Springfield, Missouri – The successful Branson restaurant, Florentina’s Ristorante Italiano, is set to open a Springfield location in the Battlefield Marketplace on Monday, January 21.

The Branson location, opened in March of 2010, was developed with the assistance of Chef Ron Kaleniuk, better known in Branson as Chef K. Chef K is a popular and well renowned Executive Chef and cookbook author. Florentina’s 2010 opening in Branson brought unique and first class Italian cuisine to the town.

“Though we had a number of chain Italian restaurants, Branson was lacking something special,” says Randy Brashers, President of Branson Restaurants Inc., operators of the Branson Florentina’s location. “Not only was our concept singular to Branson at the time, but also, truly exceptional Italian dining.”

Well-known Springfield restaurateur, Steve Heil, took interest in the up and coming Branson sensation this past year.

“I was involved in one of the first taste tastings of the menu when Florentina’s opened in 2010 and fell in love with Chef K’s creations that day,” says Heil.  “Since, I have followed Florentina’s successes very closely and really feel that it’s a concept that Springfield is looking for.”

Florentina’s Italian Ristorante will open it’s doors in Springfield serving lunch and dinner featuring a number of uncommon specialties including daily made-from-scratch, fresh baked bread; authentic brick oven pizzas with fine dining combinations like Italian sausage with sliced apples and candied walnuts; and an extensive wine list.

“It’s a perfect mix,” says Heil. “Our atmosphere is intimate and upscale Italian, but still well-suited to families. We have traditional favorites like spaghetti and meatballs, but also unusual creations like Salmon Trattoria and Rigatoni Florentina. And though everything is made from scratch with five-star ingredients and preparations, it’s priced no more costly than a large-scale Italian chain.”

Grand opening celebrations will begin later in the week, after a ribbon cutting on Thursday, January 24.

For more information about Florentina’s Ristorante Italiano in Springfield, call 417-883-5678 or go online at www.florentinasristoranteitaliano.com.

Pullen Productions is seeking excellent male and female pop singers with movement and acting ability for “Thank You for the Music – A Modern Tribute to ABBA”, a four person, high energy tribute to the Swedish Pop super group. Production will run April 1st – Dec. 6th, 2013 at the God and Country Theatre in Branson. Competitive full time salary offered with additional merch, attendance, and touring bonuses. Open call audition to be held on Saturday, January 26th, 2013 from 10am-5pm at the God and Country Theatre, 1840 W. Highway 76, Branson, MO 65616. Please prepare one brief pop song. Please bring your own tracked accompaniment on CD or MP3 player, (sound system provided). Candidates may be asked to stay for the movement/dance call from 5pm-7pm the same day. Please bring a headshot and resume.

Connell Insurance Employees Donate To Local Charities

Hollister, MO…In a desire to help out our local community, the many employees of Connell Insurance began a weekly donation campaign to support several non-profit charities in the Branson area.  Since starting the program, the employee group has raised over $1,800 for their chosen charities: Gift Of Hope, Christian Associates of Table Rock Lake, Christian Action Ministries, Branson Tri-Lakes Humane Society, and Tantone Industries.

Agency president Tim Connell commented, “I am so proud of the great people here at Connell Insurance and so glad to know them. It really warms my heart to know how much they care for the people in their community.”

Here is a brief description of each charity:

Gift Of Hope: Assisting Taney County disadvantaged families with a nutrition program through their Backpack Club, scholarship program, and help through the holidays.

giftofhopeinc.org

Christian Associates of Table Rock Lake: Demonstrating Christian love through response to those who are in crisis and needful situations.

christian-associates.com

Christian Action Ministries: A non-denominational local organization that is dedicated to providing caring assistance to Taney County residents, in Christ’s name, through food pantries in Branson and Forsyth.

christianactionministries.org

Branson Tri-Lakes Humane Society: Dog and cat adoption saves lives. Adopt a dog or cat and you’ll have a friend for life!

adoptapet.com

Tantone Industries: A sheltered workshop, providing meaningful employment to adults with disabilities in Taney County.

tantone.org

For more information, visit www.ConnellInsurance.com or call (417) 334-2000.

Connell Insurance, based in Hollister, MO, is one of the largest insurance agencies serving southwestern Missouri.  An independent insurance agency, Connell specializes in both commercial and personal lines of insurance, representing numerous insurance companies.

By: Morgan Sowell

The public is invited to join the College of the Ozarks Associates for a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, January 21, at the Silver Dollar City Parlor of The Keeter Center.

The luncheon includes a buffet beginning at 11:30 a. m., followed by a program at 12 p.m. The program will feature Dr. Anne Allman, professor of art, at College of the Ozarks as the guest speaker.

The College of the Ozarks Associates is an organization comprised of over 350 individuals and businesses committed to the furtherance of the College’s interests and its efforts to provide higher education for deserving young men and women.

The Associates seeks to advance the objectives of the College through friends and corporate relationships. The organization not only recognizes the College’s unique contribution to higher education in the United States, but also the tremendous impact it has had economically and culturally in the Ozarks area of southwest Missouri.

The cost of the luncheon is $15 per person. Please RSVP by Wednesday, Jan. 16, to the Development Office at 417-690-2209 or e-mail [email protected].

The Tony Roi “ELVIS & MORE” Show will be opening the 2013 show season in Branson on Friday, March 15th with an 8:00pm show at the Jim Stafford Theatre.

The complete 2013 Calendar has been posted on our website at www.thetonyroi.com, as well as our social media sites.

“We are very excited about the new season. The opportunity to do our Sunday Gospel segment is something we are really looking forward to in 2013”, says Roi.

Be sure to contact the ticket office at (417) 335-8080 to discuss showtimes and tickets as we get closer to the opening of the new season. The Jim Stafford Theatre is located at 3440 West Hwy 76 in Branson Missouri.

MUSICAL CELEBRATION OF CIRCLE B

Some of Branson, Missouri’s finest musicians will perform for a final meal and show in celebration of the Circle B Supper Show on December 27, 2012. During the last nine years in Branson, the Circle B has featured many world class entertainers. Several of them will perform together onstage in a rare farewell hoedown.
The show will feature four award-winning fiddlers: Louis Darby, Nathan Agdeppa, Junior Marriot, and Billy Ward. Fans will recognize the names of multiple-state and international fiddle champions Darby, Marriot and Ward. Many know Nathan Agdeppa as a performer with the Baldknobbers Jamboree, and Roy Rogers, Jr.. Kathleen Lawson (neé Horn), Circle B’s original comedienne and superb soprano vocalist will be among the performers for this special performance.
This special farewell celebration will also include multi-instrumentalist and yodeler John Fullerton. There will also be a special guest appearance by “Branson’s Guitar Wizard”, Leroy New. All of the special guests above will join one of Branson’s funniest ensemble, musical casts: guitarist Earl Vaughan, bassist Christiana Horn Cordova, vocalist and emcee Kemp Horn, Irish dancer Megan Horn and guitarist Michael Horn.
The core of the Circle B group has always been the Horn family. Kemp and Michele Horn purchased the Circle B Chuckwagon in Rapid City, South Dakota in 1993. The Horn family moved to Branson to open the Circle B Supper Show in 2003. In 2005, Circle B was given the Editor’s Choice award for Must-See show of the year by Branson Show Awards. Over the past nine years in Branson, the Circle B Supper Show has entertained hundreds of thousands of Branson visitors with a down-home comic manner and upbeat live music. Circle B was recently recognized by TripAdvisor.com as providing a highly-rated experience for guests.
The Horn family is grateful for their fans’ support. The Horn’s also wish to extend thanks to the Branson entertainment community for accepting them into the Branson show family.
Guests should arrive by 4:30 PM for supper seating. The show will begin at 5:45, and will last until approximately 7:30. The cast-members have chosen some of their favorite tunes and humor from almost twenty years of performing for Circle B. Expect harmony fiddle breakdowns, fan-favorite vocal tunes, Irish step-dancing, and an all-star version of Orange Blossom Special to close the show.
Tickets for this special supper and performance will be $45 plus tax for adults. The cast and crew hope that all of Circle B’s loyal fans will join us for this special program. Please call 1-800-678-6179 now for tickets. This special performance will take place at the Branson Central Theatre at 625 S. Hwy. 165, next to the Acrobats of China.

Branson-Hollister VFW Post 11290 recently sponsored a Patriot’s Pen writing competition among area schools. The essay contest asked middle school students to write on the topic “What I Would Tell America’s Founding Fathers.” The writing competition is also sponsored nationally by VFW. The students are under the instruction of Junior High history instructor John Mathews.

Local level winners included Branson students:

Cecilia Corbin – first place

Jacob Banks – second place

Adriauna Youngdahl – third place

The students were presented awards by local Post 11290 representatives Gerald Long and Richard Baehr. District winners advance to state competition early next year.

On Dec. 2, seven College of the Ozarks students and six WWII Veteran survivors of the Battle of Guadalcanal will travel to the Solomon Islands in the Pacific to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the campaign, which began Aug. 7, 1942 and lasted until Feb. 9, 1943.
The Battle of Guadalcanal, the first major offensive by Allied forces against Japan, resulted in nearly 40,000 Allied and Japanese deaths. Five of the students traveling with Veterans on this historic journey have direct family ties to the battle. Veterans participating in the trip Charles Monroe, John Christiansen, Chester Thomason, Theron MacKay, Elmer Hawkins and Paul Castiglione all served in the campaign.
During the trip, the contingent will travel by ship to the various islands, such as Guadalcanal and Gizo, which comprise the Solomon chain. They will tour what were hospitals and airstrips once vital components to the campaign. They will lay wreaths in waters littered with wreckages where hundreds perished in battle.
Students will have the opportunity to learn about personal experiences from the Veterans, like the time Charles Monroe, a fighter pilot, crash landed on the Japanese side of Guadalcanal, received help from the island natives and was able to return to his chore of flying in torpedo runs. They are also likely to hear about Paul Castiglione’s account of how one ham sandwich made the difference between life and death for him, as taking an extra few minutes to enjoy the treat spared him from a shelling attack.
This trip is part of the College of the Ozarks Patriotic Education Travel Program, wherein students accompany veterans to their fields of battle to learn about history and sacrifice from the individuals who lived it. Student participants relish the opportunity to learn from the veterans and understand that they are in a unique position to learn and pass on precious historical accounts. During the journey, students will record the Veterans’ stories and the trip by journaling, using voice recorders and keeping a travel blog.
The College recognizes patriotic education travel as a powerful opportunity to reinforce one of the five goals of the College, patriotic education. The rich educational journey provides a life-changing experience for College of the Ozarks students, who not only learn volumes of history from participants, but grow to love and appreciate them as well. Since the inaugural trip taken in 2009, 12 trips have been taken with a total of 173 students and 73 Veterans participating. For more information on the Patriotic Education Travel Program, please visit www.cofo.edu. To follow the students and Veterans journey to the Solomon Islands, go to www.cofopacific.blogspot.com.
College of the Ozarks is a four-year, fully accredited, Christian work college located in southwest Missouri. At “Hard Work U” students don’t pay a penny of tuition. Instead they work campus jobs at one of more than 80 campus workstations ranging from a restaurant to dairy farm. Upon their participation in the Work Education Program, the College guarantees to cover the entire cost of their education, allowing them to graduate debt-free. Working for one’s education has been a distinctive tradition of the institution since its founding.

By: Ashley Bench

The Keeter Center will host the annual Yuletide Feast at 6 p.m., on Thursday, Nov. 29 and Saturday, Dec. 1.

This year’s Yuletide Feast will include a traditional hot wassail toast, caroling at the fireplace, and boar’s head processional into Dobyns Dining Room Room. While guests enjoy a traditional Renaissance dinner, College of the Ozarks Chorale will perform a Christmas concert.

Come celebrate for only $28.95 per person. Seating is limited and reservations are required. For more information or to make a reservation, call (417) 690-2146 or for online reservations go to www.keetercenter.edu.

JEFF BRANDT’S “PICKIN’ UP FOOD FOR THE PANTRY” SHOW
C.A.M. Food Pantry to Benefit From Special Evening of Entertainment!

November 24th, 2012 is the night that Jeff Brandt, “Branson’s Premiere Impressionist”, will take the stage at the Branson Central Theatre for a one night only performance! Jeff Brandt’s “Pickin’ Up Food For The Pantry” Show will bring Brandt’s talent front and center along with an all-star cast! Jeff has performed with several shows in Branson including, the Lodge of the Ozarks Club Celebrity room with Patty Davidson, Jennifer in the Morning, Doug Gabriel, Penny Gilley, and was with the Wayne Newton Show for 13 years in both Branson and Las Vegas. This special one night only show will be Brandt’s first time as the headliner in his own show in Branson.

Jeff and wife, Gina, and children Michael and Kaethe, originally moved to Branson in 1990 and have seen many changes over the years in the area. “The one constant we have seen in this beautiful area, is the peoples’ desire to help one another when times get tough”, according to Brandt, “which is why we decided to donate a portion of the evenings proceeds to the Christian Action Ministries Food Pantry”. Food donations will also be accepted for a reduced ticket price. “C.A.M. does so much good for our community and especially during these tough economic times, they need our support more than ever,” says Brandt.

Jeff will be bringing in his original band Galaxy from Iowa. “I am so excited about this show and the chance to have my band here for the first time ever to see why my family and I love it here so much!” says Brandt. Along with his own band, Jeff will be joined by former Wayne Newton conductor, Greg Macaluso and his orchestra, ventriloquist Patty Davidson & Friends, The Lady Outlaw – Jessica James, Branson veteran entertainer, Johnny Long, as well as the Brandt’s children, Michael and Kaethe Brandt. Jeff has been hailed as “Branson’s Premiere Impressionist” for more than two decades, and will be performing his world renowned impressions. “I love doing the impressions and getting to see the smiles on people’s faces!” Brandt continues, “This show will give me the opportunity to present the music that I love and many of the people that have made it all possible throughout the years.” Jeff has traveled around the world, appeared in movies and on television, and has performed on seven USO Tours overseas. He is also known here in the Branson area as “The Voice of the Ozarks” on radio station KRZK for over 10 years and can be seen currently on RFD-TV on the Penny Gilley Television Show.

You can make advanced reservations for this special one night performance by calling (417)336-0559. Special VIP seating is available for $40 and includes preferred seating, VIP laminate, a show poster signed by the cast and an after show meet and greet. General admission is $20 and may also be purchased in advance. If you bring a sack of non-perishable groceries for the Food Pantry with you to the show, admission is only $15, based on availability. For more information, go to www.JeffBrandt.com or friend Jeff on Facebook. Don’t miss this exciting evening, Saturday November 24th at 9pm. Jeff Brandt’s Pickin Up Food For The Pantry!