Date: March 6, 2014

Contact: Bonnie Herrmann, (417) 336-4255

Turn Family Trees into Family Treasures

The Branson Arts Council is pleased to present a morning workshop, “Growing Your Family Tree: Using Genealogy to Inspire Memoirs”. Attendees will learn how to uncover the secrets of their past by using online and local resources. They will then craft ideas for short stories, articles, and specialty memoirs that can be shared with friends and family. These concepts could inspire attendees to later write a book.

The class will be taught by Karen Nelson, nonfiction author and president of the Ozarks Writers League. Ms. Nelson has been a columnist for The Ozarks Mountaineer and published numerous articles featuring memories and traditions of the Ozarks region. She loves to dig into the past and make it a present for the future.

This workshop is Saturday, March 22, from 10am to noon in the Branson Community Center at 201 Compton Drive in Branson and is open to anyone age 18 or over. The fee is $17 for members of the Branson Arts Council and $20 for non-members. Contact the Branson Arts Council at (417) 336-4255 or [email protected] to register.

Branson, Mo., February 25, 2014 – Announcing a new non-profit in the Branson, Tri-Lakes area. Established in November 2013, the Tri-Lakes Sertoma Clubs mission is to promote hearing health in the local Tri-Lakes area. There are 800+ people in this area who are affected by hearing loss. Through local club events and fundraisers, the Tri-Lakes Sertoma Club intends to raise money for this mission, as well as sponsor community projects to promote other local community needs.

The Tri-Lakes Sertoma elected president, Cherri Cahow is a speech and language Pathologist, who has lived in Branson, Mo. for 15 years. She has experience in skilled nursing rehab, home health, and is currently a Speech and Language Therapist working for the Branson School District. Cherri says, ÒThe reason I joined Tri-Lakes Sertoma was because it is a charity dear to my heart. I have made a career out of helping individuals overcome communication disorders. “

Sertoma is an acronym for SERvice TO MAnkind. The shared mission of Sertoma’s national organization is promoting “hearing health.” Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, Sertoma is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit civic organization with community-minded members in service clubs across the US and Canada.

Every year Sertoma clubs raise more than $20 million for local community service projects. Through these projects, as well as grants and scholarships, Sertoma clubs return those funds to their respective communities – and they have lots of fun doing it while building life-long friendships.

Tri-Lakes Sertoma is excited to contribute to the Tri-Lakes community and they are currently looking for new members to help carry out their mission. If you are interested in finding out more about their planned service events and programs, please come to their next meeting. It will be held at Old Chicago at the Branson Landing on Monday, March 10, 2104 at 5:30 pm.

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Mount Pleasant Winery – Open Full Time! We have opened again full-time, 7 days a week, from 11 am – 6 pm. We continue to provide live music on Saturdays from 4 – 6 pm.

Sons of Britches

This Saturday, the 22nd, enjoy the bluegrass/comedy of The Sons of Britches, along with an invitation to the Branson Arts Council Art Open House featuring the White River Art Alliance, also from 4 – 6 pm. This is a great opportunity to meet these young and upcoming artists, Aaron Murphee, Christina Mutchler, Chante Payne and Seth Murphee. Enjoy refreshments provided by the BAC along with wine tasting for $5.00, or you may purchase wine by the glass, or by the bottle to be enjoyed at the winery! It’s a great time to come out and support our local musicians and artists! We’ll see you Saturday!

Mount Pleasant Winery
3125 Green Mtn. Drive
417-336-9463

The Keeter Center Presents
“Etiquette Class”
Children between the ages of 8-14 years old,
will learn basic etiquette rules:
How to sit and eat at the table, how to set the table, how to shake hands and introduce themselves, how to dress, and other important etiquette facts. This is a great learning experience for children to develop themselves into fine young men and women.

Coming up in less than a month! Make your plans now to spend Valentine’s weekend in Branson. Join our friends Main Street Lake Cruises for a romantic Valentine Cruise on February 14-15, 2014.

Visit http://www.mainstreetlakecruises.com/landing-princess or call 417-239-3980 to reserve your tickets.

Click on link below for full size flyer.
Main Street Lake Cruises Valentine Cruises Flyer

Join us for “Afternoon Tea” from 1:00 pm to 3:00 PM on Saturday, February 15, 2014. We will have sandwiches, pastries, fruit bread, scones, and tea. We also will have a truffle making demonstration that you will not want to miss. What a great Valentine gift this would make. Please see flyer below for details. Call for reservations and more details at 417-690-2122.

Click on link below for full size flyer.

Afternoon Tea Flyer

Please join us for another “Farm to Fork” cooking class with our own Chef Robert Stricklin on Saturday, February 8, 2014. What a Great Valentine gift this would make. Please see flyer for details. Call for reservations and more details at 417-690-2122.

Click on link below for full size flyer.

Farm to Fork Flyer

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, is a day to remember and honor all those who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. At 7:55am around 200 Japanese aircraft crews attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, leaving nearly 3,000 dead. The US Pacific Fleet that was anchored there was nearly destroyed along with 200 US aircraft on the ground destroyed. This attack on Pearl Harbor caused the US to enter into World War II, declared by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and approved by Congress on Dec 8, 1941. The flag of the United States in flown at half-staff until sunset in honor of the fallen patriots.

Branson will hold a special ceremony to commemorate “The day that will live in infamy”. The ceremony will begin promptly at 10:15 am at Main Street Lake Cruises at the Branson Landing. We will honor and remember the fallen with a prayer, the ringing of a bell, and laying of a wreath in the water of Lake Taneycomo. This is a FREE event and the public is welcome. Guests are encouraged to park in the Belk’s parking lot area. A free shuttle will be available to escort you to the event.

Grape Stomp a Mainstay of Annual Celebration

Organizers of the annual Hollister Grape & Fall Festival are searching for adults and children not afraid to get their
feet dirty.

One of the highlights of the Hollister Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual festival is the grape stomp, when teams of four slip off their comfortable shoes and slip into vats filled with fresh ripe grapes. They then dance, prance and stomp to their favorite tunes, all while vying for the day’s top prize, the traveling Ugly Monkey Trophy and bragging rights. Comedian and ventriloquist Jim Barber will emcee the stomp. Barber, co-star of the “Hamner Barber Variety Show,” has performed on “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

While the grape stomp competition leaves people rolling in their seats, the contest actually has historical roots.

“The Grape & Fall Festival was first known as the Grape Carnival and was celebrated each fall, for a period that lasted about three decades, in the early 20th century,” said Hollister City Administrator Rick Ziegenfuss. “The carnival served as a chance for local residents and their guests to celebrate another year of hard work and success in an Ozarks agricultural—and tourism—based community. As Hollister faced the challenges of post-depression America, floods and World War II, the community turned its attention to more immediate priorities and the festival was forgone.

“In the 1990s, interested residents, the Hollister chamber of commerce and the city of Hollister once again turned to what is now known as the Grape & Fall Festival for many of the same reasons as it original organizers. To this day, the festival offers residents and guests the chance to celebrate another year of hard work and progress in Hollister.”

Ziegenfuss said because the Grape Carnival called attention to the area vineyards, it only seemed natural to include a fun, grape-based event in the festival’s second life, thus the grape stomp was born.

“After the first grape stomp, it became apparent that it was an event that was here to stay,” he said. “Stomp teams of all ages excite the judges and the crowd into an event high that generates comments, long after the event has ended.”

The tradition continues this year Saturday, October 12, when the Hollister Area Chamber of Commerce will once again host Hollister’s Grape & Fall Festival from 10:00 a.m.– 10:00 p.m. on Downing Street. The day will include food and craft vendors, entertainment, children’s activities and, of course, the grape stomp. To get things started this year, organizers have incorporated the first Color Me Grape 5K Color Fun Run, which begins at 9:00 A.M.

The Hollister Area Chamber of Commerce is currently taking applications for grape stomp teams, event sponsors, crafters, food vendors and area businesses who would like to take part in the annual event celebrating Hollister’s
rich history.

Businesses, non-profits and crafters wanting to exhibit may call Debbie Redford at 417.332.7246. Food vendors are asked to call Jerry Shackette at 417.598.9731. Businesses interested in becoming a Grape & Fall Festival sponsor may call D. Todd Aeschliman at 417.294.5050 or visit HollisterChamber.Net. To register a grape stomp team or find out more information about the grape stomp, call Laurie Hayes at 417-559-3869.