Eagle Observer Letters to the Editor

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Editor,

The Gentry Livestock Auction Premium Support Group — known as the Gentry Merchants’ Group — is reorganizing due to the retirement of Barb Stitchka and Leon Wilmoth. Both of these individuals dedicated several years of service to the cause of assisting area 4-H and FFA youth with their livestock projects.

Youth who exhibit animals in the Benton County Fair as a part of 4-H of FFA projects are permitted to sell a “premium” on the animal to help defray their expenses. This premium is auctioned to the highest bidder at the Benton County Fair Junior Livestock Auction at the county fairgrounds.

Several businesses and individuals directly support the Junior Livestock Auction by attending and purchasing these premiums at the auction. There are other businesses and individuals who may desire to support this good cause but are not able to do so due to various reasons. They may be unable to attend the auction, or the premium on a champion animal may be auctioned at a higher price than they care to spend. They may not want to be put into the difficult decision of choosing which child to support. By pooling resources donated by many supporters, the Gentry Merchants’ Group provides a convenient means for Gentry area merchants and residents to support youngsters in their livestock projects.

Rob Smith and I, the new officers of the Gentry Merchants’ Group, will attend this auction for you and try to maximize the impact of your investment in the youth of Gentry. It is not our intent to purchase every animal, but it is our intent to provide another bidder at the auction to ensure that our youth obtain fair support for their projects.

Last year, the Gentry Merchants’ Group spent $2,025 at the auction. For that expenditure, we actually purchased the premium on six project animals. However, we were also able to move upward the bidding for premium on 14 other project animals. In other words, our efforts had a direct, positive effect on the experience of 20 Gentry youth. The impact we had on these 20 youngsters was far more than the $101 apiece which we actually spent.

The Benton County Junior Livestock Auction is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 21. Contributions may be made before that date by contacting Paul Jeffus or Rob Smith. Money contributed will be used solely for covering bids won during the auction. Any money not used will be deposited at Decatur State Bank and carried over to be used at next year’s auction.

At your request, we will provide a full accounting of financial activities at the end of the year.

We urge you to support the youth in our community by making a contribution to the fund. You may mail a check, payable to the Gentry Merchants’ Club, to Paul Jeffus, 16367 Bethel Heights Rd., Gentry, AR 72734. Deposits may also be made to the fund at any branch of the Decatur State Bank.

Paul Jeffus

Gentry

*****

Editor,

The Gravette High School Marching Lion Band began their preschool marching practice last week and we are back and excited as ever.

This year’s show will be based upon the music from “James Bond,” and the band members are as excited as I have ever seen them.

We stayed inside and did everything we could to stay safe and out of the heat and still progress with the marching drill fundamentals. We started to memorize music for the show. We did get out in the morning and parade march in preparation for our “Gravette Days Festivities” on Saturday.

The parade will start this year at 10 a.m., and we are very thankful for that change of time! It could mean a difference of 15 to 20 degrees and that is monumental when it comes to marching on asphalt and being able to play in tune. Instruments are made to play in tune at 72 degrees and it is a compromise as the temperature rises.

The most exciting part of the day beside the parade will be the open house that the music and the athletic departments are having in each of their new buildings which will be completed this summer. The new athletic field house, located on the west end of the football field, and the new middle school music building, located next to the gym on Sixth Ave., will be having open houses from 2 to 4 p.m.

You will be proud, excited and just overwhelmed by how great these two additions are and how our students will benefit from having these facilities.

When we moved to the new high school, the change in the quality of the educational experiences we were able to give our students because of the facilities was immediate. I expect no less in the educational value that these new facilities will bring to all of our students. I cannot express the gratitude and appreciation for the unselfish support the community has continued to show for our schools and our programs.

The Gravette School District is very unique, and you simply have to visit our community to see why. Please come by our open houses so that we can show our appreciation and show you a glimpse of the future.

Mike Johnson

Band Director

Gravette Schools