Right around the corner is the beautiful month of May, and besides celebrating Mother’s Day, we also recognize National Pet Month. Did you know that about 80 million homes in America consider their pets as “family members,” with about half of those households owning more than one pet? To celebrate, here are some fascinating pet trivia facts.
Davidsonville Historic State Park is hosting the Territorial Arkansas Living History Festival on April 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is free to the public and offers a unique opportunity to explore the town as it would have been during a market week in the past.
The Randolph County Library in Pocahontas has introduced a new program that’s sure to pique the interest of both seasoned and aspiring gardeners alike. The Kathryn Dust Memorial Seed Library is now open to the public, providing a wide range of free seeds to anyone with a library card.
Bruce Brodell, the manager of Pocahontas Water Works, was recently honored for his 30 years of service to the company. Jim Bergman, another long-standing employee, is set to celebrate his 45th year with the company, while John Wicker will celebrate his 40th year.
Junior Lee Nipps, 88, of Pocahontas passed away April 11, 2023, at his home. Junior was born April 21, 1934, in Pocahontas, AR.
Melvin “Glen” Minor, 76, of Imboden went to be with the Lord on April 8, 2023, at Ash Flat Healthcare and Rehab. He was born on October 6, 1946 in Annieville to the late Floyd and Ina (Broadway) Hamel. He proudly served in the United States Air Force for four years during the Vietnam War. He was an HVAC technician for several years. Glen was of the Baptist belief. He was an avid Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Cardinals fan and also enjoyed playing dominos and cards.
Robert E. Bigger, 82, passed away on March 28, 2023, in Panama City, Florida. Bob was born on October 20, 1940, in Pocahontas to B. F. and Geneva Bigger. He graduated from Pocahontas High School in 1958 and received a Bachelor of Science degree from then Arkansas State College in 1962. Trained as a hospital laboratory technician, Bob retired as the Director of Laboratories at a 400-bed hospital in Madisonville, Kentucky. Upon retirement he and Jean moved to Panama City, Florida, where they thoroughly enjoyed his retirement years together. Bob was an enthusiastic fisherman, an avid reader and a true lifetime learner.
Gary LeRoy Busch, 79, of Ravenden Springs passed away April 13, 2023, at the Ash Flat Healthcare and Rehab Center. He was born June 18, 1943, to William Busch and LaVerne Wells Dixon in Oregon. Gary was a member of the Calvary Missionary Baptist Church and had attended Gethsemane Bible Institute. He was an avid woodworker, veteran of the United States Navy, and was a traveling Evangelist for many years.
The East Gate Plaza in East Pocahontas is home to a unique grocery store that combines the feel of a corner grocery with the variety of a supermarket. Big Star Food Store, owned by Harold and Junior Baltz, has been operating in Pocahontas for two years and has become a go-to destination for those in search of quality goods at affordable prices.
Although it is officially spring, the weather is still cold, forcing us to keep our stove on frequently. We are still wearing heavy socks and winter pajamas, and may continue to do so through the summer if the temperatures don’t rise soon. When we have a rare warm day, we go outside to do some yard work, such as picking up limbs and raking the last of the leaves. My grandson helped me clean out the storage shed, and we organized it much better than before. We also hung chairs and stools from screws in the 2x4 framework. We discarded some old chairs and other packrat items for the yearly city-wide trash pickup. It felt good to stand inside the shed and easily locate things, at least for a year. On March 25, we went to our usual Saturday morning breakfast at Dora’s Cafe, and then headed to Dalton. Although the sky had only a tiny bit of brilliant blue, we took it as a promise of better weather to come. We went to The Knoll, a farm market venue run on the honor system just outside of Dalton at The Holston Heritage farm. It had 360-degree views and was picture-perfect, reminiscent of the roadside stands of my childhood in Indiana. We so enjoyed visiting all the vendors, and everyone was in such a festive mood. The sunshine soon warmed us up. We spent time picking up limbs, raking up leaves, trimming shrubs, and checking for damage from the last freeze. Unfortunately, many of our shrubs and vines that covered our ancient Catalpa tree died from the freeze. The tree used to be a popular background for prom, graduation, Easter, and other special occasion pictures, but now looks like it came out of a scary movie. This spring has been one of the most fickle we’ve experienced, with crazy winds and more limbs to pick up from the house next door. All of this made me think of the Kilo Vista years when we would have been out picking up limbs already. Red and I drove out to Kilo Vista and took a few pictures, allowing me to dream of having a small lot there to build a cabin o