Scan the QR code above with your smartphone to sign up to receive our monthly newsletter.

The Teachers Appreciation Breakfast will be held August 14th. If you would like to

register for this event please click the link for Teacher Appreciation Breakfast .

Sponsors

Arkansas Tech University – Ozark Campus XTO Energy

Bank of the Ozarks Hug Chevrolet Buick GMC

Brigadier General Mark Berry

Silver Level AR Valley Electric Co-Op

Meadors Lumber Wal-Mart

Bronze Level

Simmons First Bank Representative Bill Gossage

Ozark Ford SGL Carbon

Rickey & Dianna Bowman Mayor Carol Sneath

River Valley Quarries Burns Drug

Moon Veterinary Clinic Shelter Insurance

Diamond Level

Johnson Regional Medical Center Coca – Cola Bottling Co. of Fort Smith

Old 64 Hide Away

Look for our next issue to come out September 2nd.

Apex Communic

Chey’s Place Salon Ribbon Cutting

Pictured L to R: Missy Moore (Bank of the Ozarks), Sandy Key (Main Street Ozark), Baylee Hall (employee), Keva

Chrisman (A Touch of Class), Cheyenne Battles (owner), Mayor Carol Sneath, Amber Jones (employee), Linda Millsap

(Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce), Jessica Birchler (ATU-Ozark Campus)

Ozark Rotary

The Little Red Brick Building

Save The Children

Byrd’s Adventure Center Master Made Tanks, Inc.

North Franklin County Fair Source Gas

Cabin at Middle Ridge Johnson Regional Medical Center

Ozark Public Schools North Franklin County Fair

CenturyLink OG&E Electric Services

E & E Auto Sales

Patriot Partners of Ozark has a special guest to speak at the General Meeting on August 13th.

Nichole Hart from ARVets will present topics including: Entrepreneur Veterans who would like to

start their own business in Ozark, help sharpen business skills and help acquire financing (if

possible). We encourage you to attend! To learn more about AR Vets and Nichole please go to

http://arvets.org/ for more information.

This month’s General Meeting will be held at Wiederkehr Weingarten at 12:00 noon.

Hello everyone!

What amazing weather we've been having. The forecast for next week’s Bargains Galore on 64 is looking

phenomenal! Please stop by our Arts Society of Ozark booth located next to Jaybird Pottery, we will have a plethora

of interesting items for sale including decor, antiques, home goods, toys, and stop in for a cold soda. We appreciate

your support!

The Arts Society has been coming together nicely. We have been focusing our efforts on developing upcoming

events and working to develop a solid plan to accomplish the goals identified by our development committee and

from gathering input within our community.

The primary goals for the ASO are to promote the Arts in Ozark and the surrounding area. We will be focusing on

creating educational activities, community events, and highlighting our local artists. We will be a resource for the

artists in our community, promoting their talents, helping them register with the Arkansas Arts Council in order to

receive grants and residencies, and help businesses acquire our local artistic/creative services by promoting Artists

through our website (a local Artist Directory).

After visiting with several groups and individuals it's clear that a Performing Arts Center is the number one priority

for the City of Ozark and the surrounding area. We have been researching various options to accomplish this need

and are currently developing a comprehensive plan.

While we've made some quick progress, we are all for taking this slow and starting out right. First we are doing our

research, scheduling

well in advance, planning down to the last detail, then we will hold our first "big" events in 2015.

If you would like to be involved please feel free to contact me, or join us for our (fun!) General Society Meeting

Tuesday, August the 12th, 6pm, upstairs in the Chamber Building.

Amber Patton

479-644-9903

On behalf of the Wiederkehr

Village Weinfest Committee,

Wiederkehr Wine Cellars invites you to join us in celebrating our 51st Annual Weinfest, Saturday,

October 11th. Don’t miss Wiederkehr Village Wine & Spirits at exit 41 on I-40. (All open seven

days.) For the early birds who arrive Friday evening the Weinkeller and Early Bird Concert will be

a hit.

Saturday, October 11th, as always, the truly Tyrolean festivities begin early in the day with tours

of the Historical Wine Cellars at 8:30 a.m. starting in the midst of the festivities and ending in the

charming wine tasting room. Then catch a ride on one of the open trams or horse drawn carriage

through the vineyards to an observation tower with a panoramic view of the Arkansas River

Valley. Take a leisurely stroll and browse through the quality Arts & Crafts Exhibits. You will also

want to tour the beautiful St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Join the fun, either as a spectator, or as a

contestant in the many events such as the Stein Stemmen (stone toss), wine barrel rolling or the

Baum Stossen (log toss) contest, which are always popular.

Polka dancing is always fun and will be in full swing early in the day. You won’t want to miss

the Grape Stomp which is always a sure audience delight. And then, there’s the FOOD! The

concessions will be serving a variety of international cuisine during the day, such as Quiche Lorraine,

Old World Potato Soup, Smoked Bratwurst with Sauerkraut, and many other delicacies. The famous

Weinkeller Restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner, including patio dining

.Early Bird Concert

Friday, October 10, 2014

Fest Tent Stage

Lance Carpenter’s Nashville Band

Tony’s Tips from AVECC

Keep your garage door down. A cooler garage in the

summer will save energy.

From Tony Wilson, Member Services/Key Accounts

From The GrapeVine

Revitalization grants were announced last week by Main Street Arkansas. Grant funds are available for the removal of

slip covers from downtown buildings to restore them as closely as possible to their original look. We have three interested businesses to date and if there are others who would like to apply we will be happy to assist. The grants will be a 75%/25% match and competitive statewide. The property owner will pay 25% of the total cost of the rehab and half of that (12.5% of the total project cost) can be in-kind. If anyone is interested please contact the Main Street office right away. We have a mid August deadline to get the applications submitted.

******

Main Street Ozark invites you to attend a special “Walk Through History” on August 9th at the Franklin County Courthouse on the Ozark Square. Rachel Silva of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program will be conducting a guided tour of the the Courthouse Square Historic District beginning at 11:00 am at the front door of the courthouse. During the tour you will hear the history of every building in the district. The tour will end with refreshments at the historic depot museum and everyone is welcome to attend. Admission is free and it will be a great opportunity for teachers, students and history buffs to learn about the history of downtown Ozark.

We owe a special thank you to Jim Bearden, who braved the August heat to help Rachel put the tour together. Jim is a museum volunteer and Ozark native who is quite knowledgeable of downtown and always happy to share information with all who are interested. He is a true asset to Main Street, the museum and community and we are very fortunate to him as a volunteer.

******

The Old Fashioned Square Gathering is just around the corner and booth space is already going fast. The date is Saturday, October 18th. Booth applications are available at the Main Street and Chamber offices or you can print one from the Main Street Ozark website at www.mainstreetozark.com. Just click the square gathering link and you will find the application link at the bottom of the page. We have a great line up of bluegrass music, pageants, games, food and fun so mark your calendars for Oct. 18th and meet us on the courthouse square.

********

Main Street Ozark will be offering paint up/fix up grants sometime in August. The exact details aren’t yet available but will be announced soon. First priority will be given to businesses located in the downtown Historic District. Please contact Main Street at 667-5337 if you are interested in some assistance with exterior design. The amount of money available per business will depend on the number of qualified applicants but we anticipate it will be in the range of $200 - $500 per business.

We have a new data base located

on the www.arvrls.com site. The

data base is NewsBank it can be

accessed with your library card

outside the library. For information

on events and the data base call the

library at 479-667-2724. We are

located at 120 South Second Street,

east side of the courthouse across

from the gazebo.

Library hours are:

Monday 12:00 noon-7:00 pm

Tuesday-Friday 9:00 am-5:00 pm

Saturday 10:00 am-12:00 noon.

There is still construction going on,

but we are looking forward to re-

opening back into our old location

later in the year.

http://turnerbend.com/ http://www.byrdsadventurecenter.com/ http://www.mulberrymountainlodge.com/

The approximately 55-mile Mulberry River is definitely one of the state's wildest rivers during spring. From its

beginnings deep in the Ozarks to its confluence with the Arkansas River, the Mulberry pours over ledges, shoots through

willow thickets, and whips around sharp turns. These "wild" characteristics are what give the stream its class II/III rating,

and high marks from the floating public. In drier times, it's a good place to swim, wade, skip rocks, and fish. Visitors to

the Mulberry can expect prime Ozark Mountain scenery--narrow canyons, tree-lined bluffs, and dense woods. A good

assortment of wildlife is found in the immediate area, including one of the state's largest concentrations of black bears.

The stream itself is clear and cool. In 1985, the General Assembly declared the Mulberry to be "a scenic river of the State

of Arkansas" and in 1992 it was named a National Wild and Scenic River.

Fishing: The Mulberry River is a fine fishing stream. In late spring and early summer, the river is an excellent choice

when angling for smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass and green and longear sunfish. The potholes can be fished

during drier months but getting to them may require some hiking up or down a slippery streambed.

The Mulberry flows in a west-southwesterly course. Access points are fairly common, particularly where the stream is

within the Ozark National Forest. Primary points of access include Wolf Pen campground (off Ark. 215) Arkansas

Highways 23, 103, and 215, Campbell Cemetery (off FR 1512), Forest Roads 1501, and 1504, and U.S. 64. And while the

Mulberry is located in some of the state's wildest country, the stream is amazingly convenient; the Highway 23 crossing is

less than a dozen miles north of Interstate 40. Outfitters are located on and near the river and supplies and overnight

accommodations or camping can be found easily.

Orignal text can be found at http://www.arkansas.com/places-to-go/lakes-rivers/river.aspx?id=11

Contact Information

Megan D. Morris Public Information Specialist

e-mail: mmorris@atu.edu Phone: 479-667-2117

Fax: 479-667-1422

OMS Students Aid Arkansas Tech-Ozark

OZARK – New plants and minnows have been placed in the Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus walking trail reflection pool in a joint effort to clean the water and manage algae growth. The project is the result of a partnership with Arkansas Tech-Ozark and students from the Ozark Middle School (OMS) EAST Lab, representatives from Tyson Animal Foods in Scranton and Blossomberry Nursery in Clarksville. Under the direction of OMS EAST Lab instructor Sarah Williams, EAST lab students were tasked with reaching out to the community and developing a community project. Students Larry Williams, Patrick Whitson, Hayden Sanders and Eddie Graham approached Arkansas Tech-Ozark administration in fall 2013 concerning the amount of algae in the reflection pool. The students collected water samples and made recommendations for specific plants and fish to be added to the pool. The students recommended the addition of dwarf cattail plants as well as the release of golden shiners bass and brown flathead minnows into the pool. Arkansas Tech-Ozark Board of Advisors member Jim Rofkahr offered assistance and resources to the students by arranging for Tyson to donate the plants and minnows. Rofakahr is also the plant manager for the Tyson plant in Scranton. “We are thankful for the opportunity and invitation to participate on this project with the Ozark students and Arkansas Tech-Ozark,” Rofkahr said. “This project demonstrates commitment from both schools for education and changing lives.” He also arranged for the dwarf cattail to be donated through Blossomberry Nursery in Clarksville. The students recommended the plants and fish be installed during late spring and early summer. A water lily was also planted, and the installation of water hyacinths is still pending. EAST lab instructor Sarah Williams said she is thankful to Arkansas Tech-Ozark and Tyson for their work on the project and looks forward to working with them again in the future. “I’m very proud of these students,” Williams said. “They demonstrated what EAST is all about, seeing a problem in the community and using technology and community leaders to find a solution to a real, everyday problem.”

Sandra Cheffer, chief fiscal officer at Arkansas Tech-Ozark, also expressed her thanks to the EAST lab students, Sarah Williams, Tyson Animal Foods, Jim Rofkahr, Blossomberry Nursery and Arkansas Tech-Ozark for their work on the project. “I am confident this project will have a lasting environmental benefit,” she said.

###

Cutline: Jim Rofkahr (left), plant manager at Tyson Animal Foods in Scranton, talks with Sandra Cheffer,

chief fiscal officer at Arkansas Tech-Ozark, about maintenance and care for the dwarf cattail plants that

were installed in the reflection pool along the walking trail at Arkansas Tech-Ozark.

We are wrapping up July with new ideas and increased ambition about what can be accomplished

in our state.

Arkansas is hosting the Southern Legislative Conference where legislators from 15 states are

gathering to share what laws have been passed in their state, what is working, and what is not. In

the past few days, we’ve heard discussions on healthcare, energy, and education.

This is also a great opportunity to show our off all our great state has to offer. In addition, it has an

economic impact of over a million dollars.

Inside the halls of the Capitol, more positive news concerning our economy.

For starters, unemployment is at its lowest level in the state since November

2008. Unemployment is now at 6.2% in our state. Nationally, the rate is 6.1%. And we just

completed the fiscal year with a $78.7 million surplus.

That surplus comes on the heels of a $100 million tax cut package passed by the 89thGeneral

Assembly.

The fiscal year ended above forecast with just over $5 billion in general revenue

collections. Income tax payments grew 2% largely in line with employment and personal income.

We also have an indicator that Arkansans are spending more as sales tax collections were up

2.3% or $48 million dollars over last year.

Members continue to receive updates on the Private Option. 187, 000 Arkansans are now

enrolled. That is 74% of projected enrollment.

The Public Health Committee continues to look at explore modifications to the program such as

co-pays and health savings accounts for qualified participants.

Any changes to the current program would have to be approved in the next Regular Session. I will

continue to update you on those discussions.

And lastly, I would like to remind everyone about the sales tax holiday starting at 12:01am on

Saturday, August 2 and ending at 11:59pm on Sunday, August 3. State and local sales tax will not

be collected on clothing and footwear under $100. School supplies and instructional material are

also exempt. This was a measure passed previously by the General Assembly to give families a

break while preparing to send their children back to school. If you need more information call the

Department of Finance and Administration at 501-682-7104.

-Bill

Mercy Hospital Ozark

I am but one individual in a team of people that work here at Mercy Hospital Ozark. We have professional

licensed personnel, clerical personnel, support staff. If we were ever to combine our licensed

personnel’s years of licensure whether it be MD, RN, LPN or Physical Therapy or Pharmacy, CNA’s etc,

we would be into the 100’s of years of professional experience right here at your doorstep. Our support

staff too, who have been here for many years are also eager to help you. These men and women could

be your neighbors or friends and they live right here in Ozark and in our neighboring towns.

We have a faith based health care center and presence in this community. You may not be aware of

this, but just as an instance, each meeting or gathering that we have here, we begin with a prayer.

Inevitably, the person saying the prayer asks that our “Heavenly Father” guides us in taking care of those

we serve with heartfelt compassion and caring through our day. There are variations of prayers said

daily, but the overwhelming theme is always

“Caring for our patients with compassion”.

As an extension of this we are looking further to reach out into our community and expand our role to

those we serve. We have a number of upcoming local events that we will welcome our citizen’s

involvement over the rest of this year and into the future. These are in the planning stages but the

momentum is brisk, with our group that we formed “Team Mercy, Ozark”. I will attempt to keep you

updated at the first of each month as to what to expect.

Please keep your eyes on the Spectator newspaper for details of upcoming events. We would love to

have as many of you as possible join in and benefit from these events.

We truly care about the entire spectrum of our citizens from the very young to our wiser elders. We have

a tremendous amount of respect for each of you and realize we are here not only to help fulfill your

healthcare needs but also to lend a helping hand when we perceive the need.

On behalf of our entire team here at Mercy Hospital Ozark.

Anne Porter RN COHN(s) ASC

Clinical Education & Occupational Health

Greetings from City Hall!

It’s really hard to believe we are entering August with the temperatures in the 60’s and 80’s with everything looking

green and lush. Yard contractors are happy though.

We are sorry to say that Carol Triplett will be leaving us to move back to Buffalo to be with her parents. We will

certainly miss her presence and wish her and her family the best. We are welcoming Jan Stacy as Carol’s replacement.

She has been working with Carol the last month and will do well as our first contact at city hall.

Finally, dirt is being moved for Hillbilly Lane. Halleluiah!!! Construction is starting on the west end to have the least

amount of impact on school traffic.

In the final week of July bid announcement was advertised for the enhancement project by the depot museum. Won’t

be long before we see some action at that location.

Congratulations to the Ozark Rodeo committee, they have broken ground on the arena and are galloping full speed

ahead. I know, as a community, we will be supporting them in any way we can. Glad to add them to our list of area

entertainment.

Thank you for visiting the Chamber Newsletter.

Royce Gattis- Tourism Committee Chairman

For more information, please see our website

http://www.ozarkchamberofcommerce.com/news_events

Ozark Lake on the Arkansas River allows access to some of the best fishing in the country. Stocked by

the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission with sport fish such as bass, crappie, catfish and bream, makes

this river-lake a popular location for major fishing tournaments. Several public access points along its 173

mile shoreline provide easy access for the recreation boater or fisherman. Ozark Lake is managed by the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The shallow, backwater areas along the shoreline are a great early season bass hot spot. You can find

these backwaters almost anywhere along the lake. Saugers and whites up to three pounds are a common

catch during winter. Fishing the tailwaters below the Ozark-Jeta Taylor Lock & Dam is a good way to

load a stringer with huge catfish. Be on the water at night or just before dawn and dusk for best success.

Stripers are caught along the entire length of the Arkansas River in Arkansas, from the river’s mouth in

Desha County to Fort Smith on the Arkansas/Oklahoma border. In spring, they migrate upriver into the

tailwaters below river dams. Slack-water periods, when few or no gates are open, are great times for

fishing with medium-weight tackle and live minnows. Spring fishermen find great success below the

Ozark-Jeta Lock & Dam.

Ozark Lake covers 10,600 acres and extends 36 miles along the Arkansas River. The shoreline of the lake

varies from steep bluffs and tree lined banks to open farm lands and level fields. Nine parks are located

along the banks of Ozark Lake with over 150 campsites. Aux Arc Park in Ozark is one of the most

beautiful parks on the Arkansas River. This well maintained park is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers providing 84 tree shaded RV sites with all services, primitive camping, public restrooms,

picnic sites, covered pavilions and a boat ramp accessing Ozark Lake.

Subway inside Loves #271: The Applewood pulled pork and BBQ Steak & Bacon melt are at Subway! The $6

footlong special for July is the BBQ Oven Roasted Chicken Melt. The $3 six inch select is the Spicy Italian.

Hillbilly Hideout at The I-40 Travel Center: The Hillbilly Hideout offers daily lunch specials, and a deli both open

24 hours a day/ 7 days a week. You can call in your order for pick up at (479)-667-0711.

KFC/Taco Bell: KFC- $5 fill ups, 5 tasty meals that all come with a chocolate chip cookie and a drink. 2 FREE large sides with any 10 piece meal or larger. Taco Bell- Quesarito Big Box and Variety Taco 12 Pack. $1 Happier Hour from 2-5 pm.

The Coffee Break: All sandwiches and Panini’s are $6.00 each and are served with a pickle spear and your

choice of regular or BBQ chips. During the colder months, you can get soup instead of chips. They also have iced

and hot coffees and cappuccino.

Rivertowne BBQ: BBQ ribs, sandwiches, salad, bean ‘slop’, burgers and more. Choose from beef, chicken, or

pork. Carry-out and catering available. (479)-667-1808. Hours: Tuesday-Friday 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM-

8:00 PM. Saturday 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Wiederkehr Weinkeller Restaurant: The Weinkeller's menu offers delicacies from the German, French, and Italian regions of Switzerland, as well as specialties from central Europe and America. Open every day except major holidays. Hours: Mon-Saturday, Lunch 11:00 am – 3:00 pm, Dinner 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Sunday 11:00 am- 9 pm. Reservations are recommended for dinner (479)-468-3551 or 1-800-622-WINE PJ’s Fina & Pizza Pro: Pizza, wings, breadsticks, cinnamon sticks. Specialty pizzas. Get the 2nd pizza for only

$5.00 (12 in.) or $7.00 (14 in.) equal or lesser toppings, carry out only.

Subway on Commercial: The Applewood pulled pork and BBQ Steak & Bacon melt are at Subway! The $6

footlong special for July is the BBQ Oven Roasted Chicken Melt. The $3 six inch select is the Spicy Italian.

Southern Grill: Serving breakfast 6-11 a.m. then lunch from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Daily specials and carry out

orders. Call 667-0704.

Altus Handy Mart: All Day Every Day! Buy any 1 Topping 14 in. Pizza for $8.99 and get a 14 in. Cheese Pizza for only $6.99 or get a 16 in. Cheese Pizza for $10.99

Offering breakfast and lunch. There are lunch specials every day. Lunch combos come with fries and a drink including chicken strips, hot ham and Swiss, burgers, etc. Salads as well as individual foods like crispitos, corndogs, eggrolls, etc.

The Judge’s Jot

Justice Lacey Neissl and my Administrative Assistant Cheryl Warden made a trip to Little Rock on

July 8th to receive a grant from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and Governor Beebe.

The grant was in the amount of $154,000, and will be used for the restoration of the Franklin County

Courthouse in Charleston.

South Franklin County employees have begun the work on the Charleston EMS building and the pad

is set. It will be about six weeks before concrete will be poured. The metal building has been

ordered and it will take several weeks for the structure to come in.

Franklin County was given a total of $17,500 in grants from the general improvement fund from

Representative Bill Gossage and Senator Bryan King. We want to thank both of these gentlemen;

we are all very excited about getting the clock repaired. We found a tower clock repair company in

South Charleston, Ohio and he is scheduled to begin work on July 29th.

Treasurer Shelly Wilson went to San Antonio for NACo training. NACo is a national organization that

represents county governments in the United States. Shelly said she learned on topics of

computer/software, healthcare, and various county government issues.

Thanks for reading about Franklin County and as always if you have any questions or comments

please contact my office anytime. 479-667-4726

Thanks,

- Janet Powell, Franklin Co. Judge

Spotlighting Altus

Greetings from the wonderful City of Altus, where History lives.

The City of Altus is a very unique city of 750 people; with its tourist attractions, a museum, wineries and many other wonderful sights to see throughout the city. You will also find restaurants that will make you feel very welcome. It really is a great place to live.

The weather was nice and comfortable for the month of July. It seems like fall season is here. However, we still

have two months of hot weather ahead- August and September. Harvest time is all around us with peaches, tomatoes,

grapes, cantaloupe, watermelon, okra and many other fresh garden vegetables.

This time of the year is the annual grape harvest for all of the grape growers in and around Altus. I am spotlighting the

Annual Grape Festival that brings thousands of tourists into the city park in Altus. This was the 31st year that the Grape

Festival has been celebrated. It was another record setting year with live music, vendors of all kinds - including several

food vendors. The grape stomping contest is always a favorite among everyone visiting as they gather around to watch

the politicians and others stomp the grapes to see how much grape juice can be mashed from a bucket of grapes.

The Chairman of the Grape Festival committee, James Dahlem, was in charge of the grape pie eating contest which was

fun to watch. Even though the temperature soared in the high nineties the crowd was larger than normal. A big Thanks

goes out to the committee for all the hard work that was involved in making the Grape Festival a great success again.

Larry W. Stacy is Mayor of Altus Arkansas.

Contact him at 479-213-7081

E-mail: mayorstacy@centurytel.net

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