The smell of cotton candy, funnel cakes and fresh popcorn blend well with the sounds of children shouting for joy on their favorite carnival ride. Marking a milestone into the sum­mer of 2010, the Sharp County Fair has many facets of its opera­tion but none seem to embody the soul of the fair like the rodeo. With a gorgeous sunset casting its glow on a packed crowed the competitors tightened their boots, cinched down their belts and pre­pared for the fight.
Small children get into the ac­tion trying for the flag in the calf scramble. Barrel Racers work to make that all important, “short­est time,” and ropers take aim at wrapping up their targets. From small youth to arena hardened adults, the rodeo entertains the masses with an explosive mixture of man and beast.
In its second summer, Hall Rodeo LLC., brings the ro­deo to the people of northeast Arkansas every Wednesday night. Hall Rodeo also conducted the fair rodeo, packing it full of Spring River area raised profes­sional bulls, many of which compete on television at national Professional Bull Riding (PBR) events. These fine bulls in combination with hungry and talented riders made for an amazing show.
We hope to see you at the rodeo every Wednesday night at 8pm!

By Jody Shackelford

What started as a campaign stop turned into a vacation for another awestruck Spring River visitor. U.S. Senate hopeful and cur­rent U.S. Congressman John Boozman had a taste of the Spring River area and he just had to come back for another helping, all thanks to Jack Lowe, founder of Thunder on Thunderbird and Cherokee Village Business Association President. Together with Mayor Nina Thornton, Jack and the Congressman spoke about Main Street, economics and antiques as they toured Hardy.
Jack had started to receive calls from Con­gressman Boozman’s office several weeks before Thunder on Thunderbird.
“They had seen the Rockthunderbird.com web-site and were very impressed with what we had planned for the Fourth. They were mainly interested in the boat parade. The original plan was to bring a boat up from He­ber Springs and put campaign signs on it, do the boat parade, and leave for another city as soon as it was over. Things really changed in the days leading up to Thunder on Thunder­bird,” Jack said.
Jack knows opportunity when he sees it and worked to expose the Congressman to as much of the Spring River area as possible.
“If a Congressman and potential Senator is coming to your town, that’s a good thing and an opportunity for our community,” Jack commented.
With plans to participate in the boat parade, the campaign ran into friction regarding their boat in Heber Springs. Jack was quick to offer a solution.
“I suggested they use our boat because we would be busy with the festival. The Con­gressman brought 10-12 people with him and they enjoyed a full day of Fourth of July fun in Cherokee Village,” Jack recalled.
“In fact, one of the assistants won the hot dog eating contest, taking a nice trophy back to Little Rock. Two of them took their turn in the dunk tank, they bought T-shirts, listened to the bands, participated in the boat parade and stayed for the fireworks show,” he said.
“I know it was a campaign visit but you could tell politics was on the back burner and the whole group genuinely enjoyed them­selves.”
With a great time in the Spring River area under his belt, the Congressman called Jack about a week after the festival to again thank him for the hospitality. The conversation turned to antiques, so a tour of downtown Hardy was spun into action.
“I called Hardy Mayor Nina Thornton and she was very accommodating in arranging a tour of downtown Hardy. Nina and I met Congressman Boozman, his wife, and several others from Little Rock and proceeded to walk through the shops in Hardy. There were no campaign speeches or rallies, just a man and his wife enjoying antiques and the Spring River area. I was very proud of our community on the Fourth and being able to showcase the Spring River area to people new to the area is very important,” Jack said.
The Congressman met with many local shop owners and even bought a thing or two. Af­ter it was all said and done, we had a great time, a good visit and a few laughs. As we parted ways, I started to say some­thing about the handful of mini disposable toothbrushes falling out of his pocket, but if Kerry Wayne and Jack weren’t saying anything – I wasn’t either.

By Jody Shackelford

Spring River’s John Paul Baker, a name made for the stage – almost literally. At 17-years-old, he recently captured one of the top rankings in the Ozarks Got Singers competition in Horseshoe Bend. Now with a new appreciation for performance, John Paul is looking toward a career in music.
Born in Memphis, TN, John caught onto music at a young age – but one Dec. 25th morning, it took on new life. “My best memory of music was when I picked up my first electric guitar from my dad on Christmas morning. It was like at that moment that I knew I wanted to be a rock star,” John Paul said thinking back.
With the desire to excel in his heart, he took to the strings, bending and learning as much as he could.
Through influences like his name sake’s the Beatles, Green Day and Nirvana, John Paul made his musi­cal way to steps of the rock genera, where he may or may not be depend­ing on his mood. The layers of songs John can connect with are staggering.
On the cusp of his 18th birth­day, John Paul has already proven himself to be a gifted song writer in addition to his ability to play guitar. Seven years after he first picked up an instrument, John Paul boasts more then ten original songs complete with original music, some of which with multiple parts.
When I first heard John Paul as a sponsor and judge for Ozarks Got Singers, I was nervous when he an­nounced he would be taking a break from the normal cover song format. That was until he kicked the first song off. Clever, brilliantly clever I thought listening to the complicated melodies and scale transitions. I remember asking him after his last song, “You wrote that?” While he wiped away some sweat from his pick guard and said, “Yeah, I wrote it Tuesday, thought I needed something different.”
Great music comes from somewhere, for John Paul it comes from everywhere.
“I write my own songs. My topics vary, again, depending on the mood I’m in. I figure as I get older and have more stuff thrown at me by this game of life, I’ll have more to write about,” he laughed.
“Everyday life inspires my music. Real situations like hav­ing fun. As well as the heartaches that life brings sometimes. I sort of pull music out of the air and transfer it through my songs. It’s my expression that gives me my musical edge,” he said.
“I love to play my originals frequently so that people can see what kind of music I play. I do play a lot of covers, but it’s usually a random set list that I pulled off the top of my head.”
John Paul is looking to rack up the experience and is rack­ing up the venues.
“I have played music at Ozarka College in Ash Flat and Melbourne with the Popsykles, one of my first bands. As a solo artist I play at Words and Afterwords from time to time. I was also involved in the Ozark’s Got Singers competition in Horseshoe Bend, in which I got 2nd place. I don’t have a least favorite venue. I just love to play, location doesn’t matter to me,” he said.
The process of creating a song from nothing is a skill John has developed, one that is sure to reap rewards.
“Music-making for me is not as much of a process as an experience. I play what my heart tells me.”
“It has evolved from random words without meaning to the actual emotions and experiences I feel day to day.” he said.
“My biggest challenge as an artist so far has been meet­ing expectations. I want to write how I feel, but I have to do it in a way that makes people want to listen. It’s a part of the music world, but I bridge the gap most of the time,” he said.
The future is a cave of wonders for those who posses talents like John Paul’s, for the man himself, it’s a jour­ney to stardom. After graduation, John Paul is heading to Hollywood. Not nec­essarily to be in the movies, but to get an education at the Musicians Institute of Hollywood in California.
“I want fame and fortune, but more than that, I want to share what I learn with others. I plan to become some form of a music teacher at some point in my life, if at all possible. I’m just not sure if I can teach as good as I can play,” he laughed.
John Paul offered a couple tips to new bands and up-and-comers, “My biggest thing about bands is that there has to be an equal level of determina­tion, dedication, and of course fun between the band members. You can’t ever lose the ‘play’ of music inside the ‘work’ of music,” he said.
Now, with enough originals for a complete album, John Paul is currently working on getting together a promo­tion machine and demo CD. You can see a video of John singing an original on SRSGMag.com
The work has paid off and yet the work hasn’t even begun, a double per­spective on the same issue. Talent is an abundant resource in the Spring River area and John Paul is at the top of the list. With his excitement to learn more and take his musical education to the next level, the top of the list is a seat he will have to get used to.
“Last Words, ‘When you find your­self in times of trouble, there will be an answer, so LET IT BE!’ – The Beatles

TURN IT UP!

All I can say is “Wow” and “Thank You!” to all the folks that supported the “Thunder On Thun­derbird” Fourth of July Festival and Celebration. Even though we are a small community, it still takes a lot of work and dedication to put on a festival. I started mak­ing calls December 15th, 2009, planning and booking people for the Fourth of July 2010. “Thun­der” had 59 volunteers and almost 2000 volunteer hours.
It was a huge success because of the people involved and the community it represents. We raised $3000 for charity which will stay here in our community! That’s very important to me and why I started “Thunder”. I know that is not a lot of money but “Thunder” is a “triple success”, it gives people something to do and enjoy while waiting for the fireworks show, showcases our community to out-of-towners and raises money for charity.
I want to tell you about two things that happened that made this year very special to me and made my hard work worth it. I got a call on the 3rd of July from a lady that had a disabled son. She wanted him to come to the bounce houses and get in them before we officially opened at 11:00 because he was very fragile. I said “no problem” and met her at 10:45 Sunday morning on the Fourth. That young man, Zack, got a few minutes by himself in the bounce house, it meant a lot to his Mom and me. It was a very special moment.
If you were on or near Lake Thunderbird at 8:15pm, one hour before the fireworks, you saw an airshow from two friends of mine in helicopters. The story is too long to tell how this came about but I’ll just tell what happened. I had sent some money to my heli­copter buddies to help them pay for fuel, they had said all along “it was not required but appreciated”. The helicopters are very expensive to fly. A couple of days after “Thunder”, I got a call from one of the pilots and he asked me if the Elks does work with Veterans and I said, “Yes, we do quiet a bit for our Vets locally”. After that, he told me he was not going to cash the check I sent and to consider it a donation. I told him not to feel guilty because I had paid bands and people helping with the festival and he told me, “No, I’m not taking the money”. I said that’s fine and I appreciated the thought and they had done one heck-of a show. I got a call from him two weeks later telling me that he was changing his mind about cashing the check and I said that was fine and I wanted him to cash it.
He wanted to tell me why he was cashing the check and ask me if it was ok that he did. He told me that a friend of theirs had a baby son that was in Children’s Hospital in Little Rock with a heart problem for five months. They saved the baby’s life and he came home. Two weeks after the baby came home, the Dad was killed in a car acci­dent. I almost dropped the phone.
He went on to say that the family did not want flowers sent, they wanted donations sent to the hospi­tal that saved their baby’s life. So, that’s what my pilot buddy was go­ing to do with the check I had sent him. To add to the story, several years earlier, my pilot buddy’s son had been involved in an accident and the same hospital had saved his life, too.
These are just two stories of people I have met that touched my life deeply and made “Thunder On Thunderbird” 2010 a very special event and something all of us in the Spring River Community can be proud of.

Question 1. What was it like preparing for the pageant?
I loved the getting ready part! I got to get my hair done and got my eye­brows waxed and makeup done! It was my princess day

Question 2. What made you decide to compete?
My mom was the one who got me to compete. She told me that if I won I could get scholarship money. Since I am paying for college myself, I fig­ured it was the best thing to do!

Question 3. How nervous where you and what was going through your head while you was stage?
I went to the interview and pageants laid back and relaxed because I figured I had nothing to lose. I did, however, get a little ner­vous during the interview right before I went to walk onto the stage in my really high heels! I would have laughed if I would have fallen.

Question 4. What did you think when they said your name?
Honestly the first thing I thought was, “I get to wear the crown!” I had never done anything like this pageant before. So, I never had received a crown or a sash for any­thing. It was really cool to get that.

Question 5. You moved here a couple years ago from Lake of the Ozarks, how has living in the Spring River area changed your life?
Living here has actually made me more responsi­ble. I moved from the lake and my parents always paid for everything for me. Then I moved down here and had to get a job. I had my own money, so I have learned how to save money for college and other things that I need. I still have some money to go, and go on a small shopping spree if I want or do fun things with friends.

Question 6. What duties will you have to perform and what are your thoughts about the state fair?
The duties that Sue Bill­liot, the pageant director, gave me was to get my­self out there, be in all the parades and events that I can. Then of course when it comes to the end of my reign, I will announce next years teen miss and crown the next Miss Sharp County. I am also excited about the state fair. Mom’s doing the research about it now. I will be ready but like I said, I don’t re­ally have anything to lose because I already proved to myself that I can walk in heels!

Question 7. What was your favorite part of the contest?
My favorite part was getting to dress up and get my hair and makeup done! Every girl loves to play dress up.

Question 8. Any tips for future would-be beauty queens?
Future beauty queens, I would say just have fun! You won’t always win but as long as you enjoy what your are doing you will have fun.

Question 9. If you could only have one food, one item from your room, one from your purse, and one friend – on a deserted island. What and who would they be?
I would choose pineapple pizza, my comforter, my cell phone, and my roomy Kaitlyn Duncan to take with me!

Question 10. I know you can run because you won first in the state in the one-mile run, but if you were attacked by a lion, could you use your crown as a defensive weapon?
I could maybe distract the lion with the sparkliness of the crown and make then confused and run like the wind (haha aka: Mile State Champ)

Network of Com­munity Options, Inc is one of the largest and most influential public service organi­zations in the Spring River area, as well as North and Northeast Arkansas. It provides community services to children and adults who have develop­mental disabilities, allowing them to stay in their respective communities and homes.
“Network of Com­munity Options was incorporated in 1974. It began as part of a grass roots movement that was initiated by parents who had children with developmental disabilities,” NCO’s Executive Director Jennie Lee Stobaugh explained.
“Originally, it started under a different name, Helping Hands School, in Mammoth Springs Arkansas; it then moved to Salem, Arkansas in the basement of the old church located next to the old Salem school,” she said.
The organization op­erated out of Salem until they were able to buy the building that is now the Martin Center, located along Highway 62-412 out­side of Ash Flat.
Since its concep­tion, NCO has seen exponential growth through service.
“When I became director in 1981, the only program they had was the day program at the Martin Center. NCO had an annual budget of $108,000 with 12 employees. Now, we have a budget of over 6 million and around 300 employ­ees,” Jennie Lee, said.
In 2005, 150 em­ployees ran the NCO engine and that number has doubled in the last five years. With the ability to hire more employees and serve more families, NCO enriches the lo­cal economy as well as the lives of those in need.
“We have a board of directors that are very forward thinking,” she said, recognizing NCO’s explosive growth.
Locally, NCO oper­ates two childcare fa­cilities, two adult day care facilities, and a residential facility at the RJ Stuebing Home.
The Highland Wee Care Child Enrichment Center and High­land Wee Care Day Care and Learning Center, function to serve children who have developmental disabilities as well as those who sim­ply need quality child care.
“They are receiv­ing training that will enable them to remain in the community. With the adults, they will not have to go to a state facility. For the preschoolers, the goal is to provide them training to get them ready for kindergarten,” she said.
While some may go to NCO with developmen­tal delays, the special attention and training they receive can place them back, “on par.” For children who attend NCO daycares without developmental issues, they also receive quality education with an emphasis on proper development.
“We provide resi­dential services for adults, regular childcare, and specialized service for preschoolers. One building has ages 0-3 and the other building has 3-5 year-olds. We provide an adult daycare program and we provide personal care in peoples home,” Jennie Lee said.
Under the care of NCO, around 450 Arkansas residents benefit from the organizations activi­ties.
“We basically get in there and feel a need,” she said. “In the future we are looking to continue to do what we are doing. The only way we can really grow is to add clientele.”
Developmental dis­abilities have many catalysts, but whatever the reason, NCO works to improve the lives of its clients.
“The causes of devel­opmental disabilities vary. It can be a genetic factor, a lifestyle, or a trauma at birth, but sometimes we just don’t know the cause. Our programs work with autism, Cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and other conditions,” she explained.
In addition to serv­ing their clients, NCO also provides local job opportunities for those interested in working with adults with specific needs.
“We do what is called the Arkansas Medicaid Waiver Program, where we hire people who will provide support to people with disabilities that reside in their own homes, with someone or with their families,” Jennie Lee explained.
These positions are frequently available and can be found online at NCO’s new web site (www.networkofcom­munityoptions.org).
The future looks bright for NCO, a brilliance that will shine on the faces of those in need, offering hope, help and healing.