Former Batesville resident playing
Former Batesville resident Rebecca Anderson is currently appearing in several episodes of ABC's All My Children. Episodes in which she appears began airing Aug. 20. Anderson is an honor graduate of Sulphur Rock High School and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts musical theater program. She has appeared in several movies and off-Broadway shows including Dancing at Lughnasa, Working, the one-woman show Playing on the Roof, and the national tour of Theater Works USA's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. While in Batesville, Anderson was a member of the North Arkansas Dance Theatre and trained at the Batesville Ballet, Etc. She was an active member of the Batesville Community Theater. Her roles included Glenda in The Wizard of Oz and Princess Tuptim in The King and I. She also did several productions with Sulphur Rock Players including Princess Winfred in The Princess and the Pea. A former Miss Batesville, she is active in multiple charity activities including the Susan B. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation and Double H Hole in the Woods Ranch. In addition to her work on All My Children, Anderson is pursuing a master's degree in musical theater writing at New York University. She is the daughter of James and Camille Anderson of Batesville. From Press Release Ozark Folk Center to host The Tribute to Grandpa Jones weekend at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View will be Aug. 29 and 30 and includes feature performers Doc Watson and David Holt and the Tennessee Gentlemen along with Ramona Jones and the Jones Family Band. The Tennessee Gentlemen have been entertaining bluegrass fans at festivals for over 25 years. Best known for high tenor vocals and tight harmony, they offer a variety of contemporary, traditional and gospel selections. The Tennessee Gentlemen will be performing on Friday, Aug. 29, and tickets for this show are $12.50. On Saturday, Aug. 30, Grammy winners Watson and Holt will perform. Recipient of the National Medal of Arts, National Heritage Fellowship, and five Grammy Awards, Watson is one of the nation's musical treasures. A powerful singer and influential picker, Watson virtually invented the art of playing mountain fiddle tunes on the flattop guitar. A master of clawhammer banjo, Holt has been collecting and performing the songs and stories of the Blue Ridge Mountains for over 30 years. In 2002, Watson and Holt won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Recording for Legacy, a three-CD collection of songs and stories reflecting Watson's inspiring life story. Tickets for this performance are $37.50. Ramona Jones and The Jones Family Band will open the show both nights. The concerts will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday with doors opening at 6 p.m. For tickets, call the Ozark Folk Center at (870) 269-3851 or visit www.ozarkfolkcenter.com. From Press Release
Local girl finalist in Pre-Teen Arkansas 
Kate Sanders, the daughter of Jack and Pat Sanders, of Cave City has been selected as a finalist in the Pre-Teen Arkansas Academic and Enrichment Program to be held Aug. 30-31 in Fort Smith. Pre-Teen Arkansas is a by invitation only academic and enrichment event involving girls 7 to 12 years of age based on their school academic records, awards and honors won, and their participation in outside activities. Additionally, young women are invited who have been recognized publicly for their outstanding personal achievements, volunteer services, school involvement, leadership abilities or creative talents. State finalists will be evaluated on academic achievement, volunteer service to their community, school honors and activities, development of personal skills and abilities, general knowledge assessment, communicative ability, and on-stage acknowledgment of accomplishments. Pre-Teen Arkansas will award more than $5,000 in educational savings bonds, prizes and awards. From Press Release Project School Tools
Ron Lewallen, vice president of Citizens Bank and a Batesville School Board member, passes some highlighters to Diane Runsick, a secretary at Batesville High School. The school supplies were gathered from the community, Citizens' employees, and Citizens Bank for Citizens Bank's Project School Tools. Photo submitted Second Friday Walk proves by Bob Pest The Ozarks region is dotted with communities whose downtown districts have suffered setbacks and decline in recent decades. The pre-eminence of "big box" retailers and supercenters, the rise of e-commerce, and the enormous demographic shift to weekend and evening shopping have forced downtowns to employ creative strategies to lure shoppers back. Main Street Batesville, faced with just such a challenge, has embraced a familiar strategy to revive downtown. The Second Friday Downtown Wander and Wonder Walk, launched Aug. 8, is a monthly downtown festival with extended shopping hours, free live music, free films, special events, fun activities, refreshments and lots of local color. The first installment of Second Friday was built around two recent additions to downtown: the Batesville Historic Courthouse Mural and the live music stage in the Pocket Park. The mural, located next to the current courthouse, provides a unique "history on parade" experience with skillful depictions of the two previous courthouses. Although the mural was dedicated to kick off the Second Friday initiative, artist Nancy Skinner plans to continue painting, adding people, transportation, and other enhancements to the historic street scenes. The Pocket Park, a reclaimed vacant lot in the heart of downtown, was recently fitted with a concert stage. The David Grimes All Star Band christened the stage with an evening of country and Southern rock. The stage gives the downtown a much needed centerpiece for events, and area bands of all persuasions are already lining up for the opportunity to perform. The University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville Renaissance Singers are scheduled for the October Walk. In most cases, local arts groups take the lead in downtown revitalization, and Batesville is no exception. The arts council hosted an open house in their Main Street gallery, the ballet opened their studio for dancing, and the community theater brought out their theatrical makeup for face painting. A few blocks away from Main Street, but still in on the fun, MorningSide Coffeehouse screened animated films from Canada provided by Ozark Foothills FilmFest. Antique collectors and enthusiasts visiting Batesville for the first time were pleasantly surprised to find a burgeoning antique scene, anchored by the venerable Back in Time and now boasting six unique shops. Shoppers at the initial Walk also found some outstanding sale prices at a number of shops, helpful printed programs, and street vendors with everything from funnel cakes to Civil War histories. Events like Second Friday serve several important purposes. Most importantly, they bring new customers to local merchants. They are especially helpful for new businesses yet to achieve name recognition. They also showcase available storefronts and other buildings and give interested entrepreneurs a chance to envision their own business concept in a vital downtown environment. Monthly downtown evenings also showcase a community's talent, contribute to community unity, and, not insignificantly, get people out walking. Most take a few months to get established, but eventually the regular date takes hold. The initial Second Friday attracted about 500 shoppers and strollers -- about what organizers had expected. For most of us, $3 to $4 per gallon gasoline means less travel and more shopping and recreation close to home. The current gas crisis actually presents an opportunity for businesses in smaller towns to reintroduce themselves to their communities. Second Friday and initiatives like it create both a festive climate and a platform upon which local merchants can showcase their strengths. Their success is usually the result of good planning, active and creative participation by merchants, and the community's commitment to spend locally. Batesville's Second Friday has the potential to re-establish its downtown as a destination every day of the month. The next Second Friday Downtown Wander and Wonder Walk is set for Friday, Sept. 12. Participating stores remain open until 8 p.m. Activities are scheduled through 10 p.m. Free films, free live music, antiques, arts, crafts, shopping and food will be joined by some new events. Several businesses on the fringe of downtown will be joining the lineup. Information, including a complete schedule and list of participating merchants, is available at Main Street Batesville, downtownbatesville@sbcglobal.net or (870) 793-4632.
FCB to host book signing
First Community Bank will host a public book signing and reception on Thursday, Sept. 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to honor E.R. Coleman as he unveils his new book: A Life Along the Black River in Arkansas. The autobiography of Coleman shares real-life experiences of a country boy who became a man while following his dreams and encourages others to follow their dreams while being responsible, honest and hard working. "The setting is a swampland along the Black River located in the Cord-Dowdy community of Independence County during the era of 'the hill folk' and 'the river folk,'" said Coleman. "I share firsthand experiences and changes that shaped my life including promotion of electricity, telephones, rural water lines, asphalt roads, better education and churches in my area. My dream of developing Black River swampland into some of the best farmland in the state of Arkansas was realized in spite of my dad saying, 'It can't be done.' "My oldest daughter, Carol Coleman Kennedy, encouraged me to write this book about my life for posterity sake. It's my desire that my book will bring hope and motivation to future generations that they, too, can work hard and overcome challenges while pursuing their dreams. A successful life includes service to others. I am thankful that I was born and reared in the great state of Arkansas, 'The Land of Opportunity,'" Coleman concluded. The publisher, Butler Center Books, a division of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, a unit of the Central Arkansas Library System, is also publishing former Gov. David Pryor's memoir. Copies of A Life Along the Black River in Arkansas may be purchased during the book signing for $16.95 paperback or $34.95 hardback. The books are available locally at the Paper Chase Bookstore on Main Street in Batesville and the Old Independence Regional Museum gift shop. Orders may also be placed through The University of Arkansas Press toll-free at 1-800-626-0090 or by calling Coleman at (501) 228-8175. From Press Release
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