sam Houston, Abraham Ruddell and many more is available at Hastings Book Store and Paper Chase in Batesville and through the Exploring Izard County (EIC.com) website. N

“I came in with Halley’s Comet in 1835.

It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don’t go out with Halley’s Comet.”

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July 2011 | 19

Homes Kimberlee Thomas

Photos by Joseph Thomas

Randy and Michelle Richardt had dreams of building a home in the beautiful wooded hills of the Bethesda community. They even purchased the perfect acreage on which to build their dream home. The couple enjoyed making the short drive from Batesville after work several days a week to visit their property and discuss plans for their future home. They even got so far as having house plans drawn up.

While Randy and Michelle were busy dreaming of building their home in the country, David Shetron and his wife were busy dreaming of moving their young family into town. Shetron noticed the many trips Randy and Michelle made past his home to their neighboring land and decided to pose a question to the couple. Randy received a call from Shetron late one afternoon, it seemed that he had come up with the perfect solution for both families. He proposed that the Richardt’s buy his home and live in it while they built their dream home next door and when their new home was finished they could simply sell the old one.

The Reichardt Home

Randy and Michelle liked the idea so much they took Shetron up on his offer. Here is where the story gets interesting; it seems that the house was so welcoming and comfortable that the plans they had to build their dream home began to fade. It appeared they had found their dream home ready and waiting.

Randy and Michelle share a love of the seaside and wanted their home to reflect that love. Randy, once an avid surfboarder, wanted his home to have that “Early Pirate” feel. So, Michelle set out to find furnishings to fit Captain Randy’s order. She visited furniture stores taking photographs with her phone and send them to Randy for approval. Michelle claims that on more than one occasion after Randy would state that he did not care for the furniture in the first photo, that she would show him five or six more pieces ultimately coming back to the first piece which he would suddenly love. Randy admits that even though he was not one hundred percent sure just what early pirate should look like, that Michelle did an outstanding job of bringing it together. They both

agree they wanted a home that they could relax in. They wanted a place of refuge at the end of a long day. I believe they have succeeded.

The couple claims to pick one project a year for adding to or updating their home.

In the six years they have lived there they have added a carport, cleared trees and put in a pond, built an outdoor fireplace on the back patio, and had a pool installed. They

have also spent a lot of time landscaping around their home, much to the delight of the local deer population. One doe visits so frequently that Michelle has named her Sally. When asked why she picked the name Sally she states, “Because she treats our flowers and shrubs like a salad bar!”

Randy and Michelle share their Eye On Homes continues

on page 39

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SIX TIPS FOR EASY SUMMER HOME CARE Keep it green: Harsh summer heat can up the ante when it comes to caring for your lawn. Make sure to keep it watered and fertilized!

Fire it up: Get a head start for the upcoming winter and clean out your wood-burning fireplace and chimney. You'll have one less winter task to attend to!

Carpet care: Now's the perfect time to have your carpets professionally cleaned, which will protect your carpet and make it last even longer. Want to save a few bucks? Rent a quality carpet cleaner and do it yourself!

Touch-ups: Inspect your home-inside and out-and touch up any paint where necessary. This can be done quickly and easily, and will prevent future peeling!

Lock and key: Check all of the locks on your windows and doors and ensure that everything is working properly. Being proactive about safety is always a smart move!

Oil it: Anything squeaking? Add a squirt of WD-40 or similar product to door, cabinet and window hinges to keep them in top repair.

Park the car: If your garage is filling up with an abundance of stored items, take a day to reorganize and get rid of unwanted clutter.

Give your unneeded items to charity, or have a fun summer yard sale!

If you would like to discuss any real estate questions, I'm always available at (870)307-2352

July 2011 | 21

I Do

Kimberlee Thomas "Friends from the start" is a fitting statement when it comes to describing Amy Curtwright and Randy Lee Morrison, Jr. The two have known each other for as long as they can remember, even before they started kindergarten together.

As they journeyed through their lives from childhood, to teenagers, to young adults they were always near each other, forging ever onward along the unknown road of life.

In early June of 2010 Randy Lee decided the time had come to take a new and exciting path, that of being a husband. While Amy was at work Randy Lee made a trip to Jonesboro and custom designed an engagement ring for her. He was supposed to be working in the yard at his home all day. Randy Lee had been trying to reach Amy’s mother all morning. He wanted to ask her for her blessing on his upcoming proposal to her daughter. Randy finally called Amy at work and asked if she knew how he might get in touch with her mother.

When she asked why he told her a little fib about having information on how she could fix her tractor. This seemed like a reasonable answer and Amy thought nothing more about it.

Photography by Images By Keith

After a busy day of work Amy went straight to Randy Lee’s home to see how the yard work was progressing.

As she pulled into the drive Randy Lee met her at her car, opened the door and pulled her out into his arms, hugging her tightly. As they made their way into the house Amy made note that very little had been done in the way of yard work and began to wonder just what Randy Lee had been up to all day. Once inside Randy Lee sat Amy down on the couch. He then got down on both knees, placed his face on her knees and began to

Morrison Wedding cry. She was getting a bit concerned when he finally spoke up saying, “I have something to tell you. I didn’t work in the yard at all today.” Amy a bit curious simply answered, “Okay, what have you been doing?” Randy Lee pulled the ring from his pocket and replied, “Making you this. Will you marry me?” And of course the answer was “YES”.

Amy and Randy Lee married on May 20, 2011 at the Pleasant Valley Missionary Baptist Church. Brother Philip Wysocki presided over the ceremony. The couple honeymooned in Cozumel, Mexico.

Amy is currently employed at Premiere Tans in Batesville. She has been with the company since 2006.

She is a student at UACCB and will graduate from the LPN program on July 22. She plans to return to school in January and pursue her RN degree.

Randy Lee works for Trey Hare Custom Spraying in Newport.

The couple has many wonderful plans for their future, including building a home of their own, and journeying down the path of parenthood. N

June 2011 | 23

Youth Autumn Hunter

Photos: Submitted

On June 5th the local TRiO program, Educational Talent Search (ETS), took four Cave City students and five Midland students to the C.A. Vines, 4-H center in Ferndale for P.O.W.E.R camp. The acronym stands for Possession of Wisdom Earns Rewards. Our area students joined other Arkansas ETS students from ten different school districts throughout northern Arkansas on a charter bus. Forty one students and eight ETS counselors learned team building, as well as life and leadership skills. The eight other schools in attendance were Western Grove, Mammoth Springs, Yellville-Summit, Bruno-Pyatt, Cotter, Viola, Northfork, and Melbourne. All students ranged from seventh through ninth grades. Cave City students were Lance Clay, Cody Corbitt, Krista Manuel, and Allie King. Midland ladies included Kimberlyn Allen, Terri Biggers, Measha Rhew, Kara Lody, and Julie Yang.

Students participated in two programs - ExCel and Arkansas Outdoor School. All school districts were combined and then split into two groups. One group learned life skills through Low Ropes team building activities in the morning. In the afternoon students had the opportunity to try the high ropes course where they traversed an obstacle course in the trees forty feet above the ground with a zip-line exit off the course. The other group learned about their native Arkansas heritage by practicing their archery

Students participated in two programs - ExCel and Arkansas Outdoor School.

24  |  eyeonmag.com

P.O.W.E.R. Camp

skills, mastering techniques for nature photography, swimming, and the extremely popular rock-wall climbing. In the evenings students made smores over a campfire, swam, canoed, and performed skits about what they learned at camp.

The ETS program is a part of the federally funded TRIO program and focuses on college, careers, and cash (aka: financial aid and financial literacy).

Students as early as seventh grade begin learning about careers that match their personalities and interest, which Arkansas colleges or technical schools offer programs to attain their chosen path, and how to earn funding to meet their goals. This program follows the students through graduation and tracks their progress through post-secondary education.

Our local grant is funded through North Arkansas College in Harrison and the ETS counselor is housed on UACCB campus. In addition to Midland and Cave City the ETS program also welcomes Pangburn school district into the new grant beginning in the fall. This past school year the ETS program served more than 1,700 students in northern Arkansas. In our local chapter alone all ETS seniors earned their high school diploma, 89% of seniors complete their financial aid packet for college, 100% applied to college, and 79% attended college in the fall immediately following their high school graduation. Our local ETS program would also like to thank Enrollment Management at UACCB and their Project College Bound program for their tireless efforts and collaboration as we strive toward the same goals. N When you come to ETS camp the grass is always damp.

Yet, you will still have fun to get out in the sun.

Working that fat off With harness - not soft Meeting new friends The laughter never ends Seeing new faces In many different places Watching teachers compete While we watch from our seats Sore all day Forever memories to stay And for Miss Autumns' boss: FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid So she can still get well paid Find the lightening Because all activities were so exciting Everyone of them a bit scary Especially for Teri :) Althought this adventure made us better people I still would not climb a steeple We appreciate the time we had And we are all very glad - The Midland girls.

The ETS program is a part of the federally funded TRIO program and focuses on college, careers, and cash.

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In the evenings students made smores over a campfire, swam, canoed, and performed skits about what they learned at camp.

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1335 College Street, Batesville, AR 26 | eyeonmag.com

cky, g artists from Arkansas, Kentu itin inv is ) AC (BA cil un for s Co s rie ent The Batesville Area Art nessee and Texas to submit spectus Ten a, om lah Ok , uri sso Mi i, Pro August 1st. The Louisiana, Mississipp Art Exhibition. Deadline is the2011 White River Juried be downloaded through http;//www.batesvillearts.org. for this juried exhibition can on the home page of this website and under the 2011 Go to the Calendar of events ition, you will be able to download the Prospectus or White River Juried Art Exhibcom. Entries will be juried by Melissa Gill, professor l earned a BFA from contact baac@suddenlinkmail.

AR will be the juror. Ms. Gil MFA from Indiana ay, nw Co in e lleg Co rix nd He an and of Art at MA from Purdue University, ic the University of Arizona, an er of the Mid-American Print council, Southern Graph11 mb 20 me a the is l for work is selected University. Ms. Gil Association. Artists whose be Council and the College Arts ition will be notified August 20th. Selected works will hib .

Ex 11 20 Art d th, rie 28 Ju – er 3rd White Riv llery on Main from October featured in the BAAC ART Ga

Beginning Colored Pencil Workshop that we have scheduled for Saturday, July 9 th with Sheila Cantrell.

The workshop will be held in the BAAC Art Gallery on Main from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Cost is $50 per person.

For more information or to preregister, contact BAAC at (870) 793-3382 or baac@ suddenlinkmail.com. Preregistration is required with a $25 deposit due by July 1st.

We a Coll will also b Aline age Work e having 1st froMcCrackenshop with Art G m 9 – 4 at on August is $40 allery on M the BAAC w ai fee. Thith a $10 mn. Cost need t ose inte aterials o r more preregiste ested inf ro (870) ormation c r for 793-3 382. all

Contact B AAC at www.baac @suddenli nkmail.co call us at 8 m 70-793-3 3 82 mail us at P. O. Box 2 636 Batesville, Arkansas 7 2501 or come by 246 E. Ma in St

th Acting Camp August 8th - 12th, 2011 - Intensive You mer Shakespeare Camp Troupe d'Jour's 17th Annual Midsumdict ion, focus, text analysis, stage combat, Training in acting, movement, voice, Loca tion: UACCB, Fine Arts Building etc. for students completing grades 2-8. daily For more information: Time: 9 a.m. - 12 OR 1 p.m. - 4 p.m uddenlinkm ail.com call 870-793-3382 or visit www.baac@s week the for $95 Performance at 7 p.m. on Friday Cost: T ro upe d ’Jo ur ’s 17th Annual M id s umme r S h akespeare C amp.

Friday Painters: This group, made up of cancer survivors, care givers, and friends, meets for the purpose of using art as therapy. The group meets each Friday to paint and share experiences within the casual atmosphere of friendly conversation and encouragement.

Materials for beginning painters are provided by the WRMC Cancer Care Center. Participants usually enjoy a lunch together at Elizabeth's Resaurant across the street from the gallery.

er

BAAC

umm r S o o d Out ule 2011 ie Sched n Tail Mov America

Side th Blind r y 3 0 1 y l to Ju Toy S riat 4th ta July 2 7th Secre st u ing) g u A rmitetn on 1st p e 2 U p t s r rd he t Augu ber 4th (weaot uch’s Gtaime is 3a 0 d l m e e : h t C t 8 S ep ll behapel in us. Star 8:00 - lawn es wi p t Movdi BrownleCge Caming abouets, andily fun. l k n n o i n n re beh Lyon C lly begi ids, bla good fam ons a the k (usua g the k or someut donati dus .) Brin join us f rges, b N p.m irs and ion chaccepted. cha admiss efully a No ays grat alw

Bob Pest

Ozark Foothills FilmFest has awarded $30,000 grants to three Arkansas film projects. The awards are part of the organization’s Indie Film Initiative, funded by Governor Beebe’s Arkansas Regional Cultural Grant program. The three grant recipients were selected after a rigorous application process that involved twenty-six applicants. The selection committee consisted of Bob Pest, president and co-founder of Ozark Foothills FilmFest; Christopher Crane, Arkansas Film Commissioner; and producer/ director Tim Jackson of Category-One Entertainment and Fried Green Media. The recipients will use the funds to make or complete feature-length films shot primarily in the state using a 75% Arkansan cast and crew. The grant recipients are Brent and Craig Renaud, Juli Jackson, and Taylor Feltner.

The Renaud brothers have been producing award-winning documentary films and television content for over fifteen years for networks like HBO, Discovery, PBS, NBC, and ESPN. Their 10 part series for Discovery, Off to War, won an Overseas Press Club Award Craig and Brent Renaud and an International Documentary Association (IDA) award for Best TV Series. Their work has also been screened at major film festivals such as Tribeca, Sundance, Austin, and the American Film Institute’s Silver Docs. They are also the co-founders of the Little Rock Film Festival. The Renaud’s project is a documentary titled My Brother’s Heart. To quote the filmmakers, “The cinema verite documentary tells one family’s epic story from the 28 | eyeonmag.com

Film Grants Announced viewpoint of an extraordinary 10-year-old boy named Philip Rusakov, whose twin brother Anthony needed a heart transplant.” Audiences will get an inside view of Arkansas Children’s Hospital, including the operating rooms where Anthony’s many major heart surgeries took place.

Juli Jackson is a Paragould native who graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a BFA in Film and Video. She has worked as the Director of Photography on a number of independent feature films, including Beat the Air and God’s Juli Jackson Country, Off Route 9.

After a three year stint in Los Angeles, working on a number of projects contributing camerawork and lighting design, she returned home to Arkansas to pursue her creative work. She directed Sugar (sweet) Tooth (ache), a 35mm animation about a girl who went to surprising to treat a toothache that premiered at Ozark Foothills FilmFest in 2010.

Jackson describes her project, 45 RPM, as “a dark comedy that extends the world of classic American road movie in to multiple mediums while exploring rich Southern history. The story follows Charlie, a struggling New York artist who seeks a connection between her work and her deceased father’s music.

She teams up with Louie, an obsessive record collector from Memphis, and begins a search for a rare 45 recording from the 1960’s Arkansas garage rock scene that takes them both on a journey across the seldom explored landscape of the new Old South.” Jackson will be filming in Paragould, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Mountain Home, and Memphis.

Taylor Feltner is a Russellville native who studied filmmaking at the Florida State University College of Filmmaking. He began his film career in Los Angeles working for the Allentown productions documentary film company. His first documentary as a producer, Just Like Us, documented a comedy Feltner tour of the Middle East Taylor Photo by Andrew H. Walker and premiered at the Getty Images Europe

Tribeca Film Festival.

Just Like Us recently began its national theatrical run.

Feltner describes his grantfunded film, Man Shot Dead, as “an exploration into the often tragic, mysterious, and buried family stories that ripple through generations.” In this case the family mystery is the murder of his grandfather, who was shot in the chest at point blank range and killed in Texas in 1966 by the father of a 17-year-old girl he had been followed home in his car.

The “Who, What, and Why” of the incident remains a mystery which the documentary will explore in the attempt to give the family some kind of closure.

The three grant recipient films are in various stages of production; when they are completed, within the next year to 18 months, they will be screened in Batesville by Ozark Foothills FilmFest and at numerous venues in Arkansas.

For more information contact Bob Pest at 870-251-1189 or bobpest@ wildblue.net. Information about Juli Jackson and 45 RPM is available at www.45rpmmovie. com; information about the Renaud Brothers is available at www.renaudbrothers.com.

T Tauri Film Festival and Movie Camp, Batesville, AR / July 18-30 www.ttauri.org 870-251-1189 N

Cledas Manuel, FICF Ark. Lic. 265634 905 20th St. Batesville, AR 72501 870-307-3769 Cledas.Manuel@mwarep.org

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30 | eyeonmag.com

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL REPAIR SERVICE WORK

Tom Biggs and Wilson Powell in 1978

A Lil’ Art Tidbit AIE artist Johnce Parrish worked with Batesville Jr. High Art Teacher, Katie Milum to help the 9th grade students create a historic mural for their campus. This AIE residency was supported in part by the the Batesville School District, the Batesville Area Arts Council, the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Contact B AAC at www.baac @suddenli nkmail.co call us at 8 m 70-793-3 3 82 mail us at P. O. Box 2 636 Batesville, Arkansas 7 2501 or come by 246 E. Ma in St

Please go to our website and note the upcoming workshops for July Colored Pencil w/ Sheila Cantrell July 9th and Beginning Watercolor w/ Diane Ziemski on July 30th and 31st.

870-793-4441 July 2011 |  31

Even s Gateway Turns 50, Dave & Karen Timko Honored

outstanding support of tourism through public media.

The President’s Special Award went to PD Printing for their excellent guidance and cooperation in publishing, storing and distributing the annual Ozark Gateway Travel Guide. The non-profit regional tourist association printed 105,000 guides this year. The booklets are free to the traveling public and other interested persons.

Ozark Gateway’s “Partners in Tourism” were recognized for their financial support of regional tourism. The businesses include North Arkansas Electric Cooperative, FutureFuel of Batesville, First Community Bank, Areawide Media and W.R.D. Entertainment.

Craig Ogilvie, who has worked with the tourism group for 49 years, was introduced during the event, along with all the volunteer board members from Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp and Stone counties. Ogilvie retired in 2005, after a 42-year career in newspapering, cartooning and travel writing for the Arkansas Tourism Division. He continues to serve as an advisor to board of directors.

President Bob Pest and Executive Director Cathy Drew were in charge of the proceedings. N

NEWPORT – The Ozark Gateway Tourist Council, second oldest regional tourism organization in the state, celebrated its 50th anniversary on June 6, during the annual Leo Rainey Tourism Appreciation Banquet. The event was held at Arkansas State University’s Newport Campus, and Miss Arkansas was a special guest.

Dave and Karen Timko of Batesville was honored as this year’s Tom Biggs Award recipient. The couple created a tourist information display in his Daylight Donuts business as a service to travelers and visitors to the area.

No stranger to tourism, Dave has been active in the local travel industry since serving as executive manager of Batesville’s Main Street program.

The award, given for service to tourism, has been presented since 1985 and is named for the late Thomas A. Biggs, one of Gateway’s greatest volunteers.

The beginnings of Ozark Gateway can be traced to 1961, when Leo Rainey was named to head a national pilot program to develop the rural economy in this region. The project was sponsored by the University of Arkansas Extension Service and Rainey was among the first specialists to head a program in the nation.

Alyse Eady, the reigning Miss Arkansas, entertained the 50th annual meeting with part of her ventriloquist/ singing act that helped her win the crown last July, plus the first runner-up spot in the Miss America Pageant last January.

During the program, Areawide Media of Salem received the Wilson Powell Media Award. Named for the longtime business manager/writer of the Batesville Guard, the award was established in 2006 to recognize Miss Arkansas Alyse Eady

Cathy Drew & Tammy Curtis (Areawide Media – Wilson Powell Media Support Award)

32 | eyeonmag.com

Cathy Drew, Dave Timko & Karen Timko (Tom Biggs Award)

Cathy Drew, Jason Light, Scott Bullard and Bob Pest (P.D. Printing – President’s Award)

take part in Area motorcyclists d Backroads June Batesville, Bikes an in Batesville. The 11 on Main Street ther by the Batesevent was put togeber of Commerce ville Area Cham mmittee. – Photos and its tourism co

by Julie M. Fidler

Does y o organizat ur club or ion have a com ne

ing up? informatio n at

eyeonjose

Batesville baugh speaksMayor Rick Elumof the Paul H at the dedication Shooting Spo . “Rocky ” Willmuth Batesville on rts Complex north of Julie M. Fidle June 11. –Photo by r

Pictured are the judges for the 2011 T Tauri Film Fest. They are: front from left – Julie Brewer, Aleesha Newberry, Kayla Lusk, Tamaya Brown and Dejasia Gist; back, from left – Jacob Cline, Jacob Mooneyham, Matthew Roberson and Lauren Brown. The photo was taken at Lyon College. – Photo by Julie M. Fidler

ven Send us s t ome

and let u ph@gmail.com s get the w because we are ord out, w mouth...fo r your e ord of yes. Eye On Indep endence, promoting Independe nce.

Notes from the Clearing Joseph Thomas

Wanted: Events!

Weddings, Homes, and can keep Keep us informed so we

you informed.

T Tauri

The stars so infinite and quiet upon the dark sky that our deepest quantifications are left reaching and shy.

They give us awe, inspiration, and direction and leave us asking, the WHY I AM question.

But from the vivacious curiousness of our childhood years to the whispered prayers of an Elder revered, they are ever with us in our tilt and spin leading us on with the hope that they give.

Birds, Bees, Flowers and Trees Autumn Hunter Everyone is noticing the new serenade in the air this spring. The cicadas have emerged again and they are in full force.

I’ve been hearing lots of different statements from folks about the amount of time these interesting insects spend in the ground and if they are found in our area each year. When I don’t the answer to something that intrigues me, I do research.

It seems that even biologist are still debating whether there are three species of 13 year cicada and three species of 17 year cicada, for a total of six separate species, or if it’s just three total. They show up in May, the males “sing” for a couple of weeks, the females lay eggs for the next month and then we don’t see them again for more than a decade. The Periodic Cicadas are darker insects with red eyes. There are genetic anomalies; finding a cicada with white or blue eyes is possible but with a probability close to finding a four leaf clover. KFVS Channel 12 News in Missouri reports, “The noise level can reach 100 decibels in midafternoon and gradually decreases until the next day because they are cold blooded.”

Periodic cicadas are different from our annual Dogday Cicada.

These insects emerge in the heat,

Cicadas are able to “pump up” their body fluids in certain parts of their body.

34 | eyeonmag.com

Photos submitted

What’s the Buzz About?

or dog days, of summer around August. It’s usually around harvest time which leads to another nickname, the Harvest Fly. Our annual cicadas are a multitude of different colors but have a greenish color overall and sing more in the late afternoon and evening. There are many different species of Dogday cicada.

Males are the only “singers”.

They have a hollow spot on their Next, they redirect this fluid to stomach and structures called their wings, which are still flat tymbals cover this area. By against their body. This fluid contracting and releasing muscles these tymbals create noise. The causes the wings to unfold. adult life span is 4-6 weeks. Eggs around until they dry and then fly hatch in 6-10 weeks. Ant-sized to the trees to begin the search for a mate. Each species of cicada have their own “song” to attract the same species.

According to the University of Illinois Extension, “We are not used to thinking of insect life cycles longer than one year. Only nine generations of 17-year periodical cicadas ago, Abraham Lincoln was practicing law in Illinois prior to the Civil War. During intervening time, periodical When they emerge they the cicadas have probably spread only pump the fluids to the thorax about 5 miles.” Northern Illinois and this splits their casing has the largest estimated number and allows them to shed the of cicada populations.

What is the benefit of these exoskeleton. creatures? They are a prey item used to supplement the diets of nymphs fall to the ground and many different types of insects, burrow. Nymphs feed on tree and birds, and mammals. Apparently shrub roots while underground. humans fall into that category The exoskeleton is used like as well. On June 7th KAIT News armor to protect the body and the reported about an ice cream store unfolded wings while underground owner in Columbia, MO who and tunneling to the surface. was serving up cicada flavored Cicadas are able to “pump up” ice cream until a public health their body fluids in certain parts office pulled the plug. A news of their body. When they emerge anchor said, “The cicadas were fully they pump the fluids to the thorax, cooked by boiling, then covered in the area behind the head, and this brown sugar and milk chocolate.” splits their casing and allows them Native Americans ate them and to shed the exoskeleton. Next, some college students report they redirect this fluid to their that they taste like almonds. The wings, which are still flat against overwhelming number of insects their body. This fluid causes the from each brood is merely to wings to unfold. Finally, they hang ensure that some survive to keep

the cycle going since a majority of them are doomed to be crunchy snacks.

The damage caused by these insects to your trees and shrubs is not significant enough to warrant using chemical control. Furthermore, in tested acreage where chemicals were used to lessen cicada populations, no significant difference was found in the amount of damage. Actually, chemicals used to control cicada numbers reduce numbers of beneficial insects like bees, which opened up space for harmful pests in those areas. The only suggested practice to protect your young or prized fruits is to cover them with a net for the six weeks of massive cicada invasions. Another idea is to put off planting young fruit trees during expected emergent years.

In heavily wooded acreage as many as one million bugs per acre can be found. Interestingly, I discovered that bulldozing lots to build houses was not a common practice until the 1960s. When areas are dozed it removes all trees and shrubs from the lot before building. Any cicada nymphs on the property will die due to lack of food. Areas built before that time are likely to have high numbers during emergent years.

My house was built in the 1940s. I had a large number of cicadas this year and the flower beds were full of drying cicada. Now that the cicadas are in the trees all the flowers appear untouched. My favorite part about these creatures is that is causes interest in our natural world. Turn off the TV and go outside to explore! N

Males are the only “singers”, by contracting and releasing muscles they create noise.

Each species of cicada have their own “song” to attract the same species.

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Eye On People continued from page 15 one in Baton Rouge, La. “We have phone conferences every other week, the group that’s going,” said Garner. “We’ll talk every other week until we go. We discuss how we’re going to raise the money, what we’re going to take, how many snacks can you shove into a carry on?”

“Right now, I’m trying to get ideas of how to raise my money,” she said. “I’m in the process of getting a passport. I’ve never traveled out of the United States before. I’ve started some of my vaccines. There’s quite a few. We’re waiting on a final list. I have to take malaria medicine before I go. I’ve had some of the pharmacies here in town offer to make donations too.”

“I want to have a silent auction, but you’ve got to have items,” said Garner. “I’m in the process of collecting some silent auction items.”

“As it’s getting closer, I’m freaking out a little bit,” she said. “I’m nervous about being in a place I’ve never been before and being away from my family for this long.”

She is married to Kyle Garner and is the daughter of Richie and “Cissy” Dowdy.

“This trip will be a reminder of why I wanted to be a nurse,” she said.

“After five years, you kind of forget that there are people who can’t get help.”

To help, out email Garner at RDG4387@gmail.com or call 870612-0668. N

July 2011 | 37

EOI Movie Review Reviewed by Tanner Smith Smith’s ***1/2

Verdict:

One of the films I looked forward to seeing at the 5th Annual Little Rock Film Festival in early June was “Cotton County Boys,” Collin Buchanan’s senior thesis film for the UCA (University of Central Arkansas) Filmmaking Program. What drew my attention to it was its clever, 70s-retro-style, 3 minute trailer and its cast, which included Levi Agee (film columnist for the Arkansas DemocratGazette), Lynnsee Provence (actor in “Shotgun Stories” and “War Eagle, Arkansas”), and Natalie Canerday (the mother from “Sling Blade”).

So on June 5th in Little Rock, I saw “Cotton County Boys” (which was 30 minutes long) when it was screened with five other short comedies made in Arkansas. I was hoping to like it…and I did. This is an enjoyable short comedy with a lot of laughs and many moments when I had a smile on my face. It also has a heart—the film fit right into its LRFF category title, which was “Hijinks and Heart.”

The titular “Cotton County Boys” are three dim-witted but well-meaning Southern brothers who still live with their mother and spend most of their time messing around and shooting each other with 4th-of-July rockets.

That’s actually how the movie opens—one of the brothers smells the morning air in a brief tender moment right before the others playfully shoot fireworks at him.

The conflict of the story is that the Cotton family needs to come up with $12,000 to save the family house from foreclosure (it was originally $11,000 until one of the brothers broke the process server’s car’s back window). So the brothers—Bobby (Terrell Case), Bo (Levi Agee, who also co-produced 38 | eyeonmag.com

this film and is credited as “Reuben Agee”), and Sammy (Lynnsee Provence) Cotton—decide to go job-hunting. Bobby finds a job at a fast-food restaurant, where he develops a crush on the attractive co-worker Hattie (Kelsie Louis Craig), and Bo and Sammy find a job painting birdhouses. (This is shown in a montage, which features cameos by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette film critic Philip Martin and Candice Hinkle, who played the land lady in “True Grit.”) Soon enough, though, they

get the idea to win the money by making their own funny home videos and sending them into their mother’s favorite TV show, which can be seen as a clone of “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”

This results in multiple shots to the crotch and other injuries. Now, as tired as I am of the comedic “shots to the crotch” cliché, it works here because a) they’re still funny here and b) they’re in the surface of the story. The sequences in which the boys film their own stunts using the family video camera are amusing, fun to watch, and actually about something. This could have been a formulaic romp about cardboard characters that simply run around nearly getting themselves killed. But no— director Collin Buchanan is very careful in making us empathize

Cotton County Boys with the characters. They’re not completely idiotic—in fact, Bobby, Bo, and Sammy are smart in their own way. And everything they do is for the family. This is where part of the film’s heart comes into place.

There are also some brief sweet moments between Bobby and Hattie, although their relationship could have gotten a little further before the emotional payoff at the end. Actually, this is what cost the film half-a-star. Maybe if the film were a little longer so it could have a few more moments with Bobby and Hattie, this would have gotten four stars instead of three-and-a-half.

But the true heart of “Cotton County Boys” lies within the relationship of the Cotton family. Terrell Case, Levi Agee, and Lynnsee Provence give good performances as these likable characters and have a nice rapport with each other, as well as with Natalie Canerday, who plays their mother. They add to the humor and heart of this endearing short film.

But wait! What review of a movie with ridiculous stunts could resist the joke, “Don’t try this at home?” N

Director Collin Buchanan

Eye On Homes continued from page 21

home with their daughter, Bailey Dawn, and family dog, Abby. The family agrees unanimously that the back patio and pool is their favorite feature of their home. Abby even gets in on the pool action, surfing atop a lounge float.

The Richardt’s enjoy entertaining family

and friends in their home. They treasure the peace and tranquility they have created within their home, which can best be described as, well…Early Pirate.

Randy and Michelle own and operate Reichardt Insurance Agency located at 908 Sidney Street in Batesville - 870-698-2928 N

July 2011 | 39

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