College of the Ozarks Presents “Little Women”
By: Ashley Bench

College of the Ozarks’ departments of Theatre and Music will present the spring musical, “Little Women,” at 7:30 p.m., on March 2, 3, 5 and 6. A Sunday matinee will begin at 2:30 p.m., on March 4.

Produced by a special arrangement with Music Theatre International, “Little Women,” with music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, effectively displays the hardships of a family of four sisters and their mother, the Marches, during the civil war. Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott, the March family develops a bond that can never be broken and learn to have a hopeful endurance with every situation life brings. Playwright Allan Knee seeks to touch the hearts of many through the emotional heartaches and the joys of each sister.

C of O sophomore Matt Matney will play the part of Mr. Laurence, a wealthy neighbor to the March family. “For years young women have read the stories of Jo and dreamed of being one of the March sisters in ‘Little Women,’ and I think that’s one of the best concepts of this musical,” says Matney. “It takes the classic story so many young girls connect with and combines it with a beautiful score that adults will enjoy as well. It truly is a family event that intrigues several generations of avid readers and theatre patrons.”

Regular adult tickets are $15. Tickets for senior citizens are $13, students are $13 and children 12 and under are $11. C of O Associates will receive free admission to one performance upon presentation of their Associates Card. Guests of Associates are $5.

The Keeter Center’s Dobyns Dining Room is offering a special dinner and show package for $35 per person. Guests will enjoy a three-course dinner and be provided with preferred seating for the production. On Friday and Saturday only, there will be a special dessert reception during intermission for the guests who purchased the dinner and show package. The Keeter Center is also offering a special lodging package that includes tickets to the show.

For further information or to make a reservation for the dinner and show package or for more information on the special lodging package, please call The Keeter Center at 690-2146 or visit the website at www.keetercenter.edu. This production is open to the public and requires advance ticket reservations by calling the Theatre Box Office at (417) 690-2626.

Mount Pleasant Winery President’s Day Sale – February 17 – 24

Please come celebrate President’s Week with us and receive a 10% discount on any purchase from February 17th – 24th.

3125 Green Mtn. Drive
Branson, Missouri
417-336-9463

We are open Monday thru Saturday from 9:30 am until 5:00 pm, and Sunday from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm.

College of the Ozarks Keeter Center Culinary Team Members Win “Best” at Chocolate Competition

C of O Keeter Center Kitchen Supervisors Nancy Frew and Chris Freeman received first place awards at the “Art and Romance of Chocolate” show and competition. The event was held at the Brick City Gallery in Springfield, Missouri, on January 22, 2012, and was sponsored by the Friends of the Springfield Art Museum.

Participants representing 18 different restaurants, candy shoppes and bakeries competed in six different categories. College of the Ozarks won first place in two out of the six categories. Frew won the “Best Dessert” award for her Chocolate Coconut Butter Cake, often found on the dessert buffet at Dobyns Dining Room’s sunday brunch.

“This is the second year in a row the Dobyns Culinary Team has won the “Best Dessert” award in this competition,” says Executive Chef Robert Stricklin. In addition, Freeman sculpted a two-foot tall replica of the Eiffel Tower using Barry Callebaut semi-sweet Belgian chocolate. The original edible art, made completely from chocolate and for show, won the award for “Best Chocolate Showpiece.”

Chef Stricklin also recruited three culinary arts majors as volunteers to assist with The Keeter Center display. They served 200 guests, who enjoyed chocolate-themed treats. Students Hannah Burke from Pleasant Hill, Missouri, Eva Creech from Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Alyssa Long from Mt. Vernon, Missouri, served a steady stream of guests.

“The show and competition, which served as a great opportunity to promote The Keeter Center as a dining destination, gave the culinary team members the opportunity to sharpen their skills through competition,” says Chef Stricklin. “It also gave students the opportunity to learn skills in catering, special event operations and guest service.”

For more information, call Associate Professor of Hotel and Restaurant Management Jerry Shackette at (417) 690-2119 or e-mail [email protected].

Student’s Dream To Be An Author Becomes Reality

Veteran John Primerano with Cailin Casey during Pariotic Education Trip to France, Belgium and Germany.

Senior Cailin Casey says that she has always wanted be an author of fiction books. These days, she says all she wants to write about are real heroes. Last spring, Casey and 16 other College of the Ozarks students accompanied six WWII Veterans to battle sites in Europe as part of the College’s Patriotic Education Travel Program, which is designed so that students learn about history and sacrifice from the men and women who lived it. During the trip she became inspired, so much, that upon her return, she wrote a short book about stories the Veterans shared with her.

The book, Twice as Brave, is a collection of the true stories of six WWII Veterans, Andy Anderson (5th Engineers Special Brigade), Bill Kamsler (102nd Infantry Division), Ned Knapp (75th Infantry Division), John Primerano (101st Airborne), Lou Rabesa (Army Air Force), and Bryan Sperry (75th Infantry Division).

EXCERPT (Casey, page 1): “Below John Primerano’s dangling boots were 450 feet of nothing but air. All the guys had told him, ‘You don’t want to get hung up in the trees.’ The distance between his feet and those tall poplars was becoming steadily shorter. Before the jump, he couldn’t pass up the treat of a whole tin of peaches and sat with his buddies beneath the wing of the plane and ate every bite. Those peaches were more appetizing going down than coming back up all over his jumpsuit. Still it seemed he was headed right for those trees. In moments, he was sure his chute would be caught in them and he would be stuck like a feather in a barbed wire fence.”

Individuals interested in obtaining a copy of the book may purchase one for $9.99 at The Keeter Center Gift Shop at College of the Ozarks (417) 690-2110. Casey is donating all of the proceeds to the College’s Patriotic Education Travel Program. On May 12, from 1-3 p.m., the College plans to host a book signing event for Casey at The Keeter Center. Book clubs or other groups may request her to share about Twice as Brave at one of their meetings by calling (417) 690-2276.

Twice as Brave may be small (less than 50 pages), but is the beginning of something much bigger for Casey. One of the Veterans John Primerano, whom she accompanied on the trip, asked Casey if she would write his biography. She accepted his offer and will begin writing his memoir this summer, after she graduates from College of the Ozarks. “I always thought I would write fiction,” Casey said, “but sometimes truth is more fascinating than fiction.”

College of the Ozarks to Sponsor Blood Drive
By: Chelsea Kliethermes

On Thursday, February 16, 2012, the Bonner Community Service Program at College of the Ozarks will sponsor a blood drive for the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks. The blood drive is from noon to 6 p.m., in the Keeter Gymnasium.

Each donor will receive a free t-shirt for his/her contribution. Every donation has the potential to make a difference in someone’s life.

For more information, please contact the C of O Bonner Community Service Program at 417-690-3450 or e-mail Director of Bonner Program Nancy Finn at [email protected]

Art Demonstration by Artist Don Barnes at Mount Pleasant Winery – February 4, 2012

We are having an art demonstration here at Mount Pleasant Winery on Feb 4th, by renowned artist Don Barnes, from Denver Colorado. The time is 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm and we will be selling wine by the glass for this event.

About Don Barnes

Don Barnes was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he lived until age twelve. He has lived in Kansas City, Los Angeles, Dallas and Denver. The last is where he met his wife and has made his home since 1976.
Although he had always been artistic, Don didn’t begin painting until 1993. His first show was a solo in 2005, which sold seven of fifteen paintings. Since that time his work has shown in galleries throughout the West. He has been juried into several national shows and has been invited three times to participate in the prestigious Nomadas del Arte’.
His friendship with gallery owner Ernest Fuller allowed Don to study the works of Rob Moore, Hollis Williford, Julie Chapman, Debora Paris and other well known artists. Likewise, with the cooperation of David Cook Fine Art, he spent much time examining the works of the Broadmoor Academy artists – John F. Carlson, Sven Birger Sandzen, Peppino Mangravite, the Magafan Sistes, and others. He feels that the ability to draw from this broad knowledge offers unique possibilities for his art.

Artists Statement
For me, it’s all about technique and experimentation. I love to try new ways of expressing what I see. Each painting comes with a new set of challenges. The excitement is in breaking them down and turning out something that communicates with someone else.

Resume’
2010 – Nomadas del Arte’- Southwest Gallery, Dallas (Invitation)
Visions of the Flint Hills, Buttonwood Gallery, Kansas City (Jury)
Russian Night in Taos, Taos Art Museum, Taos (Jury)
2009 – Nomadas del Arte’ – Southwest Gallery, Dallas (Invitation)
Plein Air Expanded – Republic Plaza, Denver (Jury)
2008 – Nomadas del Arte’- Sage Creek Gallery, Taos (Invitation)
Winter Miniatures- Rob Foster Gallery, Denver (Jury)
Plein Air Artists Colorado Annual Exhibition – Abend Gallery, Denver (Jury)
Denver Plein Air Arts Festival – Golden Triangle Museum District, Denver (Jury)
2007 – Solo show – Compass Bank, Denver (Invitation)
Denver Plein Air Arts Festival – Golden Triangle Museum District, Denver (Jury)
Plein Air Artists Colorado Annual Exhibition – Abend Gallery, Denver (Jury)
2006 – Solo Show – Lone Tree Library, Lone Tree (Invitation)
Plein Air New Mexico Special Exhibition at Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center – Grants
Plein Air New Mexico Annual Show – The Mission Gallery, Grants
2005 – Solo Show – Saxby’s, Denver

Ralph Foster Museum To Host Area Appreciation- February 1-11, 2012
By: Chelsea Kliethermes

The Ralph Foster Museum at College of the Ozarks will host area appreciation with free admission from February 1-11, for the residents of Boone, Carroll, Christian, Greene, Stone and Taney counties.

The Ralph Foster Museum is dedicated to the history of the Ozarks region. The museum is named in honor of the late Ralph D. Foster (radio pioneer and philanthropist) the museum houses thousands of objects representing archaeology, history, firearms, antiques, numismatics, natural history, fine arts, geology and mineralogy.

Among other things, the museum houses the original Beverly Hillbillies car, Music Hall of Fame, and Rosie O’Neil’s Kewpie Doll Collection and one of the largest gun collections in the country.

The Ralph Foster Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For further information, please contact the Museum at 417-690-3407.

Emergency Managers Gather To Plan For Disaster

Hollister, MO (January 31, 2012) – Leaders from public safety agencies throughout Taney County gathered at Taney County Ambulance District on Friday, January 27 to practice managing a local disaster. The virtual event presented a large aircraft emergency at Branson Airport. Representatives from local agencies discussed how their personnel and resources would respond to such an event.

“This exercise provided a great opportunity for responders to see each other in person and review emergency operation plans,” said Chris Berndt, Taney County Emergency Manager. “Also, this allows agencies to finalize and review their plans prior to the full scale exercise in March.”

Emergency managers and public safety personnel will gather for a full-scale disaster exercise at Branson Airport on March 3, 2012. The FAA requires Part 139 commercial service airports, like Branson Airport, to conduct a tabletop emergency drill annually and a full scale emergency drill every third year.

“Safety and emergency preparedness are two of our highest priorities at the Branson Airport,” said Jeremy Berven, Director of Operations at Branson Airport. “This exercise, along with the drill in March, allows us and our community partners to focus on these items.”

Just days ago, Southwest Airlines announced that it was committed to serving Branson Airport. It plans to convert AirTran Airways at Branson to Southwest Airlines operations over time. Southwest also announced that it will commence daily non-stop service from Branson Airport to both Chicago Midway Airport and Houston Hobby Airport starting April 16, 2012.

Western Taney Fire Assistant Chief Bruce Bjorge shows a map of the Branson Airport to the group.

The exercise was coordinated among leaders in the same way an Emergency Operations Center would be set up in a similar situation.

BRANSON, MO – Over 25 different countries will be represented in Branson at the 2012 See The World in Branson Music Fest. This 1st annual event will be held at the Welk Resort April 25 – 26, 2012 and will provide a sampling of the internationally flavored entertainment that is found in Branson.

Attendees will have the opportunity to stroll through booths in the Marketplace tent, each representing Countries from around the World. Experience the costumes, history and culture as well as participate in games, prizes and autograph sessions.

The highlight of this two-day festival is the Music Showcase. Close to 20 different Branson shows will take the stage each day at 2PM in the Welk Theatre lending the audience to the greatest exposure of non-stop, back-to-back, entertainment on a Branson stage.

See The World In Branson is an area wide festival highlighting the vast amount of Internationally inspired entertainment, attractions, and cuisine available to visitors in the Branson area. See The World In Branson is held annually during the months of April and May. It is one of the special events featured during our Ozark Mountain Spring.

Admission to the Marketplace Tent is free. Tickets to See The World Music Fest can be made by contacting a Branson Receptive or by calling the Welk Resort at 800-808-9355.

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