Fairfield Bay “On Patrol” 4-1-12 – 4-15-12

By: Chris Waring April 1 2012 saw the installation of a new police chief for Fairfield Bay. John Willoughby took over for the retired Kerry Brown and has a tough act to follow. Your Fairfield Bay police department has 6 officers Sgt David Burnett, Detective Jack Phillips, Corporal Chris Waring, Officer Ray Dearmon and Officer Mark Roddenberry. I will be writing this article every two weeks for the paper and hope to be both informative and occasionally show some of the humorous things that happen in the bay. I would like your input on topics that concern you so you may contact me at cwaring40@yahoo.com and I promise to answer every question or complaint or forward them to the Chief or the Mayor if need be. During the first two weeks in April we conducted 29 traffic stops. Of these 12 were for speeding, 5 for running stop signs, 1 for careless driving, 4 for defective equipment, 1 driving on suspended license, 5 no license plate and 1 for driving a 4 wheeler on the highway. 1 traffic citation was issued during this period. Officers answered 5 disturbance calls, 1 domestic dispute, worked 4 accidents, checked out 2 suspicious persons, had 3 reports of harassment, 1 shoplifting call and 37 public service calls (these can range from rescue calls, welfare checks, alarm calls etc.) Arrests made during this period, 1 for possesion of a controlled substance, 1 for disorderly conduct, 2 for public intoxication and 3 for outstanding warrants. Please drive safely and have a great couple of weeks.

Tessa Ann Marie Stuart

Mr. & Mrs. Troy Stuart would like to announce the birth of their daughter, Tessa Ann Marie Stuart on April 5, 2012. Tessa weighed in at a healthy 9 lbs. 2 pz. Trina Carrie, Troy and Tessa make their home in Cocoa, Florida. Grandparents Carl and Marie Cecil reside in Palm Bay, FL. Grandparents Gary and Sherry Guess of Fairfield Bay will welcome the Stuarts later this summer for Tessa’s very first family vacation.

Story Fest III A Great Success

Sherry Guess, Staff Writer

Saturday morning, April 21, 2012 dawned crisp and clear and the Storytelling gods smiled. This years event went off without a hitch and without a cloud in the sky to dampen our enthusiastic audience who filled the story telling tents early armed with fresh hot coffee and some sweet goodies provided by our vendors. Parking was ample in all the lots surrounding the storytelling tents in the Village Shopping Mall and at other facilities in close proximity. Volunteers sporting vivid green badges were scattered throughout the area to offer assistance as needed in arranging cart rides to those who needed help or pointing out various other important locations, such as public restrooms, availability of water, programs, badge sales or tent seating in either one of the very large tents, etc. Sharon Luxon and David McBee served at emcees in the tents, calling our attention to the stage when 10 a.m. finally arrived and giving introductions for each professional teller. As each storyteller took the stage for their morning session, the crowd greeted them with high expectations and the joy normally displayed by small children at Christmas. Parked in Tent “A” for the morning session with camera and tripod at the ready, I witnessed the delightful and entertaining story telling of Dan Keding, Lyn Ford, Beth Horner and Kevin Cordi, each offering up one half hour of colorful stories, sometimes so funny we laughed while clutching our sides, and occasionally so poignant we reached for a kleenex (sometimes just a sleeve!). The morning literally flew by, leaving us all wanting more, more and more stories. Breaking for lunch, we all had some idea of the fare offered at all the vendors stations, judging for the smells that permeated the tents right before we got our break. Some rushed quickly for pulled pork bar-b-que from The Little Red, while others opted for a fried chicken dinner from Jack’s or the Kirk of the HIlls Men’s group for Jambalaya or those plump and juicy “Dogs” we all love. Stringbeanz had desserts well covered with lots of homemade treats, including special Shirley grown strawberries over pound cake and topped with gobs of whipped cream. The Scouts offered snack food, like chips, Roger Hooper, our County judge was serving up fresh hot coffee. Kids flocked over to the Holiday Puppets who performed during the lunch break and offered free lessons in controlling the adorable puppets and marionettes. Van Swink had the Art Studio open for visitors as did the Bay Boutique and Sweet Shoppe, all the Realtor’s offices and other Bay businesses to assist and provide for any visitor’s needs while here in The Bay. Once we had satisfied our hunger pangs and our sweets craving, we scurried back to our tents and prepared to be thoroughly entertained once more by all four of our Storytellers. This time, we decided to migrate to Tent “B” to get a different viewpoint. Honestly, I can say that whichever tent you chose, your entertainment value was just as great! All afternoon, we were regaled with an hours’ worth of high adventures and time worn family stories from each guest teller. Speaking only for myself, I can tell you that the value of a good story really hit home for me in a very personal way. I found myself recalling more and more of my own family’s history and stories told to me over all the years of my childhood. At the end of it all, i resolved to do two things: Put Story Fest IV on my calendar for April 20, 2013 and conjure up all my best stories to tell my grandkids when they visit this summer! Nothing can replace the stories I heard long ago in my own family and no other entertainment we’ve had in The Bay has ever impacted me more on a personal level than the Story Fest. Thanks Stas’ Productions, Stas’ Ziolkowski, all the Sponsors, Friends, Patrons and Volunteers who made this event a reality and a huge success. Story Fest III Leaves Us Wanting More Stories

Master Gardeners To Host Vendors At Annual Plant Sale

Up to 30 vendors will offer their wares at the Van Buren County Master Gardeners’ May 12th plant sale at Fairfield Bay’s Ed Leamon Park. “Our vendors are a vital part of our plant sale,” MG Vice-President Verna Hicks said. “Guests enjoy strolling through the displays and registering for the great door prizes each vendor gives to a lucky winner.” Vendors offer a variety of arts, crafts, and plant supplements. Stone masonry, domestic and Mexican pottery, rain barrels, dear posts and netting, rock planters, and garden art, are a few of the attractive offerings. Gardening soils and mulch will also be for sale. Hicks hopes for a big turnout for the association’s only fund-raiser of the year. “Mark your calendars and join us for a fun-filled morning.” Nine tables of hundreds of plants will be set up for easy access. Janet Carson and local master gardeners will be on hand to answer questions. Good food, demonstrations, and a presentation on accident prevention by the FFB Emergency Medical Services, are also on the bill. Admission is free.

FFB Shelter News

To all of our wonderful community members we like to share the good stories with you, but we also have to share the bad. Educating the community is what we are all about. FFB Shelter is open from 7 a.m until 3 p.m, we do not charge a fee for our owner surrenders. We have had quite a few “dumped” overnight at the shelter which, is illegal. We are always happy to work with our community to find safe havens for their animals with no questions asked, or even help them in finding a new place for the lovable furfriend. Recently this little guy (in the picture) was one of the furries “dumped” overnight at our shelter. The person who left them there was kind enough to leave hay and a blanket for him and even called and left a voicemail on the shelter machine. The sad part is the dog was injured and no one was there to examine his wounds, he appears to have been neutered by someone who was not a licensed veterinarian. This poor sweet guy will be taken care of and make a recovery but not untill medications get the infection out of his body. He is slated to go to Gentle Souls Pit Bull Rescue where he will be given the utmost care and attention in a foster home until he is trusting enough to be adopted out. We beg those in and around our community to please not try any sort of surgeries at home on any animal, please always feel free to contact us for any information on Low Cost Spay & Neuter, help with food or even questions on surrendering your animal. Anyone with any information on the owner or the vicinity of where this animal was found before being taken to the shelter please contact the shelter employees at (501)884-6417.

Champions Among Us

 

Left is Alex Klepko, age 12, from Fairfield Bay who won 2nd place in traditional forms, weapons and sparring at the ATA Spring Nationals held in Las Vegas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left, here is Ashton Klepko, age 9, also of Fairfield Bay, who won 3rd place in sparring and traditional forms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At lower left is Zachary Holder, age 13 from Greers Ferry who took 1st place in Extreme Forms and creative weapons divisions. He also placed 2nd in traditional form, creative forms and extreme weapons division. The Spring Nationals were recently held in Las Vegas and all three boys represented themselves very well. We will be looking forward to hearing about their cometition at the World Championship to be held in Little Rock, AR in June.

Heber Springs Holds Springfest

Join us in beautiful downtown Heber Springs and Spring Park April 27 – 29 for the 25th Annual Springfest. For more information, contact the Heber Springs Area Chamber of Commerce at 501-362-2444 or visit their website at www.heber-springs.com. Springfest is sponsored by McDonald’s, XTO Energy, HARPS, Southwestern Energy, Heber Springs A&P Commission, Bound by Nature, Holiday Inn Express and KFFB 106.1 FM.

An Easter Poem by Mary Martin

 

About two thousand years or so ago,
Our God in heaven, upon us, a savior he did bestow.
A woman named Mary carried him, in her womb.
Not knowing, someday she would see him layed in a tomb.
Even as she wrapped him in swaldding cloth and layed him in a manger.
She had no idea; soon they would flee from the danger.
And from a young boy to a man he did grow.
Knowing he had but a short time his fathers seeds to sow.
So he walked the valleys and the hills, He told them all about his fathers will.
And as they gazed upon his face,
They did not know, that he came, to prepare for them a place.
Then as his popularity began to grow,
There were, those, who saw him, as a mighty foe.
So he played right into their hands.
For himself he did not try to make a stand.
He knew the price he had to pay.
And finally, it was, the dawning of the day.
And as they nailed him to the cross,
It was for our gain, not for our loss. A
nd as we tell the old, old story.
We know the Lord, will come back onbe day soon, in all his glory.
And when the final curtain comes down.
How many, of our loved ones, will be there to be found?

Kirk Men Build Park Benches At Cabin

By Janet Hill

Apologies to TV’s Larry the Cable Guy, but when the Kirk Men’s Club puts its collective mind to something, it usually doesn’t take long to “git ‘er done!” Several members of the club descended en masse (as a group) upon Fairfield Bay’s Ed Leamon Park early Monday morning and in a matter of a scant few hours made quick work of the last major phase of the Grass Roots Cabin project—the completion of eight 8-ft long cedar slab benches. The cabin has been a work in progress since 2010. Chesapeake Oil Company, the Fairfield Bay Community Club, and the Van Buren County Master Gardeners each contributed to its funding. The rustic structure with raised porch and railing is shaded by large native trees which fill the small glen on the northern perimeter of the Woodland Garden. A “blue bottle” tree, and a sculptured birdbath designed by artist Gera McChesney, add a serene and graceful ambiance to the wooded setting. The intended purpose of the cabin is for the community to have a natural venue for public education. With the porch as a lectern and the benches as an auditorium, the pretty site will prove to be a perfect place for scout and school groups, and garden clubs and other city and county organizations, to hold meetings or to present instructional programs. It will also provide a nice resting area for those who have enjoyed wandering through the Woodland Garden from its southern border (the miniature golf course) to the cabin site at its northern edge. Log benches were part of the original cabin project plan, but it was Greers Ferry Master Gardener Dianne Percefull’s artistic eye that spotted just the perfect ones when she toured the trails at the South Fork Nature Center last year with her Fairfield Bay Garden Club. She mentioned to tour-guide and fellow MG member, Steve Smith, that the split-log style would blend perfectly with the cabin site. The design was approved and the hunt for materials begun. “Since we were about to order new slabs for the expanding trails at North Fork, I ordered a few more for the park,” Smith said. “But the saw mill over at Formosa had run out of large cedars, so Bob Hartman and I wound up having to harvest several from his property.” Hartman, a fellow naturalist and good friend of Smith, is a South Fork Nature Center docent and Audubon Society member. “I hauled the split logs over to the cabin last fall where I figured they would sit idle until a date we had tentatively set for early April. I was delighted to learn that Bob Berdine and the Kirk guys got the jump on that.” Originated within the Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church, the Kirk Men’s Club is an ecumenical group whose members are found throughout the community and within many volunteer and non-profit community organizations like Rotary, Lions, Masons, the Community Club, and Master Gardeners. Their mission is “Deeds for Needs,” their skills mostly construction and woodworking design. Their handiwork can be found all over the Fairfield Bay area, but in Ed Leamon Park alone one can appreciate their expert craftsmanship in the design and construction of the round block planter boxes that line the sidewalk along Dave Creek Parkway, the bridge from the Senior Center parking lot to the park, and the beautiful new pergola at the northeast corner of the park. They also helped frame the cabin back in 2010 and last year added a ramp leading up to the porch. Master Gardener Bob Berdine, a Kirk Men’s Club founding member, also wears the hats of Community Club board president and 2012 co-leader of Ed Leamon Park. He encourages the community to utilize the park’s new accommodation. “We are thrilled with this new amenity to our park. Just call the Community Club offices to reserve a time for your activity.”

A Happy Tail From The Animal Shelter

More often than not you get to hear the good news from our local shelter, for our members and volunteers we wanted to update you on Dear Spot. As everyone knows Spot was a Dalmatian that was surrendered to our shelter a year ago. A little over a month ago Spot was pulled out of the shelter by Fuzzy Hearts Animal Rescue in FFB. Immediatly they started working with Dalmatian Rescue of Illinois. Fuzzy Hearts made sure spot was up to date on all preventatives and vaccinations and found transport for Spot to get into the Dalmatian rescue, BUT, Spot never made it to the next rescue. Why? Because her foster mom Stephanie fell hoplessly in love with our spotted senior and adopted her! Now days Spot spends her days in her comfy home with her new human parents and sheepdog brother. Spot “rides” along on family hikes every afternoon and wanders through her big back yard. We would like to say THANK YOU, to all the volunteers and supporters of our shelter, as well as Thank you to Fuzzy Hearts Animal Rescue,Gentle Soul Pit Bull Rescue, Dalmatian Rescue of Illinois and Carrie Lively who lovingly helped OUR senior girl finally find her Furever home!

Thank You from all Our Furry Friends

www.ffbanimalshelter.org

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