The Cotter Rainbow Arch Bridge, over the White River in Cotter, Arkansas

Trout Capital News
Cotter, Arkansas

Good things are happening in Cotter; it's a great time to be here!

Vol. III Number 7 Published by the Trout Capital News Association November 2007
The new four-way stop at the end of the bridge will make it much easier to drive A fine pumpkin from the gardens at Hopkinswoode
Pumpkin grown at Hopkinswoode by Marilyn Morris
 

Cotter Intersection Safer
by Mo Mosley

Safety in downtown Cotter improved significantly when a 4-way stop was installed at the intersection of 62B (at the end of the bridge), Highway 345, and Combs Avenue. Traffic on 62B (Harding Boulevard) used to have the right of way in both directions. Now all directions must stop.  

The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department studied the corner at the request of the city of Cotter, and concluded that traffic flow there was confusing and unsafe.

Happy Thanksgiving!

a personal greeting
from your publishers,
Mo and Theresa Mosley

Pumpkins, squash, and gourds¾all part of the fall season, remind us to give thanks for the bounty around us. We like to give thanks also to the men and women who serve our country in the military, and locally in Police, Fire Fighter and EMS capacities. We like to thank all those who serve in the moral development of our nation¾religious leaders, school teachers, parents and grandparents. We like to thank all those whose sabor provides for our needs¾farmers, factory workers, carpenters, doctors, etc. We give thanks for good neighbors and friends, and for a close-knit community. May God bless us all.

Cotter School District
by Mo Mosley

This month we continue our introduction of educators from the Cotter schools who are key to the success of our schools. We feature High School principal Dennis Copeland and Elementary Principal Airl Cheek.

Mr. Copeland,
High School Principal

Mr. Dennis Copeland has been the High School Principal for five years. He and his wife of twenty-five years, Carol, have two grown children, Brennan and Craigan, who reside in Little Rock. Dennis has a Masters degree from Arkansas State University, a Bachelors degree from the University of Central Arkansas, and a Superintendents certificate from ASU. Mr. Copeland has been an educator and administrator for twenty-eight years.

I asked him what he thinks is going well at the school. “Test scores continue to improve,” he said, “which is a clear indication that teachers, students, and parents are doing what they should toward educating students.”

When asked about areas that need improvement, he mentioned the recent bomb threat and talked about improving response to such threats, as well as improving safety in general.

The principal plans to continue to encourage the development of leadership skills in the Honor Society and Student Council. There is an old saying, “from the better students comes the leadership of this nation.” Mr. Copeland expressed concern about the need for a vocational school in this immediate area that would increase the caliber of our work force. He also believes that technology is currently the driving force behind education, and is concerned about the future possibility that a passing grade on state-generated tests will be required to graduate.

Mr. Cheek
Elementary Principal

Mr. Airl Cheek is the Principal of Amanda Gist Elementary School. He has been at Cotter Schools for twenty-two years. Mr. Cheek has Bachelors and Masters degrees from UCA. He has been married to his wife, Elizabeth, for five years and they have two daughters, Brooke, 2, and Kate, 3. Elizabeth is a nurse and works for a doctor in Mountain Home.

Airl Cheek is an energetic, motivated individual who is well-suited for his job. I asked him what the elementary school does best, and he was quick to tell me, “We provide a better chance to succeed by having a great staff with academic knowledge that knows how to succeed. We make it our job to help our students prepare to succeed and not to just get by.”

When asked what the school needs, he said, “Expanded technology. Technology is expanding more quickly every day. The days of the teacher being the focal point in the classroom are past. The focal point today is the student.” I heard the same thing from Mr. Sharp and Mr. Copeland. 

Cotter Elementary students scored very high during recent testing. These students are outstanding in math and reading. Mr. Cheek gives the credit to teachers and parents.

Great teachers, parents who care, and top notch administrators create a team that is hard to beat. That is what I have seen the last couple of months in talking with Cotter School officials. We, as a community, can be proud of these people and I encourage you to support them any way you can.

Next month we will talk to a couple of teachers and some of the support staff.

Did You Know?
by Mike Bentley

The population of the surrounding area was distributed much differently in 1937 than it is today. The following figures are from the 1937 Replogle Illustrated Atlas. In 1937, Baxter County was the fourth least-populated county in the state.

 Cities and Populations in 1937

Berryville............... 1,286      Big Flat............. 124
Calico Rock............. 502      Cotter............. 1,064
Eureka Springs.... 2,276      Gainesville........ 235
Gassville................... 227      Harrison......... 3,626
Mammoth Springs... 600      Marshall............ 638
Mountain Home....... 585      Norfork.............. 247
Salem....................... 481      West Plains... 3,335
Viola......................... 229      Yellville.............. 478

 

Low Water In the Spring
 by Mo Mosley

Are the current low-water levels in the Big Spring a concern to you? Is the fact that Big Spring water levels are seldom enough to support safe swimming and never enough to swing from the rope safely a concern to you? If they are, please write your concerns and send them to: Trout Capital News, P.O. Box 238, Cotter, AR 72626 or email etmosley@suddenlink.net

Notes from the city council meeting of September 27, 2007:

  • Passed a new sign ordinance that will be in effect immediately. All existing signs will be “grandfathered”. New signs must meet the new rules. Before a citizen or business puts up a new sign, they should check the ordinance at City Hall.
  • The City leased the building next door to City Hall, which will be the new Police Department.
  • A committee will be formed to address citizens’ concerns about drainage and culverts. Committee members will be selected and will hold a meeting in October.
  • A representative from IESI was present and spoke about the trash contract that expires in December.

The council meeting scheduled for October 25, 2007 was canceled for lack of an agenda. However, a work session was held on October 24 at 2:30 p.m:

  • The Mayor stated that the Water Department was running low on funds. It is not clear at this time if action needs to be taken.
  • Discussion was held on the IESI trash contract. Clarification is required on specifications outlined in the contract. Present contract expires in December.
  • Discussion was held on the 2008 budget. The new plan is to charge department heads with the task of preparing and administering a budget for their department. The Chief of Police was present and outlined his views as to how the Police Department budget would be formulated.
  • Employee pay raises were discussed. The desire is to have raises reflect job performance, but there is no program in place to determine this fairly, so another method will be selected.

State law requires that a mayor’s budget be presented and approved by December 15 each year.

The next council meeting is scheduled for November 15, one week early because of Thanksgiving.

North Arkansas Youth Center
by Mo Mosley

The North Arkansas Youth Center is located at 412 Powell Street. The building is the former Warrior Gym that was refurbished several years ago. It is a place where local youth can come and spend time after school and weekends, playing basketball, pool, air hockey, foosball, or just watching TV or visiting with friends. There is always a staff member on hand for supervision. The center is also used by walkers, Girl Scouts, O-MART, and the City for community events. The center may be rented for such things as birthday parties and church activities. If you haven’t checked out the NAYC yet, do so by contacting Holly Smith.

 

 Reflections: Keep Arkansas Beautiful
by Deb Peterson

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single minute before starting to improve the world.” -- Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl, 1952

I mentioned in my August column, when we walked together along the White River on 345, that I often think about returning with a sack to pick up litter. After I saw the article in the Baxter Bulletin about Teresa Pelliccio, who walked the entire stretch of 62/412 picking up trash, and read the above quote from Anne Frank’s diary, I decided not to wait a single minute longer. I called Teresa Caveness from Keep Arkansas Beautiful and signed up.

On November 17, Cotter will be part of the 2007 Great Arkansas Cleanup, which happens every spring and every fall in the Natural State, and I invite you to join us. We’ll meet at the Spring House at 9 a.m. and, with enough help, will be finished in time for lunch. The Saturday Club has graciously offered to serve coffee and rolls before we begin, and a light lunch upon our return.

On October 26, Teresa Caveness and Sarah Wruck visited me from Little Rock and brought all of the supplies we’ll need: trash bags, hand sanitizer, latex gloves, two nifty trash picker-uppers, even t-shirts. Now all we need is you. Children over 12 (for highway safety reasons) are also welcome to participate.

One crew will walk Highway 345 from the Spring House to the water treatment plant and back (about three miles total), and cover the railroad crossings. The second crew will walk up 62B from the Spring House to 62/412 and back (about four miles total). This route is uphill and longer, clearly more difficult, so we’ll put more people on this crew. If we have enough people, we’ll drive additional crews to the end points and each crew will work in just one direction. Many hands, light work.

Think of how much more beautiful Cotter will be if we gather each spring and fall to pick up trash along the main road through our town. Next spring, we’ll plan our cleanup a week or so before the Trout Festival so Cotter will be in top shape.

If you want to improve the world by participating in the Great Cotter Cleanup on November 17, call me at 870-656-7071, or send an email to deb@debpeterson.com before Saturday, November 10.

The Saturday Club’s Coat Drive will also be held at the Spring House on November 17. If you can’t work on a litter crew, you can improve the world by making it a little warmer for someone. Bring your gently-used winter coats, of any size, for men, women, or children, to the Spring House between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on November 17.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cotter Cuties Win First Place
by Mo Mosley

The Cotter Cuties reached a goal at this year’s Turkey Trot. The last three years, the Cuties placed second with their parade float. This year, they won first place in the parade and brought home the grand prize of $250. The theme was “It’s a bird! No, it’s a plane! No, it’s Turkey Trot!” The float included an authentic phone booth complete with Clark Kent’s discarded clothes and, not Superman, but Super Turkey flying up and above the booth. Congratulations to all the Cotter Cuties. 

Duane Hada,
Artist Extraordinaire
by Jerry Morris

Right here in our midst is an artist extraordinaire. We all know that our friend Duane Hada guides, runs a business, and paints. But, as is often the case with friends, we are not well aware of his extraordinary talent. He goes about business at such a rapid pace and is not one to extol his personal achievements, so just we do not know how well he is known in the world of art.

Recently, however, his success with his painting, "Kingfisher," judged "Best of Show," in the Midsouth Watercolor Society at Arkansas Tech University, got our attention in a serious way. So, those of us who know him well in our Ozark paradise find ourselves most impressed to learn we have a local so highly respected by his professional peers. Let's take a closer look at Duane and learn more about how he came to this point in his career and how he was drawn to the White River.

Duane was born in Boone County, Arkansas, the son of a minister and a loving mother (one of three children), grew up in the state, and attended high school and college here. In talking with him, one does not discern any particular speech pattern, but he is an Arkansan. However, one needs to know how he "got this way," even though there is no trace of arrogance in his behavior. Some very interesting facts are revealed in talking with him.

For example, he attended high school in Western Grove (his family moved to Hasty in Newton County shortly after he was born) but he graduated high school at Markoma Academy in Tahlequah, OK, encountering students from throughout the world, possibly influencing him about the art of the world. He credits his experience at Markoma with whetting his interest in becoming a serious and practicing artist when one of his teachers there told him he had unusual talent and should pursue his art seriously.

He began higher education at Wesleyan College in Oklahoma, where he played soccer and studied, in addition to the regular curriculum, art. His art teacher urged him to pursue more vigorously the study of art at a place having a broader program, so he transferred to what is now the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and received a bachelor of science degree in education with a major in art. This prepared him to teach in the area of his principal interest, art.

Following college, Duane’s first job was at Mena High School where he taught for five very successful years. Next, he and his wife, Marlene, moved to Fort Smith to begin a twelve-year relationship with a travel agency (specializing in fly fishing trips), which took them to some of the most exotic places on the globe, thereby affording an opportunity to see the work of the world's great artists and the scenes they painted. Duane, who already possessed a keen interest in fly fishing, having taught such courses at the local junior college in Mena, took his sketch pad along, as one would suspect, and painted with watercolors the scenes he experienced.

Eventually, clients of the travel agency viewed his work, urged him to paint for them, and his life as an artist began to take shape. This, in some respects, is how he ended up in Cotter. Below is a small sample of his most recent success.

In the year 2007 alone, in addition to the award for "Kingfisher," Duane’s art was chosen for the 2008 Arkansas Governor's Mansion Association Art Calendar, he was the featured artist for the University of Central Arkansas’s 100th year alumni celebration, and won the Area Art Association People's Choice Award, as well as Best of Show. He was chosen to produce the Federation of Fly Fishers National Conclave Anniversary Commemorative Plate to cap off a very fine 2007.

Further, he has been recognized with more than two dozen other awards for his work and has been, just recently, commissioned to paint for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission the five waterway ecosystems of the state. So Duane Hada is truly Cotter's "Artist Extraordinaire." Congratulations to him and his most supportive wife, Marlene, a practicing teacher, and their daughter, Mekinzie. We are most pleased you came our way!!

Saturday Club Coat Drive
by Deb Peterson

The Saturday Club will conduct a Coat Drive at the Spring House on November 17. Bring gently-used winter coats of any size, for men, women, or children, to the Spring House between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 17. Alan Vostatek of Jiffy Cleaners, located on Main Street in Mountain Home, has generously offered to clean the collected coats for free.

This is the same day the Saturday Club is providing breakfast and lunch at the Spring House to those volunteering in the Great Cotter Cleanup. Come on out, join your neighbors, and feel good about volunteering.

In addition to the collection at the Spring House on November 17, coats can be dropped in collection boxes at Cotter City Hall and Rainbow Bridge Treasures throughout November. 

Recycle Your Cell Phones

Don’t throw away old cell phones. Many parts can be recycled, and some phones can be used for calling 911 in emergencies. Look for collection boxes at the following locations:

Citgo at Gassville
Citgo at Midway
Citgo on corner of College and 62 in MH
Citgo on corner of 9th and College in MH
Conoco on Hwy 5 South
Cotter City Hall
Cotter Post Office
Country Club Liquor
First Federal Bank
Gassville City Hall
Muffler World in MH
Sunfest Market
Telephone Connection
White Sands Restaurant

Proceeds from cell phone collection will support Serenity House.

Any business willing to serve as a collection point, please contact any member of the Saturday Club of Cotter.

 

 Chamber Chatter
by Iva Duggins

At the regular Cotter Area Chamber of Commerce meeting in October, officers for 2008 were elected. We are pleased to announce the new officers:

President: Mo Mosley
Vice President: John Karr
Treasurer: Betty Pahl
Secretary: Debbie Gamble
Board Members at Large: Peter Peitz
Sonny Sharp
Jim Terrell

A joint board meeting of outgoing and incoming boards will meet at the Spring House on Monday, November 19, at 9 a.m. The new officers will start in January, 2008. We all wish them a great year and encourage everyone to help wherever and whenever asked.

Preparation is underway for the annual Light the Loop contest. Watch for information and entry forms. Jolene Treat from City Hall will be the Cotter chairperson for this year’s contest.

There will be no December meeting. The date and place of the annual January dinner will be announced soon.

The Herb Market Opens in Cotter
by Deb Peterson

After keeping shop on College Street in Mountain Home for a year and a half, Lana and Mark Jones have moved their Herb Market to Cotter. “We were able to buy the adorable little house next door to where we live,” Lana said about their shop at 511 Second Street in Cotter, across the street from the post office. “We’re open from 9:30 to 5, Tuesday through Saturday, and some Mondays, but if you’re making chili on a Sunday and find you’re out of chili powder, please call. We’re right next door.”

The Herb Market has an impressive selection of herbs, spices, and flower essences in a wide variety of forms, including:

 

  • Bulk herbs and spices for cooking, just like you buy in the grocery store, but a lot less expensive, and most are organic.

  • Bulk herbs for tea making and medicinal use. Lana doesn’t give medical advise, but you are welcome to look though her books to find an herb “to cure what ails ya.”

  • Dried flowers for making potpourri or sachets.

  • Teas in bags and bulk, and beautiful cast iron teapots.

  • French milled soaps in 16 aromas.

  • Soap- and candle-making supplies, plus ingredients to make your own bath and body products.

  • Lots of empty bottles, jars and bags.

  • Every lavender-scented thing you could imagine.

  • A fragrance bar for creating custom-blended bath and body products. Choose from the menu of over 100 fragrances and essential oils, and Lana will add it to an all-natural base of lotion, bath gel, bath salt, body scrub, body mist, massage oil, or shampoo for you. Also for room sprays and aroma reeds.

  • Candles handcrafted by Lana and Mark right here in Cotter using a soy-paraffin blended wax and high-quality oils to create over 24 wonderful herbal aromas. Most candles are in tins, but they also make larger ones in beautiful pottery.

“We’ve had such success with our candles,” Lana said, “that we sell them wholesale with private labels and ship them all over the United States to garden centers, gift shops, and department stores.”

Lana wants to be sure customers realize that the shop is not a health food store and that she doesn’t sell supplements.

The Herb Market’s greenhouse will be open in the spring. “We will have 50 to 60 varieties of herb plants and probably a few vegetables and flowers,” Lana said. “Fresh cut herbs will also be available.” Welcome to Cotter, Lana and Mark!

Lana & Mark Jones, The Herb Market
511 Second Street; 870-435-2434

Tremain Hotel, Cotter, Arkansas

Spotlighting Cotter History
by Wanda Fielding

Quoted excerpts are from the December 15, 1955 issue of the Baxter Bulletin.

“At the turn of the century, Cotter was a bustling boom town and the Hotel Royal was ‘home away from home’ for many travelers on the Missouri Pacific Railroad.” Built in 1905 for Harry Tremain, the five-story hotel had several names over the years, including the Tremain Hotel, Merriman McDermitt Hotel, Hotel Royal, and the Merriman Hotel. The historic drawing for Cotter real estate lots was held at the hotel on November 23, 1905 during the official opening of the town of Cotter.

“Tickets were sold for $25 each and the drawing determined the lot assignments. Fourteen hundred lots were drawn for…from the upper veranda of the old Tremain Hotel….When the hotel was torn down, the late Dr. Leon Mooney of Mountain Home purchased the lumber, and some of the older homes in Mountain Home were built with it.”

Note in the photo the ladders used for fire escapes and the old hand water pump at the right of the hotel. Because Cotter had no city water system then, other than cisterns and delivery by wagon from the Big Spring, the pump was well-used. There were no livestock laws at the time, so animals were watered at this pump as well. It was there for many years. The Old Lumber Company at Second and South Streets now stands where the Tremain Hotel once flourished.

A Cotter Snapshot
by Julia Caradine

 When asked what has been his most difficult photo taken to date, Randy Pearson replied, “Positioning myself on a ledge for a photo of Crater Lake.”

Randy, originally from northeast Arkansas, moved to this area in 1992. “I’ve been in Cotter since 2002. I love Cotter’s small-town feeling. It reminds me of where I grew up.”

Randy’s passion for photography began at age 15. “I was driving over a bridge and saw this awesome cloud formation and thought of an old fence and field where I thought it would look great. I drove to that spot, pulled out my 110 and snapped the photo.” This young man’s self-taught passion has been a work in progress ever since.

Photography and the creative aspect of it is the “driving force” behind his cross-country travel destinations, including Hawaii, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Capitol Reef, Crater Lake, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, Yosemite, Lassen Volcano, and the Grand Canyon. An all-time personal favorite travel photo was shot during a close encounter with a volcano vent in Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park. “Lava was blowing from the vent in a spectacular display of nature’s power,” Randy said.

Randy’s artistic and talented inspiration is derived from “the diverse natural beauty of the world in which we live.” He has enormous respect and admiration for photographers from National Geographic “because of their quality and scope of work, as well as the manner in which they shed light on our world and the people and events in it.”

A Cotter Rainbow Arch Bridge shot remains Randy Pearson’s favorite Cotter photograph from his collection. “It was taken after a storm. The sky is a brilliant orange, which highlights the bridge’s features.”

Both color and black and white photos in Randy’s “Ozark Series” illustrate the exceptional splendor of this locale. Photos in this series include Bull Shoals-White River State Park, the Buffalo River, and many other spectacular locations. Another series project in the works embraces Randy’s visits to national parks.

When I asked Randy for his advice to novice photographers, he generously replied, “Photograph what you think is good. You will learn technique along the way, but the most important part of taking photography is your perception of the subject. Join a photography club. You will find people like yourself with whom you can share ideas and information.”

Randy’s camera of choice for landscape shots is an Olympus. He also uses a Nikon and a Canon, noting all three offer varied features.

And lastly, when asked what do you most enjoy, benefit, or value living right here in Cotter, Arkansas¾Trout Capital, USA, Randy’s response struck a sentiment perhaps shared by many, ”I love being able to walk down the sidewalk to what I think is the most beautiful park in the area [Cotter’s Big Spring] without having to worry about things that you would if you lived in a big city.

“Recently, a group of residents got together to enjoy astronomy. As I talked with people and viewed the stars through a telescope, I noticed people leaving their homes to walk up the street and join in on the gathering. I don’t think that other communities do enough of these things any more. That ‘small town’ feeling is what I love most about Cotter.”

Randy’s work includes senior and other portrait photography. He enjoys playing music with his brother, Gary, who also resides in Cotter. .

A selection of Randy Pearson’s photography is displayed at White Mist of Cotter Gifts. For portrait, senior portrait and other photography inquiries, call Randy at 870-405-4543. 

Coming Events

Chamber of Commerce Meeting
3rd Tuesday each month
8 a.m., White Sands Restaurant    

City Council Meeting
4th Thursday each month
November meeting changed to Nov. 15 due to Thanksgiving

Nov 6             AGFC Meeting on the future of White River fishing

Nov 17           Great Cotter Cleanup
                     Start at Spring House at 9 a.m.

Nov 17           Saturday Club Coat Drive
                      Spring House 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Nov 19           City Council Meeting
                      6 p.m., City Hall

Nov 23-24    Cotter Holiday Celebration & Open House
                    10 a.m.-5 p.m.
                    Participating Cotter Shops

This newsletter is published by the Trout Capital News Association and focuses on organized activities. It is printed by H&S Printing. It is also available online at http://www.troutcapitalnews.com. The paper is published monthly, or as often as cash flow allows. Our circulation is currently 400.

The mission of the new Trout Capital News is to promote Cotter and report news of importance to Cotter citizens. We invite all of you to send news, articles, pictures, ideas, and/or suggestions to the Trout Capital News at P.O. Box 238, Cotter, AR  72626, or e-mail to the editor or publisher at the addresses below. The editorial deadline is 4:30 p.m. on the last Tuesday before the last full weekend of each month. Donations to the paper are welcome.

You may also contact any association member with news:

Publishers:      Mo and Theresa Mosley
                       etmosley@suddenlink.net

Editor:              Deb Peterson
                       deb@debpeterson.com

Online editor:    Judi Sharp
                        judi@baxtercountyonline.com

Distribution/Promotion:      Jerry and Marilyn Morris

Now you can have the Trout Capital News mailed directly to you. To subscribe, send your name and address with $10 to: 

Trout Capital News Association
P.O. Box 238, Cotter, AR  72626

 


Home