Can You Turn “Be a Millionaire Day” into Reality?

If you look hard enough, you can find many obscure holidays, but few of them can instantly capture people’s interest as much as Be a Millionaire Day, which is “celebrated” on May 20. While amassing a million dollars may not be as significant a milestone as it used to be, most of us would still feel pleased if we could someday attain “millionaire” status. While there are no perfect formulas or guarantees, here are some steps to consider when working toward any investment goal: Put time on your side. The earlier you begin saving and investing, the better your chances of reaching your financial goal. You can’t expect to “strike it rich” immediately with any single investment, but by investing year in and year out, and by choosing quality investment vehicles, you have the opportunity to achieve growth over time. Pay yourself first. If you wait until you “have a little extra money lying around” before you invest, you may well never invest. Instead, try to “pay yourself first.” Each month, move some money automatically from a checking or savings account into an investment. When you’re first starting out in the working world, you might not be able to afford much, but as you advance in your career, you can increase your contributions. Control your debts. It’s easier said than done, but if you can keep a lid on your debt payments, you’ll have more money with which to invest. Take advantage of tax deferral. When you invest in tax-deferred vehicles, such as a traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and your 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan, your money has the opportunity to grow faster than it would if placed in an investment on which you paid taxes each year. Of course, when you start taking withdrawals, presumably at retirement, you’ll have to pay taxes, but by then, you may be in a lower tax bracket. And since you’ll have some control over your withdrawals, you can help control taxes, too. Build share ownership. As an investor, one of the best things you can do to build your wealth is to increase the number of shares you own in your investments. So, look for buying opportunities, such as when prices are low. Also, consider reinvesting any dividends or distributions you may receive from your investments. Don’t be overly cautious. For your money to grow, you need to put a portion of your investment dollars in growth-oriented vehicles, such as stocks. It is certainly true that stock prices will always fluctuate, sometimes quite sharply, and you may receive more or less than your original investment when sold. But if you avoid stocks entirely in favor of more stable vehicles, you run the risk of earning returns that may not keep you ahead of inflation. As you approach retirement, and even during retirement, your portfolio will probably still need some growth potential. Work with your financial advisor to determine the appropriate approach for you. Think long term. By creating a long-term investment strategy and sticking to it, you’ll be less likely to take a “timeout” from investing in response to perceived negative news, such as market downturns and political crises. Following these suggestions may someday allow you to reach the point when your financial goals become a reality for you.

Lion Sight Problems

By: Phyllis and Jim Wilkins

For nearly 100 years, our members have worked on projects designed to prevent blindness, restore eyesight and improve eye care for hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Lions volunteer to take part in sight project that have: •Saved the sight of more than 15 million children by providing eye screening, glasses, and other treatments through Sight for Kids. •Provided nearly 8 million cataract surgeries. •Prevented serious vision loss for more than 30 million people worldwide.” (lionsclubs.org). Here in Arkansas the 4th Annual, Cycle for Sight, was held on May 12, sponsored by UMAS Jones Eye Institute and the Arkansas Eye Bank and Laboratory, and for the first time this year included the Kid’s Bike Rodeo. Arkansas Lions, including those here in Fairfield Bay also support the World Services for the Blind in Little Rock, the annual Arkansas Summer Camp for the Blind and other programs such as eyeglass recycling. We would like to invite everyone to our All-U-Can-Eat pancake breakfast on Tuesday, May 22 and again on Saturday, May 26. Our breakfasts will continue each Tuesday and Saturday morning from 7:30 a.m. til 10 a.m. and are priced at $5 for adults, $3.50 for youth 5 – 12 and children 4 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult. Breakfast includes all the pancakes you can eat, 2 sausage patties and either coffee or milk. Additional sausage is available for 2 for $1, milk for .25 and orange juice for .50. BINGO is held each Monday evening with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the first game called at 7 p.m. Our next regular meeting will be on Thursday 26 May with a pot luck supper at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting and game night at 6 p.m.

Conway League of Artists Studio & Gallery Tour, Saturday, May 12, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

 The Conway League of Artists is having a self-driving art tour of local studios and galleries. Three of Fairfield Bay’s local artists, Charlotte Rierson, Robbie Ingle, and Van Swink who are members of the Conway Artist League were selected to be in the Studio & Gallery Tour. Come and meet the  Artists and see works in progress. Artist information, addresses, and maps are on pamphlets and on web site.  Visit www.conleagueofartists.org for a detailed map of locations and information about the 21 participating artists.  The CLA Artwork includes watercolor, oil, acrylic, ceramic, sculpture and more!

The Art Gallery & Studio of Fairfield Bay is located 130 Village Place, Suite “I” (in the Lakewood Village Mall near Edward Jones); Fairfield Bay will be featuring

Robbie Ingle who specializes in oil painting impressionistic style of landscapes, still life’s, and water scenes on mostly large canvases. She began painting at age 13 and has been painting on and off for more than 50 years                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Van Swink  is a self-taught artist. He works in many mediums such as oil, acrylic,Charcoal, color pencils, pen & ink, and pastels. His work is unique and  Expressionistic.

Charlotte Rierson’s Art Spirit Journey has led her from the dance arts to expressing her deepest thoughts and emotions through painting. Charlotte’s evocative brushwork technique beckons viewers to learn more about the images depicted in her art. Watercolor is the media of her choice.

Marketing the Bay with TV Spots

Local entertainer and Storyfest producer Staz Ziolkowski with 5 Star Productions/TaylorMack Advertising on location at the “Cabin” at indian Hills CC Wednesday, May 2. TaylorMack is producing 8 TV spots highlighting some of the many amenities and great attributes of Fairfield Bay. Dozens of talented FFB residents and staff were the featured ‘actors’ in all of the spots. The new FFB logo, brand, advertising campaign and the results of a comprehensive research and discovery process will be revealed June 14. The advertising campaign includes TV, Print, Radio, Outdoor and Web.

EMS To Present Accident Prevention Program

The Fairfield Bay Emergency Medical Services will offer tips and strategies on accident prevention at the VBCMG’s plant sale Saturday. EMS Captain Bob Chaloupek and his team will utilize the Grass Roots Cabin at Ed Leamon Park to present three separate 20-minute presentations at 10, 10:30 and 11 o’clock at the annual event. The all-volunteer EMS group provides a vital service to the FFB community. “We made 547 calls last year,” Chaloupek said, “most of which were trauma related. Falls are one of the biggest problems here in the Bay, as so many of our residents are elderly.” The EMS crew are first responders to medical emergencies such as stroke, heart attacks and respiratory crises. “But 108 of our calls last year were made to persons who had fallen. And that will be the crux of our presentation at the park, since most falls are preventable,” Chaloupek added. “We will offer approaches to avoiding falls, falling in such a manner as not to break a bone, and what to do after a fall. But our main theme will be accident avoidance.” Emergency Service technicians are highly skilled. Training includes extensive, on-going instruction on methods of treating heart and pulmonary emergencies, stroke, bleeding, and broken bones—both at the site and then in the ambulance. To become certified, volunteers must complete six to eight months of 3-times-per-week training by instructors from Arkansas State University. Refresher courses every two years are mandatory for CPR state certification, Chaloupek added. “Nurses come from all over to take the training by volunteer Dave Foster, certified CPR instructor. Foster, a retired entomologist, has also held classes for Wyndom Resort at Fairfield Bay and the Hart Center. Eleanor Hilsenrath, VBCMG president was especially heartened to learn that Indian Rock Village has scheduled an outing for its independent and assisted living residents to avail themselves of the EMS presentation on plant sale morning. IRV auxiliary members will pair up with the residents to help them get to the program site to learn new skills of accident prevention. “The program would be a great pre-Mother’s Day present, too,” Hilsenrath said. “What better gift to a mother or grandmother than the lessening of the possibility of a debilitating fall.”

“Care Cap” Campaign Crawling

In response to community questions, Ingram Philips, president of Volunteer America-1776, reports the cancer project’s $20,000.00 fund drive is off to a slow start. “We have taken in about $2500 in six weeks,” he commented, “With another $5,000 expected from church designated offerings and renewal of three foundation grants. Every year, we experience challenges and, every year, people come forward to help. Ultimately, 2012 will be no different. We will make it.” Care Cap Connections™ has operated here and in the ARKLATX for six years. Over 42,000 head garments for women and girls in chemotherapy treatments at 24 medical centers and the American Cancer Society receive these donated caps. The work is performed by volunteers and no one is paid. The charity is a 501(c)(3), recognized for charitable deductions by the Internal Revenue Service and approved by the Arkansas Attorney General. Mary Philips, charity founder, says, ”I receive calls, emails and letters almost daily from patients, family members and clinic administrators thanking us for Care Caps and asking for more. The need is vast. Last week, my heart was warmed to talk with the director at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Kim Maes. Kim wanted more caps but understood our production situation so we simply chatted about the impact of our donations there. In another contact, I sent our instructional DVD and a pattern to a 14-year-old girl—who received her first cap while a patient at St. Jude Children’s Hospital. She is now at Philadelphia’s Ronald McDonald House wanting to sew caps for other children. What a blessing this project is for all of us involved!” Anyone who wishes to donate, checks may be sent to the Philips at 103 Tanglewood Circle, Fairfield Bay AR 72088, made out to Care Cap Connections. A receipt will be returned for tax purposes.  Ingram (who doubles as the care cap shipper and bookkeeper) says, “Anyone or any group who want to organize a personal or organizational fund drive for us will be greatly appreciated. No, I am not a golfer—you folks are going to have to set up that charity tournament yourselves! Ladies—send Mary your excess cotton fabric, 45”, clean and bright. No polyesters; no wools.” Aside from the fund drive, another aspect of public interest has been the introduction of the instructional video mentioned above in this article: Loaded on You Tube at the beginning of the year, the 13-minute segment showing Mary’s sewing a single garment has about 200 hits—from as far away as Malaysia and India, as well as Alaska. The viewing is steadily increasing. Mary is sending her hand-drawn patterns to places-afar on a regular basis. The DVD video series was donated last year by John and Lois Lorch of San Antonio, Bclip Productions, Baton Rouge/Asheville and 3Coasts.com. Its purpose is to show the complete Care Cap process in places where she cannot physically travel and to start independent operations.

Mike Murphy Announces Run For District Judge Seat

 Mike Murphy, candidate for District Judge, Division 1, made a campaign stop and impromptu stump speech prior to the April 9 Fairfield Bay city council meeting. Murphy is seeking one of two new judgeships in the May 22 election and said he was “barnstorming” through Van Buren County that evening to meet as many citizens as possible. During informal remarks prior to the meeting, Murphy thanked both city officials for their service and citizens attending the meeting for their participation in their local community. He discussed the creation of the new judicial district – District 9 – and stressed his goal of getting out and personally talking to voters about the challenges for the new court. Following his remarks, Murphy wished the citizens and council well on his way to the Senior Citizens Center next door before he traveled on to Shirley, where its city council was also slated to meet. Murphy, currently Conway’s city attorney, has been a prosecutor in district court (formerly municipal court) for over 21 years. Prior to his 1990 election as city attorney, Murphy served Van Buren and Faulkner counties as a deputy prosecuting attorney. A Faulkner County native, Murphy graduated from Conway High School in 1979. He attended the University of Central Arkansas and the University of Arkansas, receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas in 1983 with high honors. In 1986, Murphy received his law degree from the University of Arkansas and served as law clerk for the U. S. Magistrate Judge in Springfield, Missouri, before opening a private law practice in Conway in 1988. Murphy has taught government courses at the University of Central Arkansas as an adjunct instructor. Murphy currently serves on the Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council and is a past-president of the Arkansas City Attorneys Association. Murphy is a graduate of the Faulkner County Leadership Institute and a past Foothills District Chairman of the Quapaw Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He has served on the board of several community boards and commissions, including the Faulkner County Museum Commission. A son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Guy W. Murphy, Sr. of Conway, Murphy is a member of the First United Methodist Church and the father of three children: Katherine, Sarah and Jackson. Also a candidate for Division 1 district judge is David Reynolds, currently a circuit judge; in a separate race for Division 2, Susan Weaver and Amy Brazil are on the ballot.

Local Clinic Wins Quality Award

Picture are: (Left to Right) Brooke Davies, Office Manager; Dr. Stacy Zimmerman, (center); and Dr. Janet Wright, Executive Director of the Million Hearts Initiatives.

Ozark Internal Medicine and Pediatrics has earned a Platinum Award in the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care’s annual Quality Awards program. The Quality Awards are designed to recognize improvement in individual health care organizations’ performance in AFMC’s quality improvement projects. The Platinum Award is given to physician offices that satisfy all four of the physician office award criteria, which are: adoption of health information technology, adoption and utilization of population and care management methods, commitment and participation in data reporting quality initiatives and improvement in nationally recognized clinical quality measures. The award was presented at a dinner April 17 as part of AFMC’s annual Quality Conference in Hot Springs. AFMC congratulates Dr. Stacy Zimmerman and the staff at Ozark Internal Medicine and Pediatrics on its commitment to high-quality health care for the citizens of Arkansas. For 40 years, through utilization review, quality improvement projects and public education, the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care has worked to improve the health of Arkansans. Our mission statement: To promote excellence in health and health care through evaluation and education. Visit our online newsroom at www.afmc.org/media.

This Mother’s Day, Think of Lifetime Financial Moves to Help Kids

If you’re a mother, you’ll probably get some nice cards and flowers on Mother’s Day. But of course, your greatest gifts are your children themselves. And since you want to see them happy and financially secure, perhaps you can use this Mother’s Day as an opportunity to consider ways to help your children at various stages of their lives. So, let’s take a look at steps you can take: When Your Children Are Young Teach them to be savers — Encourage young children to put away part of their allowance, or any money they receive for household jobs, in a savings account. Offer to match their contributions dollar for dollar. Help them become investors — Consider giving your children a few shares of stock in companies with which they are familiar. By following the movements of their stocks with them, you can explain how the markets work and how increasing share ownership is one key to helping build wealth. Contribute to a college savings plan — One of the best things you can do to boost your children’s chances of success in life is to help them go to college. You’ve got several good college-savings vehicles available, such as a 529 plans, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and custodial accounts. Your financial advisor can help you choose the vehicle that suits your needs and objectives. When Your Children Enter the Working World Encourage IRA contributions — An Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is a great retirement savings vehicle. As long as your children have earned income, they can contribute to an IRA, so you may want to help them “max out” on their contributions each year. While you can’t directly contribute to a child’s IRA, you can write a check to your child and encourage him or her to use it for funding an IRA. Make long-term care arrangements — If you needed long-term care, such as an extended nursing home stay, and you had inadequate financial preparations, the burden could fall on your children. Now is the time to consult with your financial advisor to begin preparing for possible long-term care costs. When Your Children Reach Middle Age Communicate your financial situation and estate plans — Don’t leave adult children in the dark as to your financial information. Share everything you can about how much you own, where you keep your assets and how you plan to eventually distribute them. By clearly communicating your situation and wishes now, you can avoid major problems later. Create a durable power of attorney — By creating a durable power of attorney, you can appoint another person, such as an adult child, to conduct your business and financial affairs if you become physically or mentally incapacitated. Such a move can help reduce stress your children may be feeling, while allowing them to make moves that can help preserve your finances. Mother’s Day commemorates the special bond that mothers have with their children. By following the above suggestions, you can help strengthen that bond throughout your lifetime.

Becoming A Lion

by Lions Phyllis & Jim Wilkins

The lifeblood of any civic or service club can be found in it’s membership. Lions International is made up of some 46,000 clubs and 1.35 million members making it the world’s largest service club organization. Pictured above Fairfield Bay Lions Club President Jim Meadows presents Past President Jim Wilkins with the President’s Retention Campaign patch and certificate for 2010 – 2011. With the addition of four new members in April, our local club has some 60 members and is one of the larger and most active clubs in Arkansas District 7-O. The Fairfield Bay Lions meet the second and fourth Thursday of each month at the Lions Den on Dave Creek Parkway. With proceeds generated by our membership thru dues, pancake breakfasts, BINGO and other fund raising activities local Lions support eyesight programs, youth programs, our Sunshine Room (with loan items such as wheel chairs, walkers, crutches and other items for those with physical impairments) and civic projects such as the Lions Amphitheater at Meade park. The ability to achieve our motto of “We Serve” and reach those in need is directly tied to not only maintaining our membership but increasing it. We encourage all Fairfield Bay Lions to talk with your neighbors and especially new residents of Fairfield Bay about our Lions Club and invite them to our meeting on Thursday May 24th which will be a game night along with a pot luck supper. Dinner will be at 5:30 pm followed by fun and games. Our next regular meeting will be on Thursday May 10 when our speaker will be Geary Leason with information on the Outreach in the Hills program. For information about becoming a Lion please contact our Membership Chair – Lion Mary Meadows at 884-6388. BINGO is held each Monday evening at the Lions Club with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the first game beginning at 7 p.m. and drinks and snacks are available. Our first All-U-Can Eat Pancakes breakfast will be on Tuesday morning May 22 and our first Saturday breakfast on the May 26. Breakfast is available from 7:30 – 10 a.m. for $5 for adults, $3.50 for youth 5 – 12 and children 4 and under free when accompanied by a paying adult.

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