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.

Branson has a chance to show “How Much We Care!”
Our community has a unique opportunity to show how much Branson cares and supports our active military personnel. We can entertain them while they are in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and around the world… even invite them to vacation.
Do you tape your show? Do you have over runs? Do you have CD’s you can spare?
“Branson Supports Operation Gratitude” will send those extra DVD’s and CD’s to our active military personnel around the world!
Other requested items for the troops include batteries & computer flash drives.
Call 417-339-1968 to make your donation. Items will be picked up at your location.
Cash donations are also needed for postage for the items going to the distribution center in California and the distribution center needs financial help for the postage to mail to the troops. Everyone can help either with the DVD’s, CD’s or batteries & computer flash drives or with cash for postage. All cash donations collected, over the amount needed to send our supplies to California, will be sent to Operation Gratitude to help with the postage to mail to the troops. All items will be collected here and mailed to California.
Nita Tate with #1 Hits of the 60’s is organizing this donation drive and will answer all your questions, call 417-339-1968. Thank you for your help.
“Branson Supports Operation Gratitude” is working in conjunction with:
Operation Gratitude, 16444 Refugio Road, Encino, CA 91436
www.opgratitude.com email [email protected]

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’s Grammy-nominee Barbara Fairchild is featured on this week’s broadcast of the New Best of Gene Williams. “The phrase ‘to see her is to love her’ is really true of Barbara. She was a natural choice to feature her in our ‘Best of’ series. What makes her a great guest and entertainer are her sincere love for people and bubbly personality. In addition to The Teddy Bear Song her hits include Baby Doll and Kid Stuff,” said Gene Williams, the star and creator of the Telly Award-winning show that was taped live at the 50’s at the Hop Theatre at the Shoppes at Branson.

Fairchild can be seen on stage at Branson’s  Starlite Theater on Sundays for morning worship services.  She can also be found at the Barbara Fairchild Diner located in the Victorian Village.

Also on this week’s show is magician Taylor Reed. Reed is appearing in Branson at the 50s at the Hop Theatre with magician Bart Rockett.

The TV show with Fairchild and Reed will be telecast June 6 and 7.

Blankets of Love Ministries proudly presents the second tri-annual “Standing Tall “Concert benefitting the Greene County Family Violence Center.

Date— July 11th & 12th, 2009
Venue—City Park Galena Missouri
Time—Festivities begin at 3pm with gospel concerts beginning at 5pm on both days.

Come enjoy the musical talents of; Southern Raised, The Cerces, New Anointing, Christ like Records, & the dramatic talents of S.W.A.T., (more groups to be added)
Admission is free however monetary donations are encouraged. All proceeds go directly to the Family Violence Shelter.  Please join us in lifting up the name of Jesus and making a difference in these precious ladies lives.  Together wee can save lives, and change futures one women and child at a time.

For Further information please contact Blankets of Love Ministries’ President /Founder      SueMitchell @
www.myspace.com/blanketsofloveministries or Phone (417) 631-9290
[email protected]  or

Together we can make a difference!

HOLLISTER AFTER HOURS

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 5:30 – 7:30 pm

Networking and Social Event. Join the Hollister Area Chamber of Commerce and your fellow chamber members for an evening of fun, food, drinks, and music
Hosted by : City of Hollister
At the Historic Train Depot
294 Esplanade
See the Newly Remodeled Depot and
Chad A. Fuqua Memorial Park

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.

The New Best of Gene Williams Country Music TV Show returns with The “Cajun” Wade Benson Landry on this week’s telecast of the weekly television show based in Branson, Mo., and seen across the country.

Gene Williams, the star and creator of the Telly Award-winning show that was taped live at the 50’s at the Hop Theatre at the Shoppes at Branson Meadows, said, “Wade is the ultimate entertainer and one of the best. He has performed with some of Country music’s giants, such as Jimmy C. Newman, Loretta Lynn, The Oak Ridge Boys, Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner, George Jones and Tammy Wynette and Mel Tillis and appeared regularly on television shows such as PBS Live from the Grand Ole Opry, the 1980 CMA Awards Show, the Anheuser-Busch Special Reach for the Stars with Bob Hope, NBC’s Tonight Show, Nashville Now and the Academy of Country Music Awards Show. In Branson he is the headliner for the only Cajun Swing show.”

The TV show with Landry will be telecast May 23 and 24. (EDITOR’S CHECK LISTINGS BELOW). For more information go to the website genewilliamscountry.com.
Williams was recently released from the hospital and has been taking a break from the hectic schedule he has had for eight years in Branson. A hiatus from regular taping has been recommended. He and Katie Lynn recently returned to the studio to tape updates for The New Best of the Gene Williams Country Music TV Show that will include a weekly guitar giveaway courtesy of All Star Music of Jonesboro and Batesville, Ark., and Poplar Bluff, Mo.

The show is aired in Springfield, Branson, Little Rock, Jonesboro, Ark., Nashville, St. Louis, Decatur, Ill., Ada and Ardmore, Okla., Sherman/Denison, Texas, plus on all the stations of the Retro Television Network including 11 of the top 30 markets in the nation.

Show Telecast Schedule – Location Call Letters Network Day Time

Ada, OK KTEN NBC Sunday 11 p.m. CT
Albany, NY WTEN RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m ET
Alexandria, LA KWCE RTN Sunday 6:30 a.m. CT
Altoona, PA WJAC RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Ames, IA WOI RTN Sunday 5 p.m. CT
Appleton, WI WBAY RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. CT
Atlanta, GA WSB RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. ET
Augusta, GA WJBF RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Austin, TX KEYE RTN Sunday 1:30 a.m CT
Baton Rouge, LA KZUP RTN Sunday 6:30 a.m. CT
Bellevue, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Bettendorf, IA WHBF RTN Sunday 5 p.m. CT
Branson, MO KCZ CW Sat., Sun. 6:30 a.m. CT
Branson, MO KWBM MY Sunday 10:30 p.m. CT
Bremerton, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Bristol County, MA WJAR RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Bristol, TN WKPT RTN Sunday 5 p.m. ET
Bristol, VA WKPT RTN Sunday 5 p.m. ET
Brownsville, TX KRGV RTN Sunday 6:30 a.m. CT
Bullhead City, AZ KAZT RTN Sunday 8:30 a.m. MT
Carrborro WRAZ RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
Cary, NC WRAZ RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
Casa Grande, AZ KAZT RTN Sunday 8:30 a.m. MT
Cashmere, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Cedar Rapids, IA KWWL RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. CT
Central FL WRDQ RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m ET
Centralia, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Chapel Hill, NC WRAZ RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
Chattanooga, TN WRCB RTN Saturday 10 a.m ET
Clayton, NC WRAZ RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
Coshocton, PA WTOV RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Davenport, IA WHBF RTN Sunday 5 p.m. CT
Decatur, IL WPXS Ind. Sunday 9:30 p.m. CT
Dennison, TX KTEN NBC Sunday 11 p.m. CT
Des Moines, IA WOI RTN Sunday 5 p.m. CT
Detroit, MI WXYZ RTN Sunday 5:30 a.m. ET
Dubuque, IA KWWL RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. CT
Durham, NC WRAZ RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
Edmonds, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
El Paso, TX KFOX RTN Sunday 6:30 a.m. CT
Essex Co., Ontario WNWO RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
Evansville, IN WEHT RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. CT
Everett, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Fayetteville, AR KFDF THIS Sunday 9:30 a.m. CT
Fayetteville, NC WRAZ RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
Flagstaff, AZ KAZT RTN Sunday 8:30 a.m. MT
Fox Cities, WI WBAY RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. CT
Fresno, CA KAIL RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. PT
Garner, NC WRAZ RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
Green Bay, WI WBAY RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. CT
Greensburg, PA WTOV RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Harrisburg, IL WPXS Ind. Sunday 9:30 p.m. CT
Harrisburg, PA WHTM RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
Harrison, AR KWBM MY Sunday 10:30 p.m. CT
Henderson, KY WEHT RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. CT
Huntsville, AL WHNT RTN Sunday 6:30 a.m. CT
Hutchinson, KS KGPT RTN Sunday 6:30 a.m. CT
Issaquah, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Jackson, MS WJTV RTN Sunday 6:30 a.m. CT
Johnson City, TN WKPT RTN Sunday 5 p.m. ET
Johnstown, PA WJAC RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Jonesboro, AR KAIT ABC Saturday 5 p.m. CT
Kaukauna, WI WBAY RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. CT
Kingman, AZ KAZT RTN Sunday 8:30 a.m. MT
Kingsport, TN WKPT RTN Sunday 5 p.m. ET
Knoxville, TN WMAK RTN Saturday 10 a.m ET
Lafayette, LA KDCG RTN Sunday 1 a.m. CT
Lake Havasu City, AZ KAZT RTN Sunday 8:30 a.m. MT
Las Vegas, NV KEGS Ind. Sunday 9:30 a.m. PT
Leavenworth, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Lincoln, NE KLKN RTN Sunday 5 p.m. CT
Little Rock, AR KARK NBC Saturday 6 a.m. CT
Lynchburg, VA WSET RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. ET
Macon, GA WSB RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. ET
Madison, WI WKOW RTN Sunday 6:30 a.m. CT
McAllen, TX KRGV RTN Sunday 6:30 a.m. CT
Memphis, TN WLMT RTN/ABC Sunday 6:30 a.m. CT
Menasha, WI WBAY RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. CT
Meridian, MS WGBC RTN Sunday 6:30 a.m. CT
Mobile, AL WKRG RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. CT
Moline, IL WHBF RTN Sunday 5 p.m. CT
Montgomery, AL WSFA RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. CT
Myrtle Beach, SC WBTW RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Nashville, TN WNAB CW Saturday Midnight CT
NE WI WBAY RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. CT
Neah Bay, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Neenah, WI WBAY RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. CT
Northwest AR KFDF THIS Sunday 9:30 a.m. CT
NW Ohio WNWO RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
NW Ohio WXYZ RTN Sunday 5:30 a.m. ET
Olympia, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Opelousas, LA KDCG RTN Sunday 1 a.m. CT
Orlando, FL WRDQ RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m ET
Palm Springs, CA KRET RTN Sunday 1 a.m. PT
Pensacola, FL WKRG RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. CT
Phoenix, AZ KAZT RTN Sunday 8:30 a.m. MT
Pittsburgh, PA WPXI RTN Sunday 2 a.m. ET
Point Pulley, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Port Angeles, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Prescott, AZ KAZT RTN Sunday 8:30 a.m. MT
Puyallup, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Quad Cities, IL WHBF RTN Sunday 5 p.m. CT
Raleigh, NC WRAZ RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
Rapid City, SD KOTA RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Rehoboth Beach, DE WRDE RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Reno, NV KRXI RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. PT
Renton, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Rhode Island WJAR RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Ringgold, TN WRCB RTN Saturday 10 a.m ET
Rio Grande Valley KRGV RTN Sunday 6:30 a.m. CT
Roanoke, VA WSET RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. ET
Rock Island, IL WHBF RTN Sunday 5 p.m. CT
Rosslyn, Arlington, VA WJLA RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. ET
Rowley, IA KWWL RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. CT
S SC WSAV RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
S. Padre Island KRGV RTN Sunday 6:30 a.m. CT
San Luis Obispo, CA KEYT RTN Sunday 4:30 a.m. PT
Santa Barbara, CA KEYT RTN Sunday 4:30 a.m. PT
Santa Maria, CA KEYT RTN Sunday 4:30 a.m. PT
Savannah, GA WSAV RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Schenectady, NY WTEN RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m ET
Scottsdale, AZ KAZT RTN Sunday 8:30 a.m. MT
SE GA WSAV RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
SE MI WXYZ RTN Sunday 5:30 a.m. ET
SE Michigan WNWO RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
Seattle, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Sevierville, TN WMAK RTN Saturday 10 a.m. ET
Sharon, PA WTOV RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Shelton, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Sherman, TX KTEN NBC Sunday 11 p.m. CT
Shreveport, LA KSHV RTN Sunday 6:30 a.m. CT
S IL WPXS Ind. Sunday 9:30 p.m. CT
Sistersville, WV WTOV RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Smithfield, NC WRAZ RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
Springfield, MO KCZ CW Sat., Sun. 6:30 a.m CT
Springfield, MO KWBM MY Sunday 10:30 p.m. CT
St. Louis WPXS Ind. Sunday 9:30 p.m. CT
State College, PA WJAC RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Stubenville, OH WTOV RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Susquehanna Valley, PA WHTM RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
SW Ontario WXYZ RTN Sunday 5:30 a.m. ET
Tacoma, WA KIRO RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. PT
Toledo, Ohio WNWO RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
Toledo, Ohio WXYZ RTN Sunday 5:30 a.m. ET
Tri-Cities WKPT RTN Sunday 5 p.m. ET
Troy, NY WTEN RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m ET
Tulsa, OK KTUL RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. CT
Washington, DC WJLA RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. ET
Waterloo, IA KWWL RTN Saturday 6:30 a.m. CT
Wheeling, W.V WTOV RTN Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
Wichita, KS KGPT RTN Sunday 6:30 a.m. CT
Wilkes-Barre, PA WHTM RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
Windsor, Ontario WNWO RTN Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET
Windsor, Ontario WXYZ RTN Sunday 5:30 a.m. ET
Also seen on WBAY/RTN in Wisconsin, The Fox Cities communities including Town of Buchanan, Town of Clayton, Town of Freedom, Town of Grand Chute, Town of Greenville, Town of Harrison, Village of Combined Locks, Village of Hortonville, Village of Kimberly, Village of Little Chute, and the Village of Sherwood. Sundays at 9:30 a.m. CT Sundays

For more information, contact:
Rachel Cantrell, The Mansion Theatre (818) 679-6134

CATHY RIGBY AS PETER PAN FLIES ONTO THE MANSION THEATRE STAGE;

Contrails of Fairy Dust Predicted for Branson Skies

Branson, Mo.: Cathy Rigby is on her way to get her hair cut — no doubt a “pixie cut” as she readies to reprise her role as the famous boy who wouldn’t grow up, but instead enchanted the hearts of those who dared to think lovely thoughts. Before she reaches the hair stylist, she takes a moment to reflect on what it means to be Peter Pan. “I get to be a kid for two hours every performance, eight performances a week,” she says. “What’s not to like about that?”
Like the character she has become so identified with over the last 20 years, the work never grows old for Rigby. With some 3,000 performances under her wings, the show is just as new and fresh and magical as the first time she made her entrance as Peter, flying in through the window of the Victorian home of the Darling family to look for his shadow. “Having done it so many times, I have to say Peter is much wiser than he used to be, but that doesn’t take away his innocence.”
Opening a three-month run at The Mansion Theatre on May 23rd, “Peter Pan” brings a new level of Broadway-style production to Branson, something Cathy Rigby is especially happy about. “It’s fun to be part of the first of anything, and bringing this kind of show to Branson may pave the way for more, high-concept musical theater.” She sees her show and The Mansion as perfectly suited for each other. The theater’s technical capabilities with rear-screen projection and rain curtains advance even further the spectacle that is Peter Pan. And, with the stage being as large as it is means this Peter may be flying higher, faster and farther than he ever has before.

Rigby as Peter Pan

It is that ability of Peter and the children (after they think lovely thoughts and get a sprinkling of fairy dust) to fly that audiences find most magical and memorable. The down side to soaring above the stage and audience are the occupational hazards, however rare.
The show’s potential for daring is exceeded only by the athleticism of its star. Rigby, the former Olympic gymnast, is hailed by critics for having made the role of Peter her own and infusing the entire performance with a level of energy rarely found in any big stage production. Every element of the show, from the scenery to the choreography to the soaring acrobatics, has been tailored either by or for Rigby to capitalize on her strength and physicality. “This is really a blessing,” she says. “Every time I catapult through that window in the opening act, it’s like a ride at the fair. I can hear the kids in the audience gasp; I can feel their excitement. I don’t know what I’d do if I had to have a real job!”
The Mansion production of Peter Pan features a cast of more than 30 people, many from Branson and the surrounding area. Notably among them is Peter’s nemesis, Captain Hook, played by Robert Westenberg of Springfield. “I approach Hook from an utterly tactical point of view,” Westenberg reflects. “He’s a charming S.O.B. who does what he does to survive and succeed. He’s the head buccaneer who uses force and intimidation to inspire awe and respect. There’s something archetypal about his villainy. He gloats, he revels in it. But it always shocks me just how easily bullies cave in,” says Westenberg, “which makes them all the more despicable!” A veteran of the Broadway stage, national touring companies, film and television, Westenberg now chairs the theater department at Springfield’s Drury University.
“It was a coup that we were able to get both Bob and his wife Kim to be with us,” says Cathy Rigby. Kim Crosby is cast in the show as both Mrs. Darling and the mermaid, two crucial acting roles in Rigby’s estimation. Crosby, who grew up in Springfield, met her future husband while they were on Broadway together in the original cast of “Into the Woods.” Westenberg says they were always drawn back to the beauty of Southwest Missouri, and when the opportunity to teach here surfaced four years ago there was little hesitation to move from New York.
Cathy Rigby gives Peter a vitality unparalleled in big stage performances. “People always tell me about their first experience seeing the show, who was in it and how it brightened their lives. Now they bring their children and grandchildren to see it, and in the process they experience its charms all over again for themselves.”

Mandy Stauffer, cast member of Branson’s 50s at the Hop Show and a long-time member of the Grand Old Gospel Hour Praise Team, will be featured this Sunday at the Grand Old Gospel Hour.  The May 17 venue is free and open to the public at 10 a.m. at Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater.

The Grand Old Gospel Hour is a long-time Branson praise and worship venue for tourists and locals alike. The non-profit organization is celebrating 14 years of a fast-paced, contemporary and gospel praise and worship experience in Branson. The free gospel performance features a live band, gospel vocalists and entertaining and inspirational messages by Sam Stauffer. Grand Old Gospel Hour made the move from its former location at the Legends Family Theater to the Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater along with the Legends in Concert show.