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Rotary hears Band plans firsthand

Evangeline Williams
Published Wednesday, September 3, 2008 in the Gurdon Times

Allen Wimberly, director of the Gurdon High School Band, updated Rotary

Club members last night on the bands performance plans this season.

He was introduced by Rotary Club president-elect Doug Quillin, who opened

the weekly meeting in absence of club president Billy Tarpley.

The older I get, the better I feel, especially about the good things that are

happening at the high school, Wimberly said. Benchmark scroes are up,

and there is good camaraderie at the high school. Everyone gets along great.

He said he and assistant band director Bruce Burson decided they would take

a chance this year and not worry too much about judges, but to focus more

on entertaining the Gurdon crowd.

Wimberly said the theme for the band is GHS On Track, Bringing the Light

to Gurdon. He said teh songs the band will perform this season will be for

every culture and age group. He applauded Burson for spearheading these

pieces and bringing them together, and said he feels the bands performances

will be some of the best.

WImberly said he and Burdon work very well together. Were the Dynamic

Duo.

He said there are 10 percussionists, four will be on the field and six on the

sidelines, dressed in train wear, and the drum major will be in a conductors

uniform.

In talking about why he cannot be a member of the Rotary Club, Wimberly

said he is trying to help kids stay in band. Becamse some wanted to be in

choir, there are cheerleaders and football players, he wants to give them all a

chance. He praised principals Leonard Gills and Libby White for working the

schedules so that children who want to be in the band can be. He also praised

superintendent Bobby Smithson and the school board for increasing the

bands budget. He said 45 students are in the band  28 eighth and ninth

graders and 27 in beginner band. Recruiting is good, he said.

He asked all Gurdon fans to visit the concession stands during this football

season. They will be serving up some good food, it doesnt get any better.

He said the boosters have been working hard and thanked them for their

support. They are raising money for the band trip, he said. The band is

planning to travel next year to Branson, Mo., where it will perform onstage.

Wimberly said he and the band boosters are glad to give the kids the

opportunity to go out of town.

Anyone up for a 'Spot' of folk art?

By Wendy Ledbetter
Published Wednesday, October 29, 2008 in the Nevada County Picayune

The Nevada County Depot

Museum held the El Spotro

Extravaganza in conjunction

with the October Trade Days

and Fall Festival, and the event

will continue through the end of

November.

The artist on display is Virgil

Spot Daniel, who is renowned

for his folk art. Daniels career

began as an adult after a lifetime

of other endeavors. He cites his

lack of training, saying that he

spent about 15 minutes in an

art museum in Chicago one

time, and became interested in

the art after seeing the demand

for folk art.

Thats when I found out you

could sell a painting of a watermelon

for $200 in New

Orleans, Daniel said. I knew I

was in the wrong business.

Hes been featured in many

galleries and a book on the top

folk artists.

Daniel, who will be 88 in

December, said that even after

all that notice, it feels good to

be hailed in his home town.

Daniel has been all over the

country and to several foreign

countries, thanks to his service

in the military during war time.

If it hadnt been for the war,

Id have never left Prescott, he

said.

He said his plan was to join

the Merchant Marines because

thats where the money was.

Im walking down the street

and I see a Navy sign, he said.

He said he was signed on and

told to come back in a few days.

I had $15 in my pocket, he

said. I said Im ready to go

right now.

His time in boot camp wasnt

all bad. He cited the fact that he

had liberty every other night

and that a girls college was

directly across the street. Added

to that was the fact that the

young men in uniform were

treated well.

Everybody was my friend,

he said. I never had it so good.

There were also some good

moments during his time in the

war, including one time in the

Philippines.

Were anchored out in the

bay and Im on the back of the

boat fishing, he recalled.

The typical greeting at the

time was, Where are you

from? When Daniel was asked

that question about a boarding

military man, Daniel said he

was from Arkansas. The man

responded that there was a

man among them who was

also from Arkansas, from a

little town called Prescott.

The Arkansan was Howard

Graham and he was among

some 700 boarding that day.

He said the two talked about

Prescott until the men and

equipment were dropped on

another beach to launch a new

battle.

He was in combat for 18

months, served in the

Philippines and New Guinea

as an electrician, and returned

to the states as an electrical

inspector.

He said he was so anxious

to return home that he went to

extreme effort to get home.

On Christmas Day, Im

laying up in the bunk and they

call my name, he recalled.

He was instructed to dress

in his dress blues and was

sent by plane to San

Francisco.

Once there, he was basically

on his own, but ran into

Paul Haynie, father of local

resident Labe Haynie. Daniel

said Haynie was working in

the area and asked for leave to

go home to Prescott.

He told his boss he wanted

to come home to see his

mama, Daniel recalled. I

caught a ride with him. I hitchhiked

all the way from the

Philippines to Prescott, Ark.

After the war, Daniel had a

moving business and he has a

word of advice for those critical

of Prescott.

I can have you moved to

Dallas by tomorrow morning.

Daniel said he gets his

inspiration for his art from

many things and that he has no

favorite.

He uses an array of paints

and surfaces, ranging from

lawn chairs to barn boards and

everything else he can imagine

or come across. He has many

creations and claims to have

no favorite.

If someone paints eight or

10, they might have a

favorite, he said. Ive sone

so many I cant have a

favorite.

Asked if he would do anything

differently, Daniel said

hes enjoyed every endeavor.

Ive lived in the best

times, he said. And (the

local exhibit) feels great.

Here are the stories in the Wednesday, October 29, 2008 edition of Nevada County Picayune

Anyone up for a 'Spot' of folk art?
The Nevada County Depot Museum held the El Spotro Extravaganza in conjunction with the October Trade Days and Fall Festival, and the event will continue through the end of November. The artist on display is Virgil Spot Daniel, who is renowned for his ...
County's jail in distress
The Nevada County Jail has again failed inspection and this time the county is on probation with orders to correct at least some of the deficiencies. The issue was discussed briefly during the October meeting of the Nevada County Quorum Court with no ac...
Wolves ship the Drew Pirate home
MONTICELLO -- Another one bit the dust as Prescott scuttled Drew Central 54-18 Friday night. The Pirates had a game plan to keep the ball out of the hands of Prescotts potent offense. To do this Drew Central basically ran the ball and had some success. B...
Larry Smith
Mr. Larry Earl Smith, 57, of Prescott, died Monday, Oct. 13, 2008, at his home. He was born in Long Beach, Calif., on Dec. 19, 1950, to Earl and Naomi Toppie Fielding Smith. He was disabled and a Baptist. He was preceded in death by his father, Earl Smi...

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