Local News - July 11, 2013

As published on the White River Current - Thursday July 11, 2013

You are probably surprised to see me again so soon.  Our mutual friend, Tom*, very politely

asked me to swap weeks again because he would be en route to his summer cottage which is

located on the banks of Skiff Lake in New Brunswick, Canada.  Of course, I very graciously

agreed, not thinking that he would have the next two weeks and it would be three weeks before

you could have another Rambling column.  This could cause some of you readers to have a

severe attack of “Rambling withdrawal.”  I am going to suggest that you stop reading right now

and save this issue until next week.  This might ward off the attack, which I have been told can

be very distressing.  Please accept my sincere apologies.  I will discuss this with Tom* and make

his aware of the consequences of his actions.  In the meantime, I will use my time this week to

briefly comment on several issues, most of them newsy but probably not especially newsworthy. 

Shelby and Beth made it home safely after a long trip in their RV (a 1966 GMC bus/conversion)

to Washington (state) for a granddaughter’s HS graduation so we were able to have a semiregular meeting of the OFC.  You remember Shelby.  He’s the one who attended school here

until the tenth grade when the family moved to Oregon.  A graduate of the US Naval Academy

which may have waterlogged his brain, he can’t remember the house he lived in back when the

family was in Calico Rock.  I am fortunate to have a great memory and plan to devote a

discussion on memory in a future issue.  Anyway, moving on.  The Peppersauce Players had

their premiere performance at the newly renovated Music Hall several days ago.  The response

of the audience was, for the most part, positive.  Future performances are planned for the Fall

season.  Go by and visit the music hall and treat yourself to a breath-taking experience when you

observe all that Charles has done in restoring the old Methodist Church building.  Speaking of

Methodists, the local congregation has a new pastor.  Bill, his wife and two young children,

moved into the parsonage the last of June.  I hated to see Pastor Mike and Nancy move away

from us but I guess that’s the way Methodists do things.  I’m looking forward to welcoming the

new family to our fair city and wish them the best as they continue their ministry here.  And I

guess I should, although somewhat begrudgingly, give a symbolic goodbye wave to Mike and

Nancy, a great couple that I will remember for a long time.  The Lions Club Fireworks Show

was a great success last week.  A large crowd was assembled at the King Park to enjoy the

annual pyrotechnic bonanza that illuminated the night sky with silver and gold stars.  Did you

know fireworks had names?  Well, they do, such as Willow, Palm, Spider and Peony to name a

few.  We saw them all last week in what many described as one of the best shows ever.  Thanks

to the Lions Club and everyone who contributed in some way to make this event possible.  I

remember the very first fireworks show from several years ago.  Rayvon, Lions Club Treasurer,

made the trip to Jacksonville to purchase the supplies.  Members of the fire department

volunteered to man the cannons and do the necessary ignition of the shells to propel them high

into the air to provide the picturesque displays.  Sounds good but there was trouble ahead. 

Darkness arrived but it was several minutes before the first shot went up.  Then another five or

ten minutes before shot number two.  The show continued for what seemed like an eternity

before the last shell was launched.  My nephew from Salt Lake City was visiting us at the time. 

He couldn’t wait to tell his friends back home that he had been to a small Arkansas town over

the holiday and had seen a fireworks show that had lasted for almost three hours.  Now, and I

think it was a good decision, the show is handled by a professional group from out-of-town.  Just

another example of the fun it is to live in a small town.  That’s about it in the newsy department

of the Ramblings column for this week.  Have a good summer and I’ll see you in three weeks. 

Bye for now.