On November 9, 2011, from 11am – 1pm, the Rose Petal Memorial Service and Women Veterans Appreciation Lunch will honor women who have served their country. Held at the Stone Castle Hotel & Conference Center, Draw Bridge Room, 3050 Green Mountain Drive, Branson, the event is open to women and men who wish to honor women veterans.
Amy Bennett, Missouri Women Veterans Coordinator, will speak at the Rose Petal Service. Bennett has been with the Missouri Veterans Commission since 2010, first as a Veterans Service Officer and as of April, 2011, Women Veterans Coordinator. In her current position she conducts outreaches for women veterans in Missouri, prepares reports to include statistical data reflecting the number of women veterans and is senior editor for the quarterly Missouri Women Veterans Newsletter.
Major (Retired) Vicki Lynn Jones, a decorated US Army veteran, will also be speaking at the Women Veterans Appreciation Lunch. She has the distinction of being the first female helicopter pilot in the Oklahoma Army National Guard, and the first Native American female helicopter pilot in both the Oklahoma Army National Guard, and the U.S. Army.
For the seventh year, the service will pay tribute to women by dropping rose petals into water in remembrance of those who gave their lives.
For registration information, contact Barb Riggle at [email protected] or [email protected], 417-339-6823 or 417-337-8387. The cost of the lunch is $20.00. The registration form will be on the www.bransonveterans.com website.

College of the Ozarks Music Department Presents Fall Concert
By: Austin Plummer

College of the Ozarks Music Department will present a fall concert on Tuesday, October 25, at 7 p.m., in the Jones auditorium. This free concert is open to the public and will feature the Chorale, Jazz Band and the Jazz Combo.

Each ensemble will perform its own repertoire, which will include great jazz arrangements and well-known big band tunes like “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing if It Ain’t Got That Swing,” “Route 66” and more.

The Chorale will include some gospel jazz arrangements like “Swingin’ with the Saints,” “Joy is on the Way” and a jazz rendition of “Amazing Grace.”

The Jazz Band will perform Chuck Mangione’s hit “Feels So Good” and will feature student, Ruben Delarosa on trumpet. The Jazz Band also will perform Cole Porter’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” and “Someone to Watch Over Me,” by the Gershwin brothers.

The groups will combine at the end for the “Big Band Bash” medley. For more information, call the Music department at 417-690-2244.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Clay Cooper is proud to announce Red, Hot…&Blue! will be performing at the Clay Cooper Theatre for the 2012-2013 seasons. Red, Hot…& Blue! is a musical revue of the decades, featuring seven versatile entertainers, singing LIVE and dancing their way into your hearts with different styles of each musical era from the 1920’s through the 1980’s. The producers, Christopher Eiffert and Scott Sartain of Live Entertainment Productions, take this show to the next level using reminiscent video footage, spectacular costumes and hilarious wigs while reinventing the beautiful harmonies and fun dances of yesterday.
“My wife and I are excited to have Red, Hot…&Blue at our theatre. My wife, Tina, originally came to Branson to choreograph and perform in this show. Tina, Chris, and Scott have been best friends since college at the University of Oklahoma, and we are all excited about Red, Hot…& Blue! and its future at the Clay Cooper Theatre.”
Red, Hot…& Blue! debuted in Branson July 4, 1996 and has steadily grown into one of Branson, Missouri’s most popular entertainment attractions. For several years, the cast has been touring regionally during Branson’s “winter seasons”, and have had the opportunity to perform aboard Holland America Cruise Lines and Prince Cruise Lines WORLD WIDE! Christopher comments, “We are truly grateful for the opportunities we have had performing around the globe, but Branson will always be our home! We are thrilled to be working with Clay and Tina at the Clay Cooper Theatre and can’t wait to add to the diversity of this beautiful establishment!”
Clay would also like to thank Buck Trent for a wonderful two years at the Clay Cooper Theatre and congratulate him on his future move with The Haygood’s to the RFD TV Theatre here in Branson, Missouri on the strip. “Buck Trent has always been one of my heroes, growin’ up, watchin’ him every weekend on Hee Haw! The opportunities he has by working at RFD are endless and I wish him continued success.” Buck recently returned to Branson after a busy summer filming RFD TV specials including The Reunion of Kornfield County, Larry’s Diner, and his performance at the Grand Ol’ Opry with Roy Clark.
Marty Haggard: A Tribute to My Dad, “Merle Haggard” and the amazing percussion comedy duo, Buckets ‘n’ Boards will be joining Clay Cooper’s Country Music Express and Red, Hot…& Blue for the 2012 season line-up at the Clay Cooper Theatre.
Marty Haggard and his band will take you back in time as Marty sings some of the America’s greatest country music, while telling the stories behind the songs, written by his dad, Merle Haggard. Sit back and enjoy as Marty and his band bring Merle’s songs back to life at the Clay Cooper Theatre.
Returning for their 3rd season in 2012 is Buckets N Boards Comedy Percussion Show! Buckets N Boards is a hilarious and high-energy show full of amazing percussion, ridiculous songs, an incredible variety of musical talents, spectacular tap dancing and good clean fun! Matthew Levingston and Gareth Sever have a blast entertaining audiences with their award winning comedy that appeals to the entire family, and are thrilled to continue their run at the Clay Cooper Theatre. They are also proud to announce that they will be headlining Disney Cruise Lines this Winter. Check out www.bucketsnboards.com to see their brand new demo!
And… of course, Clay Cooper’s Country Music Express is a high energy show filled with singin’, dancin’, gun-slingin’, hysterical comedy, and more! Featuring a cast of 22 veteran entertainers including nine dancers, six instrumentalists, trick-roper, Johnny Lonestar, comedian Matt Gumm, 8 year old Colt Cooper, and your host Clay Cooper, this show is guaranteed to make you laugh, cry, tap your toes, and maybe sing out a note or two! It’s MORE than country! So head over to the Clay Cooper Theatre where you can find diversity at its finest! www.claycoopertheatre.com

Branson, Mo. (Oct. 4, 2011) – Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is launching a campaign to combat hunger in all the cities where it has Believe It or Not! Odditoriums. Ripley’s Gimme Five Food Drive will take place from Sunday, November 6 through Thursday, November 10.

Here’s how it works: guests who bring a donation of five non-perishable food items can get a ticket to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Branson Odditorium for just $5 (regular adult ticket price is $17.99). All the food collected will go to the Ozarks Food Harvest.

“We’re in the business of ‘unbelievable’, and the number of families needing help putting food on the table is truly unbelievable,” said Jim Pattison Jr., President of Ripley Entertainment Inc. “That’s why we started this national effort to help food banks across the country.”

Facts on hunger in the Ozarks:

• Ozarks Food Harvest is the only food bank in southwest Missouri, serving 300 hunger relief organizations in 28 Ozarks counties.

• The Food Bank reaches 20,000 individuals a week and distributes 1,000,000 pounds of food each month.

• Many food bank clients say their children have to skip meals because there is not enough money for food.

Suggested donations include juice, soup, beans, tuna, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, pasta, tomato sauce and baby food.

Ripley’s Branson Odditorium is located at 3326 West Highway 76. Hours are from 9:30 am to 7:00 pm Sunday through Thursday and 9:30 am to 9:00 pm Friday and Saturday.

Ripley’s “Gimme Five” promotion may not be combined with any other offers. One discount ticket available for every 5 non-perishable food items donated.

Media contacts:

Gary Daily
Manager, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Branson
417-337-5300
[email protected]

Tim O’Brien
VP Communications
Ripley Entertainment
615-646-7465 – office
615-496-5949 – cell
[email protected]

About Ripley Entertainment
Ripley Entertainment Inc. (www.ripleys.com), keepers of the venerable Ripley’s Believe It or Not! brand, is a global leader in location-based entertainment, entertaining more than 12 million annually at its 80-plus attractions in 11 countries. In addition to its 31 Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions, best-selling books and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, that still runs daily in 42 countries. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the third-largest privately held company in Canada.

Several Veterans Events Planned During Veterans Week At College of the Ozarks
By: Matt Farmer

During Veterans week, College of the Ozarks will honor American veterans with the dedication of Veterans Grove Plaza, special guest speakers, and other events November 9-11.

The Veterans Grove Plaza is an expansion of the Veterans Grove. It will display flags representing each branch of the military, as well as the American Flag.

Veterans Grove honors World War II veterans who have participated in Patriotic Travel with College of the Ozarks students. Each Veteran is honored with the planting of a Sugar Maple, which is aligned with others to create the same unique pattern of the marble crosses at the American cemeteries in Europe. Next to each Sugar Maple is a bronze marker with a Veteran’s name.

The events begin Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 9:30 a.m., with a Special Forces A-Team lecture and display at The Keeter Center’s Royal Oak Forum.

On Thursday Nov. 10, at 9:30 a.m., Pearl Harbor witness and survivor Dorinda Nicholson will speak about her memories of the attack. A World War II mini-reunion begins at 4 p.m. Both the lecture with Dorinda Nicholson and mini-reunion will take place in the Royal Oak Forum. At 6 p.m., College of the Ozarks will dedicate the Veterans Grove Plaza on the Alumni Center lawn.

The events conclude Friday, Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. in the Royal Oak Forum with presentations from Paramount’s Vice President of Productions Stratton Leopold, New York Times best-selling author David Perlmutt and Charlie “Two Shoes” Tsui from the true story Charlie Two-Shoes and The Marines Of Love Company.

All the events are free and open to the public. For more information, please call the Public Relations office at (417) 690-2212.

Branson Arts Council
4th Annual Tour Of Homes
Sunday, Oct. 16th Noon-5 PM

The Branson Arts Council announces the fourth annual TOUR OF HOMES to take place Sunday, October 16th, 2011, from noon to
5 pm. The list of homes in in the process of being finalized, there will be at least 5 homes to view.
Tour of Homes tickets will be available the Branson Arts Council office 336-4255 or Touch of Class, phone 334-0303 The beginning check in point will be at the Branson Community Center, 201 Compton Drive. There you will be treated to Hot Cider, coffee and delicious Cookies. You will also receive a brief description of each home and written directions so that you can tour at your leisure from noon until 5 PM on Sunday, October 16th, 2011. The price of the tour is only $20 in advance at $25 at the door (except members at the door will be $20). Visa and MasterCard are accepted.
Tickets are available from the Branson Arts Council (201 Compton Drive) or Touch of Class The proceeds from the tour will be used for children, adul( Branson Meadows on Gretna Rd) The proceeds will be used for Children’s and public programming provided by the Branson Arts Council.
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College of the Ozarks Presents “The Count of Monte Cristo”
By: Chelsea Kliethermes

The College of the Ozarks Theatre Department will present “The Count of Monte Cristo” on October 14, 15 and 17 at 7:30 p.m. and October 16 at 2:30 p.m., in the Jones Auditorium on the College campus.

Betrayal, obsession and redemption provide the backdrop for this compelling drama adapted by Charles Morey from the classic novel of Alexandre Dumas. While unjustly imprisoned, Edmond Dantes befriends a neighboring inmate who bequeaths him an enormous treasure.

Dantes eventually escapes and returns to society disguised as the Count of Monte Cristo with plans to enact his revenge on those who betrayed him. But as Dantes becomes increasingly consumed with his quest for vengeance, he finds himself losing his humanity and any hope of reconciling with the love of his life.

Tickets are required to attend this production. Adult tickets are $10, senior citizens and
non-C of O students are $8 and children are $6.

To make reservations, please call the Jones Theatre Department at (417) 690-2626.

CBS Moneywatch.com Ranks College Of Ozarks As One of “Top 25 College With The Best Professors”

By: Chelsea Kliethermes and Matt Farmer

This week, CBS MoneyWatch.com released the top “25 Colleges with the Best Professors in 2011” based off of Forbes magazine’s 2011 college rankings. College of the Ozarks ranked #15 out of 650 superior schools for outstanding professors.

According to the CBS MoneyWatch.com article written by Lynn O’Shaughnessy, “None of the Ivy League schools, for instance, crack the list of the top 25 schools with the best professors. Princeton came the closest at 57th best.”

Forbes determines the rankings through information provided by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, which uses RateMyProfessors.com to assess the quality of teaching at schools. The website asks students to evaluate their professors in three categories: easiness, helpfulness and clarity. Forbes also uses schools’ freshmen retention rate, graduation rate, student debt levels, graduates’ salaries and more.

“College of the Ozarks has always focused on effective teaching, but it’s great to be recognized for what we do,” says Professor of Education Dana McMahon.

Eager parents of seniors and aspiring college scholars dash to the local bookstores and scan online to see which schools top the list, and Forbes is acclaimed for its “top” lists.

For more information or to see the MoneyWatch.com’s “25 Colleges with the Best Professors in 2011,” please visit http://bit.ly/qSUVMI.

SIX at Mickey Gilley – February 2012 – Branson, Missouri

Awarded “Entertainers of the Year” by BransonCritic.com, the amazing vocal group SIX will launch their exciting SIXth season in Branson at the state of the art Mickey Gilley Theatre.

Dubbed “An Orchestra of Human Voice”, this award winning show has thrilled and captivated audiences from Europe to Asia and from North America to South America. Pure harmonies, astonishing vocal ranges, and toe-tapping rhythms – you’d swear there’s a full band, but it’s SIX VOICES – ZERO INSTRUMENTS – ALL MUSIC!

You won’t believe what comes out of their mouths! Drums, bass, instruments and unbeatable harmonies–and that’s just in the first thirty seconds!

Show times will be Mondays & Tuesdays at 2pm and Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8pm. For ticket information contact the Mickey Gilley Theatre: (800)-334-1936 or (417)-334-3210.

SIX is the best vocal group I’ve ever heard! – Tony Orlando

SIX is hands down the best act in Branson and one of the best acts I’ve ever seen. Period! – Bill Medley

The greatest vocal group in the country today! – Andy Williams

This is the hottest ticket in Branson! – Mickey Gilley

Airtran Airways #1 In On Time Performance At Branson Airport

Branson Also Takes Divisional “Top Station” Award

BRANSON, MISSOURI – Branson Airport recently won AirTran Airways’ Top Station Competition for their division, and placed first system wide for On Time Departure Performance.
In this goal-oriented competition, the airport competed based on Turn Time Performance, or when an aircraft arrives late but is “turned” and departs on time, in On Time Departure Performance, or keeping departures on schedule and in Missed Bag Goals, making sure bags arrive with their passengers.
“While the prize is yet to be announced, bragging rights are enough of a reward,” stated commercial services manager, Sharon Morris. “We went into this with determination to better serve our passengers, but it’s such an honor to know that we finished first in August. It was a great team effort. ”
This summer, the Branson Airport team was consistently ranked high in the above AirTran Airway’s categories. In August, they ranked first in AirTr\an Airways’ system wide On Time Departure Performance category.

About Branson Airport: Opening its doors May of 2009, Branson Airport LLC is the first privately developed and operated commercial service airport in the United States. Currently serviced by AirTran Airways, Frontier Airlines and Branson AirExpress; additional carriers and destinations are on the horizon. Located in the heart of the Ozarks and centrally located in the Midwest, the airport also boasts a state of the art FBO, Branson JetCenter and a full service travel agency and public charter operator, FlyBranson Travel LLC d/b/a Branson AirExpress. For more information on Branson Airport LLC and any of its subsidiaries please visit FlyBranson.com.