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Students Attend Foreign Language Festival

Published Wednesday, March 19, 1997 in the Nevada County Picayune

Four Prescott High School students competed in the third annual Foreign Language Festival, held at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia on February 25.

It was sponsored by the Southwest Foreign Language Alliance, an organization composed of university and secondary foreign language teachers.

Jenny Greenwood and Malanie Hearnsberger each received a third place ribbon for their cooking entry.

Gus Kisselburg received a third place ribbon for his art exhibit.

Christina Hopson received a first place rating for her memorization of a Spanish poem. She placed second in the overall competition.

Approxmiately 250 Spanish and French students from 18 junior and senior high schools competed in contests geared to first, second, and advanced years of study in the language.

Events in the target language included poetry recitation, extemporaneous speaking and reading, vocabulary bee, skits, songs, posters, cooking, culture tests and cultural quiz bowl.

These students were accompanied on their trip by their Spanish teacher, Jane Purtle.

Sergeant Roland E. Byers Jr., a member CO A (-) 1-53d Infantry at Prescott, Arkansas Army National Guard has been awarded the Arkansas Service Ribbon (1st Award).

He is the son of Mrs. Delores Sanders of Texarkana.

He began his military career in January 1989 and has received the following awards: Army Service Ribbon, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, and the Air Assault Badge.

Byers and his wife, the former Niki Silliman, live in Prescott.


Sergeant Ricky L. Martin of Hope, a member of CO A (-) 1-153d Infantry at Prescott, Arkansas National Guard has been awarded the Army Reserve Components Achievements Medal (2nd Award).

He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dale Martin of Rosston.

He began his military career in September 1985 and has received the following awards: Army Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Arkansas Service Ribbon, and the Arkansas Emergency Service Ribbon.

Martin and his wife, the former Melissa Pearson, have three children, Brandi, Justin, and Makanna.


Sergeant William M. Brown of Hope, a member of CO A (-) 1-153d Infantry at Prescott, Arkansas Army National Guard has been awarded the Armed Forces Reserve Medal.

He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Brown.

He began his military career in February 1987 and has received the following awards: Army Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Arkansas Service Ribbon, and the Arkansas Emergency Service Ribbon.

Brown and his wife, Pamela, have two children, Robert and Mack.


Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Florence E. Toliver, whose husband, Jerry, is the son of Lewis and Sarah E. Toliver of Prescott, is halfway through a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea with Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 130 (VAQ130), embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.

Toliver is one of more than 160 sailors in the squadron who departed aboard the lead ship of the USS Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group, which also includes eight tactical aircraft squadrons, seven surface warships, two submarines and the three-ship USS Nassau Amphibious Ready Group.

As part of the USS Theodore Roosevelt's embarked air win, Toliver's squadron has been a major contributor in the air wing's flying more than 3,900 missions, including missions to enforce the no-fly zone over Bosnia.

Toliver's squadron, stationed at Whidbey Island, Washington, flies the EA-6B Prowler which is capable of jamming enemy radar, providing an unbrella of protection for strike aircraft and ground troops.

So far during the deployment, Toliver has visited France, Israel, Italy, Spain and Turkey.

The 1974 graduate of Durant High School of Durant, Mich., joined the navy in December 1978.


Jason R. Hanson has entered basic military training at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla.

During the eight weeks of training, the soliders will study the army mission and will receive instructions in drill and ceremonies, weapons, map reading, tactics, military courtesy, military justice, first aid, army history and traditions and special training in human relations.

Hanson is the son of Monica Hanson of Emmet and Lee Guidry of Hope.

The specialist is a 1990 graduate of Nevada High School in Rosston.


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