White River Valley Electric Cooperative’s annual Hooked On Education Fishing Tournament to benefit their Scholarship Trust Fund—planned for Saturday, May 14—has been cancelled due to lake conditions following the recent floods, said spokeswoman Cindy Rains. The event was to begin at 7 a.m. at the Theodosia Marina. For more information, call Rains at 417-335-9335.

Hollister, MO – Don’t miss the 26^th Annual Hollister Easter Egg Hunt this Saturday, April 23^rd from 12:30—2:00pm at the Hollister High School Football Field. This is another fantastic FREE community event put on by the Hollister Area Chamber of Commerce. Last year almost 2000 people came out to enjoy this Hollister tradition—the 2^nd longest running after Hollister 4^th of July Fireworks!

Children’s activities and games including giant inflatables, clowns, face-painting and more! …plus a visit from the Easter Bunny—all part of the festivities this Saturday. Kids will be divided into age groups (3 & under, 4–5yr, 6–7yr, and 8 & up) as they run around the field collecting the 5,000 candy-filled eggs! All children are encouraged to bring their own Easter basket or bag for collecting—as supplies will be limited. While the event kicks off at 12:30 – the “Hunt” begins promptly at 1:00pm – so don’t be late!

This event would not be possible without the support of our local businesses and Hollister Chamber Members. A special Thank You to our 2011 Sponsors: St. John’s Clinic of Hollister, CenturyLink, The Keeter Center, KOMC/KRZK Hometown Radio, Parade of Homes Magazine, McDonald’s, Perfect Signs and The Spirits Shop. Sponsorship opportunities still available. Call 334-3050 for details.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is hosting its 12th Annual Nativity Celebration the first two weekends in December; Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 3, 4, 5 and 10,11,12 at the LDS Church –  4450 S. Farm Rd 141 (Cox Road) in Springfield, MO. Hours are 5pm to 9pm each evening.

Branson Entertainers as well as school and community ensembles will perform nightly at 6pm.  Featured entertainers are: Six,  The Duttons, The Hughes Brothers, Wayne Galley,  The Brett Family Singers,  Thomas Brothers,  The Wornock Singers  and George Dyer.

There is an all New International Nativity Display. See how people from countries all over the world celebrate the Nativity. Enjoy hundreds of beautiful handcrafted nativity sets and learn about their native traditions.

Live Nativity actors portray a life like Nativity Scene– complete with a rustic manger, humble stable, and live animals. Nativity performances will be reenacted nightly every 20 minutes from 5pm-9pm.  Refreshments will be served.

The nativity celebration is free and open to the public.  We warmly invite all to attend.

For further information and detailed performance schedules visit us online at www.nativitycelebration.com or email [email protected]

Big Cedar Lodge has gone beyond the ordinary and is now giving guests of the resort an opportunity to participate in Ski School Lessons and SCUBA Diving.

Whether you are certified diver or an amateur, guests 10 years and over are invited to join our professional instructors in a SCUBA dive and discover the excitement of the underwater world.

If you prefer to stay above the water, you can polish your slalom, kneeboard and wakeboard skills with the help of our professional instructor in our new Professional Ski School.

For more information call 417-339-7107 or visit www.bigcedar.com

Pointe Royale Golf Club is in the January issue of Golf Digest in the article “New Courses, Good Deals.” Pointe Royale is among courses with rates under $65. Pointe Royale Golf Village completed a $1.5 million redo in April after a $3 million remodeling of the clubhouse.

Start: 06/25/2009 12:00 pm
End: 06/25/2009 7:00 pm

Branson RecPlex and State Park marina team up to offer a free swim day at the Branson AquaPlex. Admission is 2 non-perishable food items per person.

Come and enjoy the play feature, two water slides, diving board, basketball goal and more.Occupancy is limited. All Patrons must be dressed in appropriate swim attire. A concession stand will be available.No outside food or drink will be allowed.

For more information, please contact the Branson Parks & Recreation department at (417) 335-2368

The Professional Anglers Association has joined forces with the Central Pro Am Association to offer a one of a kind opportunity for anglers fishing Central Pro Am in 2010. The new affiliation brings together two organizations with a unifying theme of tournament bass fishing, and support of the membership, the fishermen. According to John Crews, President of the PAA, “We are excited to implement partnerships such as this, as we feel it gives strength to both organizations, and as a result creates more opportunities for the anglers, which is important to the PAA.”

The partnership paves the way for the 2010 Central Pro Am Angler of the Year, along with the Co-angler of the Year, who will each receive a guaranteed slot in the 2011 PAA Tournament Series. In addition to covering entry fees for the anglers, Central Pro Am will also be providing assistance with expenses, making this a truly inexpensive shot at becoming a touring pro in 2011. “This could make a couple of our Central Pro Am’s anglers lifelong dreams come true, just by fishing a season with us…two of our anglers will be competing against some of the best talent in the country in 2011,” said Jim Thompson, owner of Central Pro Am.

Two lucky Central Pro Am Anglers also have a chance to compete with touring PAA pros in the 2009 PAA Corporate Cup, to be held September 10-12 on Lake Pickwick in Florence, AL. This unique opportunity is part of a joint PAA/CPAA membership drive. All members of Central Pro Am in good standing that join the PAA between June 1 and July 31, 2009 are registered for their chance to win this all expense paid trip courtesy of Central Pro Am.

For more details on the Professional Anglers Association, the PAA Tournament Series, or the 2009 PAA Corporate Cup please visit www.fishpaa.com. For more information on the Central Pro Am Association, their tournament series, and how you can participate in this partnership, please visit www.central-proam.com.

What: Blueberry Festival & Music Festival at Persimmon Hill Farm

When:  Saturday, June 6

Where: Persimmon Hill Farm is located south of Lampe off of Mo. 86, at 367 Persimmon Hill Lane. The farm is 1 1/2 miles off of Mo. 86. A map is posted on the farm web site, www.persimmonhill.com

The event includes an annual Cobbler Contest to benefit the Lives Under Construction Boys Ranch, along with entertainment featuring the Farnum Family in an outdoor music fest. Cobbler contestants should bring their cobblers by noon on June 6. Cobblers will be judged by 1 p.m. The music fest will feature the Farnum Family of Galena, performing bluegrass and gospel music from noon to 4 p.m.

For more information, call 417-779-5443 or visit the Persimmon Hill Farm web site, www.persimmonhill.com.

What: Table Rock Dam 50th Anniversary

When: Sunday June 14, 2009

2:15 p.m. Springfield National Guard Band Performance
2:45 p.m. Anniversary Celebration Begins
Followed by refreshment at the Dewey Short Visitors Center

Where: Table Rock Dam Overlook

An afternoon of celebrating how the Ozarks were changed forever.

BRANSON, Mo., May 19 – The Army Corps of Engineers will conduct a boating use study on Table Rock Lake between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends to gather information about recreational boating and the perceptions and preferences of boaters.  Corps officials urge boaters to participate in surveys when asked so the agency can better serve the boating public in the future.

Boaters will be surveyed by contractors working for the Corps.  The surveys will primarily be exit interviews of boaters at randomly selected public launching facilities around Table Rock Lake.  Also, the survey questionnaire will be mailed to a randomly selected sample population of adjacent landowners, marina customers and private boat slip owners on the lake.

Using scientific methods, the study will examine not only boater preferences but also how the natural and social environments, as well as Corps management practices, influence boaters in the areas of the lake they frequent.

The survey will include questions about place of origin, travel time and cost, frequency of visits, length of stay, and other activities enjoyed.  There will be questions about the types and sizes of boats used, as well as the use of ramps, docks, or existing or prospective marina facilities.  It will include questions about recreational experiences and perceptions including crowding, congestion, boat docks, shoreline erosion, noise, lake usage, aesthetics, water quality, no wake zones, use patterns, competing uses (fishing vs. water-skiing, etc.), crime, boat speed and other issues.

Boat counts will be taken on the lake to detect congested areas.  The times and dates of the counts will be determined by a scientific random sampling method.  Lake surface zones will be used to describe where congestion is the most prevalent.

The survey will help determine how development, competing uses and other issues can affect the safety and enjoyment of visitors and residents.  This information will assist lake managers in preparing for an Environmental Impact Study prior to updating the Shoreline Management Plan for Table Rock Lake if funding becomes available.  The EIS is a required step in the update.  The data will also be valuable in updating the Table Rock Lake Master Plan.