Sue McDearmon, age 87, of Fairfield Bay, Arkansas, passed away Sunday, December 26, 2010, at the Ozark Health Medical Center in Clinton. Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on September 1, 1923, she was the daughter of the late Marvin Archer and Emma Grace (Cobb) McDearmon. A resident of Fairfield Bay since 1981, Miss McDearmon was a retired loan counselor for Continental Federal Savings and Loan in Oklahoma City. She was a member of the Presbyterian Kirk of the Hills at Fairfield Bay. Miss McDearmon was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her sister, Emma McDearmon of Fairfield Bay; her cousins, including Mrs. J. L. Thornbrough, Laveta Knox, and Robert Yates, and by her many friends. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, January 4, 2011, at 11:00 a.m. at the Indian Rock Village Gallery Room at Fairfield Bay with Rev. Robert Hadley officiating. Interment will follow in Woodland Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Presbyterian Kirk of the Hills, 250 Dave Creek Pkwy., Fairfield Bay, AR 72088. Arrangements are by Olmstead Funeral Home. www.olmstead.cc
Ardith Virginia Taylor – 90 of Fairfield Bay, Ark. went on to be with the Lord Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at Ozark Nursing Home in Clinton, Ark. She was born in Kansas on January 19, 1920 to the late Farris & Ruby Woolridge. The Taylors lived in San Diego until Ardith and Tom moved to Fairfield Bay in 1988. She was of the Methodist Faith. She was a devoted wife and mother. Mrs. Taylor worked part time as noon duty Teacher at Crown Point Elementary School in San Diego for 10 years. Ardith never knew any strangers. She always enjoyed talking with others about family and life stories. She was loved and will be greatly missed by the people that she loved and enjoyed being with. Ardith will especially be remembered by her son for her love and devotion to her family. To all her Bingo friends she loves you “play ball”.
2011 IHCC Hours
Monday thru Wednesday 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
CLOSED Thursdays
Friday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Saturday 5 p.m.-9 p.m.
CLOSED Sundays
Marina Closing
The Fairfield Bay Marina will be closed on Friday, December 24 through Monday, December 27. The marina will also be closed Saturday, January 1, Sunday, January 2 and Monday, January 3.
Swearing In
The Swearing In Ceremony for the newly elected public officials will be held on Saturday, January 1, 2011 at the Van Buren County court house at 12 p.m. with Judge Clausen presiding.
Trash Schedule
There will be no trash pick up on Friday, Dec 31, 2010 and Monday, Jan 3, 2011. Thursday’s and Friday’s routes will be picked up on Thursday, Dec 30. Monday and Tuesday routes will be picked up on Tuesday, Jan 4.
Books for the Blind
and physically handicapped individuals in new digital format. Applications for this Free Library Service available at the Fairfield Bay Library. Digital player included in the program….No costs to you! Call 501-884-4930 with questions.
This years “PLUNGE” will be dedicated in honor of our dearly departed friend Wayne Beaumont, an original Chunky Dunker, who passed away in October 2010.
Saturday, January 1, 2011 we will meet at the V.F.W. around noon for libations, then proceed to F.F.B. Marina at 1:45 p.m. for the 2 p.m. “PLUNGE”.
Dick and Larry will supply their famous chili as in the past.
This year all donations will be given to the V.F.W. Ladies Auxiliary 4513 for their Cancer-Aid and Research Program.
Come join in the fun or just watch and then return to the V.F.W. for football, chili and celebrate the New Year.
Any questions you have, please call Dick or Patti at 884-4994. Everyone is welcome to come out and participate.
Animal Protection League Donation…Robert Zeiler of Chesapeak is proud to make a donation to the Fairfield Bay Animal Protection League.
Receiving the check is Angela Worrell, APL treasurer and Bob Holiday, APL president elect.
Corps to Recycle Christmas Trees for Fish Cover
Christmas trees don’t have to go to the trash after Christmas. In fact, all those trees on display in homes and businesses across the area can be put to good use. After the holidays, complete your gift giving by donating your tree to the fish in Greers Ferry Lake.
Donated trees will be used to create fish habitat by placing fish shelters made of bundles of Christmas trees in the lake.
Donated trees can be dropped off from Dec. 26 until Jan. 9 at the Sandy Beach boat ramp in the Heber Springs area, at the Devils Fork Park new high-water boat ramp in the Greers Ferry, Fairfield Bay area, or at the boat ramp in Choctaw Park in the Clinton area. When dropping off your tree please do not block access to the ramps for those folks wanting to launch boats.
Only live trees, not artificial ones, with all the tinsel and ornaments removed will be used to make the fish shelters. Local businesses that have leftover trees that did not sell are welcome to drop off their trees as well.
Take advantage of this opportunity to improve fish habitat and provide better sport fishing opportunities at our lake. It is a gift that keeps on giving!
Volunteers are welcome to help drop the trees into the lake. For more information, call the Army Corps of Engineers’ Greers Ferry Project Office at (501) 362-2416.
Fred Hilsenrath Report of Dec 15 2010
This week we had the privilege to listen to our elected mayor Paul Wellenberger. He talked about Fairfield Bay budgets, obligations and planned improvements.
Paul reviewed the preliminary 2011 city budget. A high level overview of income streams and planned expenditures (see chart below) revealed a tight but balanced budget and gave us good insight into what the city was responsible for and what the major budget challenges are. The new census will impact Van Buren County Sales and Use tax income beginning on July 1st. This source of revenue decreased from $482,000 in 2008 to $286,000 in 2010. Paul then discussed plans for a courtesy/fishing dock at the marina boat ramp. We were given a 3 seconds to read test on the new billboard planned for US 65. We all passed. Look for it in January on your way home from Conway. Paul concluded with general discussion on recent personnel changes, gas exploration, short term lodging needs, and the conference center.
by Lions Phyllis & Jim Wilkin
With Thanksgiving and Christmas 2010 behind us now we look forward to the New Year of 2011. Thanksgiving and Christmas seem to lead us to friends, family and remembrances. During the holiday season it seems that we sometimes go from party to party, dinner to dinner and shopping to more shopping. The time we are able to spend with friends and family seems to grow more special the older we become and the memories of past Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations become better and better. With the coming of a New Year we are able to reflect on the past year and make those pledges for next year. This past year was highlighted for us by our trip to Little Rock to the Lions World Services for the Blind and the wonderful work we saw being performed there. The FFB Lions were involved in many service projects this year from providing assistance for eye exams and glasses, donating to and participating in the Arkansas Alzheimer Walk, and working with our various youth projects. In 2011 we look forward to doing many projects and continuing to strive towards our motto of “We Serve”.
Our first meeting of 2011 will be on Thursday, January 13th, with dinner being served at 5:30 pm and our regular meeting at 6 pm. From Lion Phyllis and Lion Jim we wish all our FFB Lion family a Happy New Year. From all the FFB Lions we wish our friends and neighbors here in Fairfield Bay a safe, happy and prosperous New Year.
Now that 2011 is almost here, you may want to make some New Year’s resolutions. Planning to volunteer? Go to the gym more often? Learn a new language? All worthy ambitions, of course, but this year, why not add some financial resolutions as well?
Which resolutions should you make? Here are a few ideas to consider:
Look for opportunities. With the uncertainties in the economy and the volatility of the financial markets, many people decide to head to the investment “sidelines” for a while. Yet, this environment may actually be a good one for investors with patience, discipline and the ability to look beyond yesterday’s headlines. For one thing, many quality securities are now good values. Also, we’re still seeing low inflation and low interest rates — factors that may lead to greater economic demand and improved strength in the financial markets.
Don’t over-react to market swings. Over the past few years, we’ve seen plenty of sudden, sharp swings in the financial markets, and you’re likely going to see more of them in 2011. Don’t over-react to either the “ups” or the “downs” of the market. Over-reacting leads to short-term thinking — and successful investors are the ones who can maintain a long-term perspective.
Rebalance when necessary. At least once a year, review and rebalance your portfolio, as necessary, to make sure it still reflects your goals, risk tolerance and family situation, all of which can change over time.
Reduce your debts. While the sluggish economy of the past couple of years has obviously been a cause of concern for everyone, we have seen one “silver lining” in that many people, concerned about over-spending, have shed some of their debt load. The less money you have to spend on your debts, the more you’ll have available to invest for your future, so do what you can to cut down on what you owe.
Maintain adequate cash levels. As an investor, you’ve got at least two good reasons for maintaining enough cash in your portfolio. First, having adequate cash available means you’ll be ready to act quickly to take advantage of good investment opportunities. And second, by having a cash cushion, you won’t be forced to liquidate long-term investments to pay for short-term needs such as a major car repair, a new furnace, a big doctor’s bill, and so on.
By following these suggestions, you can position yourself to make progress toward your long-term goals in 2011 — and in all the New Years that follow.
House Call column by Dr. Charles W. Smith, Executive Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Q: I’ve had chronic heartburn and over-the-counter medications that used to do the trick don’t seem to be working anymore. Can you suggest something?
A: Patients with heartburn should see their doctor to try to determine the cause and to make sure that there isn’t some other problem that needs to be addressed.
One possibility is gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, which is a backflow of stomach acid and juices into the esophagus – the tube that connects the throat to the stomach. A frequent burning or discomfort just behind the breastbone, usually after eating, could be an indication of GERD. According to health experts, most GERD sufferers do not monitor their condition despite the fact that 5 percent to 15 percent of GERD patients may have Barrett’s Esophagus, a condition that increases the risk of developing esophageal cancer.
There are prescription medications that can treat chronic heartburn and GERD. There are simple lifestyle and diet changes that will help. Plus, in your case, determining the cause of this problem will give you peace of mind and probably a better night’s sleep.
Q: Lately, I wake up each morning and the first joint in my right pinky finger is sore and stiff. When I curl it, then try to straighten it out, there’s an instant of resistance, then it feels like it “pops” into action. After moving it some, the stiffness fades. I’m in my 30s, but could this be arthritis?
A: Although you would seem young for the most common form of joint stiffness, osteoarthritis, anyone at any age can have sticky ligaments. There is a condition that fits some of the symptoms you’re experiencing called trigger finger but it doesn’t have anything to do with firing a gun.
Trigger finger occurs when the tendon and its tunnel-like sheath in the finger thicken or swell and prevent smooth motion. When trying to straighten the finger, the tendon becomes momentarily stuck in the sheath because of the thickness, and then pops as the tendon slides past the tight area.
Although the exact cause is not known, this condition appears more common in those with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or who have injured that joint. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications can help with the soreness. This isn’t a dangerous condition but I recommend talking to your doctor, who can diagnose the problem. Depending upon the severity of the symptoms, an injection or even a minor surgery may be an option.
E-mail your health questions to Dr. Smith at housecall@uams.edu. Dr. Smith is the executive associate dean for clinical affairs, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
“A Holiday (Handicap Tag) Request”
Marsha Reiniers of Spring Hill, Florida, reads this column in the daily Hernando Today. She has an interesting request this Christmas season and upcoming winter: If you have a disability parking sticker, physically are having a “good” day and could walk from further away in a parking lot, consider being a Good Samaritan and giving up your parking spot to a person with a disability more in need.
“It’s a touchy subject here in Florida because we have so many people in their 80s and 90s who are disabled and need assistance walking,” said Reiniers in a telephone interview. “Disability is close to my heart because of what I do as a long-term care insurance specialist and because disability affects my older brother and parents.”
As for her 67-year-old brother: he incurred work-related injuries and had back surgery that went awry in 1997. He uses an electric wheelchair, employs 24-hour caregivers, and has paralysis from the chest down. He has had two shoulder surgeries.
Said Reiniers, “So my brother is physically limited in what he can do. For example, when he and his wife go out to eat and the handicap parking section is filled, she has to block traffic at the restaurant’s front door to lower him in his side-door wheelchair lift, leave him there, and drive to find a spot before returning to him.” She then has to repeat the entire process in reverse when leaving a restaurant.
What bothers Reiniers most occurs when she sees a person using a handicap spot and then later tirelessly walking around a grocery store for an hour or two.
As for her parents: They are 87 and 90, live independently, and recently began looking at long-term care options. She said, “My parents really need (a handicap tag) but refuse getting one because they feel they can walk, albeit with a cane. They feel they don’t deserve a handicap spot and don’t want to take away one from someone in worse shape.”
In Florida, she said all people need do to acquire a handicap tag is ask their doctor to fill out a certification form for sending to the state department of motor vehicles. That state department doesn’t ask questions.
Again, she asked readers with handicap tags who are able to walk well on any given day to “perhaps just consider others who aren’t as capable.”
Contact danieljvance.com (Blue Valley Sod and Palmer Bus Service made this column possible.)
Dear Editor,
A Big Puppet Thank You.
It was a fun filled year for the Holiday Puppets. Nearly 700 little and big people attended the weekly summer shows and special performances at the Puppet Playhouse in the Artisans Gift Gallery in Fairfield Bay. The puppets also entertained children from West Side and Concord schools.
The cast of 24 puppets and their three assistants, Bob, Rosemary and Polly extend a big puppet THANK YOU for the support from Sheryl and Linda at Recreation, all the ladies at Wyndham’s welcome center, KFFB, Channel 6 Cable TV, NCAF&E, the Fairfield Bay Chamber of Commerce, and the Fairfield Bay News.
We hope all the residents and visitors who saw the shows had as much fun as we did.
Bob, Rosemary and Polly
Stagehands to the Playhouse Puppets
Next Page »
News Feed
