Beginning Saturday, the Presley family will be seen weekly in more than 40 million homes. Their half-hour music and variety series premiers at 6:30 p.m. “Presleys Country Jubilee” stars three generations of the family, and the producers have added guest appearances by other Branson performers.

The show airs during the six-hour Saturday night schedule of continuous music and entertainment that earns high Nielsen ratings. It follows “Reno’s Old Time Music Festival” and precedes “The Marty Stuart Show.” The channel is carried by systems including DISH Network, DIRECTV, Comcast, Mediacom, Time Warner and more than 600 rural cable systems.

Source: BLACC/CVB

Our community’s success is based on the power of everyone working together towards a common goal. When we do our part, we help make this community that much stronger. We can all agree that resources like clean water, good schools, new businesses that provide year round employment, safe roads and programs that provide free hot meals to our schools, temporary assistance for needy families (TANF), and nutrition programs for women, infants and children (WIC) are vital to our community. But how can we make sure that our neighbors are guaranteed all these fundamental services? It’s simple. Fill out your form.The 10 short questions that make up the 2010 Census survey will be mailed out to all households in Taney and Stone Counties beginning mid-February thru late March. We all must do our part to encourage friends, family and co-workers to fill out and return the survey.

Here is why completing the 10 short questionnaires are so important:

Taney County had a return rate on 2000 Census forms of only 60%; Stone County 58%. The overall average for the State of Missouri was 69%. The low return rates caused our counties and citizens to miss out on dollars and opportunities that are essential to our expansion and sustainability as a community.

Missouri will lose 1.3 million dollars in the next decade for every 100 people who do not complete and return the census form. That breaks down to $1,300 per person per year over the next ten years.

Census data collected also determines the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. As the population shifts across the country, states become at risk of loosing seats or have the opportunity of gaining seats.

The State of Missouri is at risk of losing one of the nine congressional seats we currently have. At Missouri’s highest point, we held 16 congressional seats. This potential loss of legal representation will have an adverse affect on policies and procedures for the State of Missouri as well as the counties of Taney and Stone.

“Filling out the forms is the best thing that you can do for your community and your family!”  2010 Census: 10 minutes, 10 questions, 10 year

Branson High School Performing Arts gave their premier performance of its production of “West Side Story” on Feb. 25. The musical is a love story set in the 1950’s focusing on the rivalry between two teenage street gangs of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.  The original production opened on Broadway in 1957.

Remaining scheduled performances of West Side Story include February 26 and 27 at 7 p.m. and a matinee on February 28 at 2 p.m.  All tickets are $6 and may be purchased at the door on the date of the performance.  Tickets may be reserved by sending an e-mail to the following address: [email protected] Reserved tickets may be picked up at the door prior to the performance.

West Side Story is under the direction of Debbie Corbin (drama), Billy Gowers (chorus) and John Kerley (orchestra).

Editors Note: Saw the opening performance. These kids and everyone involved with the show have worked real hard and put in lots of hours and it shows. This is wonderful entertainment. Don’t miss it.

It was a festive evening Friday at the 63nd Annual Black Tie Celebration where several Branson area citizens were surprised to be recognized for their contributions to the community. More than 500 members and guests of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau attended “A Golden Celebration” reception and dinner at the Chateau on the Lake Resort, Spa & Convention Center. Many generous Chamber member sponsors made the elegant evening possible including the Golden Sponsor, Silver Dollar City in honor of the park’s 50th anniversary this year.

The event culminated with awards in seven categories plus a special recognition.

The Mary Award honors Mary Herschend and Mary Trimble, two women who played significant roles in the development of Branson and excelled in their service to others. This year, the award went to Dr. Charles Woodall who practices at St. John’s Branson West and Urgent Care Branson. He’s also on staff at Skaggs Regional Medical Center where he has been an emergency room physician for 12 years. He served as medical director for 13 years for the Southern Stone County Fire Protection District and for Southern Stone County 911 since 1999. He also has provided free sports physicals to Reed Spring school athletes for 25 years and was the football team doctor.

The Pioneer Award recognizes outstanding service to the community at least 15 years ago. It was in 1981 that Lee Westcott opened his first family entertainment center in Branson. He went on to develop five The Tracks Family Fun Parks, a significant family attraction. He provides summer work for numerous teachers and coaches, and developed scholarships for seasonal employees. He also built Peppercorns Restaurant and several motels in Branson. He also helped create the first Ozark Mountain Christmas.

The Ambassador Award acknowledges people who bring positive attention to Branson. This year’s recipient is Monna Stafford. For many years, she was the general manager of the Shoji Tabuchi Theatre and is currently general manager of BOTT Radio Network in Branson and Springfield. Stafford developed the Branson NOW radio program where she highlights businesses, entertainers and leaders in the community. Her program goes out on 13 signals on Saturday mornings. She also does public service announcements for local non-profit agencies.

The Beautification Award honors individuals who have enhanced the appearance of the community. This year, it goes to Hansen’s Tree Service in Reeds Spring. Hansen’s, which opened in the Branson area in 2006, employs certified arborists trained to properly trim trees. Products sold at their nursery are top quality. Businesses they’ve beautified with their work include Branson Landing. The company founded by Jeff Hansen in 1988 was the first to be certified by the Tree Care Industry Association. They also specialize in green waste recycling.

The Community Spirit Award goes to a person or organization whose efforts have benefited the community within the past two years. This year, Christopher Welch was honored. Welch chairs the 2010 Census project, working tirelessly to educate people in Taney and Stone counties about the local importance of an accurate count which can bring more public funds to communities. He also works with the Loaves and Fishes program, helping to feed families in need during the winter. And he spearheads the Point In Time project to locate and help people who are homeless.

The Care For Kids Award recognizes service to the community’s children. It went to Glenna and Larry Frazier who co-chaired a campaign that paid off the mortgage of the Branson unit of the Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks. Glenna taught in Branson schools for several years. Larry, while with White River Valley Electric Cooperative, helped create Operation Round-Up which provides grants to agencies which serve children. They’ve also established scholarships at Missouri State University for Branson High school graduates.

The Bob McDowell Humanitarian Award has previously only been awarded in 2006 when it was named for Bob McDowell for his rescue efforts in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. On Friday, it was presented to Keith and Karen Jaspers. The couple owns four hotels including Days Inn, Red Roof Inn and Howard Johnson in Branson. In 1995, they started the Rainbow Network ministry in remote locations in Nicaragua, changing the lives of the poorest people through nutrition, healthcare, economic development, education and housing.

A Special Recognition Award went to Jack and Pete Herschend. Silver Dollar City, the theme park founded by the Herschend family, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The attraction has always anchored the tourism industry here. Both brothers continue to serve the community in many significant ways.

Join Us for an evening of “Funds & Laughter”!

Mark Your Calendars for This Wednesday, February 24th at 6:49PM to attend the First Annual Branson Gong Show at the Legends In Concert Theatre in the Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Complex. Then get ready to laugh your head off while raising funds to help assist our area Senior Citizens who have difficulty getting around town on their own.
There’s never been a show like this in Branson before!

Several highly respected Branson entertainers are volunteering to raise funds for the Branson Senior Center’s Meals-On-Wheels program. Master of Ceremonies for the event is Jim Barber from the Hamner Barber Variety Show.

Celebrity Judges for the event are Jim’s co-star at the Hamner Barber Theater, the amazing Branson illlusionist Dave Hamner, one of the greatest impressionists in the world, Bob Anderson, the beautiful and multi-talented singer, Dalena Ditto, and the incredibly gifted banjo king, Buck Trent.

Under the direction of veteran TV producer Harry Waterson (“Golden Girls,” “Benson,” “Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii”) the First Annual Branson Gong Show will feature a dazzling array of amazing and not-so-amazing (but great fun) family friendly acts from across the Ozarks. The performers will be competing for cash prizes and the chance to be the reigning Branson Gong Show Champion.

Tickets prices for adults: $10, kids: $5 and family: $25. There will be giveways and surprises during the show. Cash Prizes for the winning contestants are: 1st Place $500.17, 2nd Place $101 and 3rd Place: $49.99. This promises to be a terrific evening of fun and all for a great cause!

31st Annual Telly Awards Selects Hamner Barber Veterans Tribute

The Hamner Barber Variety Show is proud to announce that their multimedia performance tribute to Veterans entitled “Thank You’s Not Enough” has been selected by the 31st Annual Telly Awards and the Silver Telly Council to receive a 2010 Telly Award for video excellence in a music concert.

Founded in 1979, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest film and video productions, and groundbreaking web commercials, videos and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world. The Silver Telly Council judges and oversees the National Awards presentation and is comprised of top industry professionals that are past winners of a Silver Telly, their highest honor. The Telly Awards receives over 13,000 entries annually and it is considered a remarkable achievement to be selected for recognition.

Dave Hamner and Jim Barber are proud to accept this honor on behalf of not only their theater staff and crew, but also on behalf of the 6,821 American casualties of the World War II Battle for Iwo Jima that their magical, multimedia production pays tribute to in each and every performance of the Hamner Barber Variety Show in Branson, Missouri.

Jim Barber is especially honored, as this is his second time to receive the award, having won a prestigious Silver Telly in 2005 for a project that his Hollister, MO based multimedia business Image Works, Inc. developed for the Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks “Capital Campaign DVD.” Todd Aeschliman, Jim’s long-time business partner at Image Works, is excited to see the Hamner Barber Show be honored with this award in 2010.

Since 1978, the mission of the Telly Awards has been to strengthen the visual arts community by inspiring, promoting, and supporting creativity. The Telly Awards received over 13,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents.

Related article: “Hamner Barber receive Telly Award for Veterans Tribute“

The High School production of West Side Story opens next week.  The musical is set in the 1950’s and focuses on the rivalry between two teenage street gangs of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.  The original production opened on Broadway in 1957.

Scheduled performances of West Side Story include February 25, 26 and 27 at 7 p.m.  A matinee is scheduled February 28 at 2 p.m.  All tickets are $6 and may be purchased at the door on the date of the performance.  Tickets may be reserved by sending an e-mail to the following address: [email protected]  Reserved tickets may be picked up at the door prior to the performance.

West Side Story is under the direction of Debbie Corbin (drama), Billy Gowers (chorus) and John Kerley (orchestra).

Recording artist Jimmy Doyle from Little Rock returns as the next guest on the “Gene Williams Country Music Television Show,” Feb. 13 and 14.

Doyle is not only a recording artist, country performer and owner of Jimmy Doyle’s Country Club in North Little Rock, he is now also a published author. He stops by our show to give us some great country music and to talk about his new book, ‘If the Whole World was Blind.’ My friend Jimmy is a remarkable entertainer and a remarkable author,” said Williams who is the star, producer and creator of the “Gene Williams Country Television Show.”

Doyle’s book was inspired by an original song he wrote called “No Difference in Color” about which comments by Mel Tillis inspired Doyle to write the story. The book comes with a CD of original music by Doyle, his wife, Patsy Gayle, and the Arkansas River Bottom Band.

The “Gene Williams Country TV Show” features the shows and stars from Branson and country music and is taped live in the NBC affiliate KY3 Studios in Springfield, Mo. Guest audience members are welcome and should arrive at the studio at 1 p.m. The next taping is Feb. 24 with Keith “Red” Allen scheduled.

Snow has caused us to miss six days of class – so far – this school year.  The following days have been designated as make up days [As of Feb. 4]:

Monday, February 15; Presidents’ Day
Monday, May 24; make up day
Tuesday, May 25; make up day
Wednesday, May 26; make up day
Thursday, May 27; make up day

Skaggs Regional Medical Center announced today that its clinical quality is among the top five percent in the nation for the fifth year in a row. The study by HealthGrades®, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization, analyzed patient outcomes at each of the nation’s 5,000 nonfederal hospitals over the years 2006, 2007 and 2008 and named hospitals in the top five percent as HealthGrades Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence™.

“What a wonderful way to celebrate sixty years of serving the community, by being recognized as a leader in clinical excellence.” Skaggs President and Chief Executive Officer William K. Mahoney says, “Patients can expect to receive exceptional care from our team of skilled and committed clinicians and employees.  Skaggs Regional Medical Center’s high-standard of compassion and dedication to the region provides our residents a sense of comfort and security; knowing they’re getting quality care close to home.”

According to the eighth annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence study, Skaggs Regional Medical Center and the other hospitals in the top five percent demonstrated patient outcomes that far exceeded those of other hospitals. Patients admitted to these hospitals had risk-adjusted mortality rates that were, on average, 29 percent lower than all other hospitals. Risk-adjusted complication rates were, on average, 9 percent lower than all other hospitals.

Skaggs Regional Medical Center is one of only 269 hospitals that received this distinction from HealthGrades, and the only hospital in Southwest Missouri. In 2010, Skaggs Regional Medical Center is ranked number one in Missouri for cardiac surgery and the recipient of the Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™, according to HealthGrades.

“Our data show that only a select few hospitals achieve high-quality patient outcomes not just in a few categories of care, but across the board and over time,” said Rick May, MD, a vice president with HealthGrades and an author of the study. “Patients in communities with a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence should feel proud of the hospital’s accomplishments, and confident that the level of care there is among the very best in the nation.”
The study states: “Patients who choose to receive their care at a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence certainly will have a lower risk for an adverse clinical outcome relative to all other hospitals.”

Skaggs Regional Medical Center Ranked Top Five Percent in Nation According to Quality Study, pg.2
As a group, Skaggs Regional Medical Center, and those identified as being in the top five percent in the nation, improved their mortality rates at a faster pace than all other hospitals. Over the years 2006, 2007 and 2008, the HealthGrades study found that Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence lowered their risk-adjusted mortality rates over the three years by an average of 14%, compared with a 10% average improvement of all other hospitals.

Methodology

This is the eighth year that HealthGrades has independently analyzed the clinical quality performance of all non-federal hospitals across the country in 26 procedures and diagnoses. In the study, the company reviewed approximately 40 million hospitalization records from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, over the years 2006, 2007 and 2008.  All hospitals that participate in the Medicare program were part of the independent study. Hospitals that receive the HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence are those hospitals that rank in the top five percent when all 26 individual scores are aggregated into an overall score.
About Skaggs Regional Medical Center

Skaggs Regional Medical Center celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.  Opening its doors in 1950 as a small facility with four physicians, Skaggs has definitely grown over the years.  Now, located on a 13-acre campus, Skaggs offers a 165-bed, acute care hospital, a 24-hour emergency department, general and same-day surgery, an extensive range of outpatient services, and more than 20 satellite clinics.