D (USPS156-140) Vol. 131, Number 50 DeWitt, AR 72042 • 16 Pages • 2 Sections • 75 cents
HS Physics Students Hold Catapult Competition
Story and Photos on Page 8A
Serving Arkansas k County, Arkansas k Since 1882 Thursday, December 12, 2013
Documentary Short to Screen at the 200th Anniversary Bicentennial Celebration
AROUND THE COUNTY
CITY CHRISTMAS CLOSINGS
City of DeWitt Offices will be closed December 24 and 25 for Christmas, and December 31 and January 1 for the New Year.
HOLIDAY GARBAGE PICKUP
The City of DeWitt Garbage pickup for the week of December 24, 25, 31 and January 1 will be as follows: Tuesday pickup will be on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday pickup will be Thursday, and Friday pickup will be Friday.
ARKANSAS COUNTY BANK OPEN HOUSE
Arkansas County Bank will hold its Christmas Open House Friday, December 13 from Noon until 4 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Santa will arrive at 2:00 p.m. for pictures.
SATURDAY NIGHT ON THE CORNER
It’s time for those Christmas carols to be sung. Come celebrate with us on December 14, 2013, at 5:30 p.m. at Lodge Corner United Methodist Church, in the fellowship hall, with George Crumbly pastor of Humphrey United Methodist Church. We will be bringing the carols of Christmas! Located half way between Stuttgart and DeWitt on Hwy 165.
10TH ANNUAL BARBARA WEST TOY DRIVE
The 10th Annual Toy Drive will be held December 21 at Young Insurance Agency, 123 S. Main St in DeWitt. The hours are 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Parents/ guardians MUST bring the children (ages 11 and under) to pick up toys. For more information call 870-946-4400.
By Kevin Brown It’s been a decade in the documenting and nearly two centuries and counting in the creation. Filmmaker Melanie Masino is bringing highlights in the form of a short from her upcoming documentary On Solid Ground: The River Rats of Arkansas to the 200th Bi-Centennial Celebration of Arkansas County. The film seeks to be a thorough and objective depiction of a unique, encapsulated and at one point, almost forgotten way of life on the lower White River dating back to the pre-Civil War Era. It has been seen at documentary film festivals and received international recognition at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. Through numerous interviews with survivors and their descendants, the film offers flesh and blood testaments and enriching tales to an almost extinct cultural existence that is now seeing a resurgence, not only in interest, but in some of those descendants reverting back to the minimalistic and natural lifestyle centered around the lifeline of the river. Masino said they were unaware of this resurgence when filming began, but over the span of ten years and the people found during the process, it began to discover and shape itself, which brought the story full circle. “It became sort of a story of Old River and now New River.” Masino also stresses the critical moral import of
accuracy and the unbiased approach the film takes, but adds the process has become personal work for her and her crew. “The people I’ve talked to and interviewed, some are in their nineties, and if I don’t hear from them for a while I’ll call them,” she said. “Their love and devotion to the river is like nothing else we’ve encountered. It is inspiring and we are thrilled to share some highlights of the special stories we’ve accumulated over the years with a local audience.” The short will be screened at the County Clerk’s Office at three different times: 10:30, 11:30, and 12:30pm. Please come out and learn about a piece of our rich history and support On Solid Ground: The River Rats of Arkansas.
Arkansas County Officials & The Arkansas County Bi-Centennial Committee invites you to attend
Arkansas County’s Bicentennial Celebration Saturday, December 14th from 9am to 4pm Arkansas County Courthouse • 101 Court Square, DeWitt