BELLA VISTA — They met a true angel

We all read and hear daily in the news about all the discouraging and outright disgusting behavior of our fellow citizens.

We rarely hear or see much about the “good” people and their actions. News people have to rethem. I would like to provide an example of what one “good” person can do to improve another’s life in a tough situation.

The day after my wife’s 82nd birthday we were involved in a terrifying crash that left us in our vehicle with air bags deflating and us in a dazed condition. God protected us in the crash with the help of our seatblets and air bags (emphasis mine) or our dazed, battered and bruised condition would have been much worse.He also sent an angel to be by our side. While the emergency personnel were getting me released from the vehicle with the jaws of life, a lady came to the open passenger side door and asked my wife if she would like to have her pray with/for her. My wife said yes and after the lady offered prayer of comfort and hope my wife said thank you and the lady was gone. We don’t know who she was but she was special and did the right thing at the right time.

There are “good” people in the world and we know many of them. We are members of Bella Vista Lutheran Church, a caring, sharing and praying congregation. In the days since the accident we have had numerous calls from people in the congregation and from many friends that are members of United Lutheran Church offering to help in any way they can and we appreciate their calls and prayers.

I would like also to commend and thank all the emergency personnel and police personnel for their professional and considerate actions in taking care of us andtransporting us to the hospital. They worked quickly, competently and skillfully. They give a valuable service to all of us in the area. Thank you.

Paul and Cleo Austin Bella VistaNames needed

For the past two and one half years, Bella Vista Community Television has been presenting a “Citizen of the Month” award. This program was the brain child of our former volunteer and well known figure here in Bella Vista, one Wayne Bartruff.

Over this period, many well known people have been honored, most selected by the members of the Board of Directors of BVCTV. A few, and I mean a very few, have been chosen from names recommended by citizens of the community.

We are now at a cross roads. The Board is running out of names that we can think of as worthy people. We need your input - all it takes is a few minutes of your time to come up with a worthy name, write down that name and your reasons for making such a nomination, and then submit that to the station. You can mail it, drop it off under our studio door or even e-mail it (if you have that capability).

Our address is: 1801 Forest Hills Blvd., Suite 110; B.V. 72715 or our email address is BVTV@sbcglobal.net.

Your input to this program will be greatly appreciated.

J.P. “Pete” Hieronimus President BVCTV Board Bella VistaThey hoped for a different outcome

The Tanyard Creek Nature Trail volunteers would like to thank the citizens of Bella Vista and the surrounding areas for their financial and moral support during the past 20 years. 2009 marks the nature rail’s 20th year of existence. The current group of volunteers includes two of the original builders of the Trail.

Those who worked on the trail were a group of dedicated volunteers who love nature and hoped to preserve this pristine parcel of land.Among the group of 16 there are four master naturalists, and nine Benton County master gardners and two Washington County master gardners; the others are self-made naturalists.

Almost every ecological area that exists in the state of Arkansas can be found within the twomile confines of the trail.TCNT is a unique ecological area that needs protection.

It is with sadness that the current group of volunteers have resigned and disbanded. We wish any future group the best of luck and hope they enjoy the Trail as much as we did.

After years of working with the POA, it is apparent that the volunteers and the POA administration do not share the same goals for the trail. Our work has been a labor of love for all of us and we did it for the enjoyment of all who use the trail.

We’d like to thank all the men and women who have ever worked on the trail during the past 20 years. Thank you for your dedication, foresight, and a job well done.

We hope that those who use and love the trail as we do will want to keep it a “natural”area and will let their opinions be known.

During the past six years we have identified, documented and photographed 200 + different wild flowers and plants. During this past spring we have documented and photographed the first sighting, in Benton County, of a Tawny Emperor butterfly. The fact that we have such a pristine anddiverse fauna and flora allows this diverse amount of biotin.

We have watched a mother marmot (groundhog or woodchuck) and her babies play in the stream for three consecutive years. Last spring we found a pair of muskrats in the quiet pond. During the time we’ve worked on the Trail we have enjoyed seeing a river otter, baby armadillos, white tail deer, herons, many small birds and birds of prey. Some have even reported seeing a mountain lion or two.

This is a beautiful nature trail - emphasis on the word ‘nature.’

We saw the wild flowers and open prairie space ...

We saw it as a place for families to go and learn and enjoy the natural world ...

We saw the suspension bridge as the signature bridge of the trail ...

We fear that it will not remain that way without help from the public.

Our concerns for the trail have been voiced. Our final plea is that you express your love andconcern for the trail to the POA that it remain a place of quiet serenity, a place of nature. We’ve enjoyed serving you.

Documents and photographs of the initial construction of the trail will soon be turned over to the BV Historical Museum.

Emily Robertson, Bill

Roberson, Bill Farrell Former Trail CoordinatorsThe envelope please …

Barack Obama ! This emerging theme inspired by winning the Nobel Peace Prize for doing absolutely nothing has taken on a new life. While the President’s travel keeps him on the move between party fundraisers, he finds the time to promote his personal agenda.

While missing the 2009 Oscar’s, he is the front runner in 2010. Since taking office in January, he has committed himself to acting like he isn’t using a teleprompter while he really is - a role that even the most acclaimed actors cannot pull off. If a movie was made to resemble his presidency, it would be called “Pep Rally.”

Obama has vowed to log more TV time thanany actor in award history. While his appearances havn’t been of any substance, they resemble that of a Soap. His agent has great confidence the panel will do the right thing and choose the President.

The President failed to become an Olympic athlete when the Olympic Committee chose Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 games over Chicago. His plan was brilliant - everybody knows Oprah, right? Well, the scheme was thwarted when Oprah arrived empty handed. Where are the gifts? Maybe the President should have given them iPods.

I hear the Queen has relaxed her image - wearing baggy pants and rapping to Snoop Dog.The no touch Royalty policy has been lifted and replaced by the royal handshake and man hug. The President’s plight to secure world champion status has driven him to establish the White House Special Olympics.

A crack team of athletes been hand-selected by the President to develop the rules and regulations for this groundbreaking event - VP JoeBiden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reid. Pelosi and Reid have promised a robust public option to be held behind locked gates. It allows participants to declare victory to the President.

While traveling to another Democratic fundraiser in South Florida, Obama made a quick stop at the Naval Air Station, Jacksonville. While receiving a hero’s welcome and surrounded by sailors from the base, he vowed to be responsible in sending them in harm’s way. Having been through this scenario myself, I have to enlighten you that we were a captive audience as were those sailors. We were lined up and scripted to applaud at appropriate times. Official protocol is that you don’t hoot andholler while in ranks.

It’s obvious that this was a quick media opportunity. His speech was not as fitting as it seemed. He went to a Naval base to talk about sending more ground troops to Afghanistan - like going into a fish market and talking beef.

Obama’s secret Afghanistan war strategy revealeden.wikipedia.org/wiki/Str atego. Through six meetings with his security counsel, he maintains a 6-0 record.

Possible White House Olympic events - sack race, egg roll, pie eating contest, swim-fin run, tricycle derby - bring home the gold Mr. President.

Mike Leimkuhler Bella VistaBless our ambulance service

It took an emergency response to learn what a fantastic ambulance service we have in Bella Vista. When someone with a family history of heart problems has chest pains, you call for help. We called 911 and an ambulance was here shortly. Two gentlemen, Seth Kellick, a paramedic, and Jared Kesler, an EMT, came to our aid. Their calm professionalism took over, and after questions and running tests, they determined that the heart had not been part of the event to that point, but their expert advice was to go to the emergency room at the hospital and have the enzyme test to verify, which we did. And, thankfully, they were right.

But what a relief it was to know what kind of service we have in our new city. We learned so much: that the Ambulance Service is a private, non-profit organization; the equipment in each of their five ambulances equal that of an Emergency Room, except an x-ray machine; this equipment was bought and paid for with the membership dues; this service is not part of the POA or city, but they share some personnel and benefits; and their staff is well-trained and continue their training.

How blessed we are to have this service. You never know when you will need it; the life they save could be yours. If you haven’t joined, do so today. They want to stay independent, so they do not have to compete with a fire engine or a squad car when budgets are made. You can sleep much better knowing that if you should have an emergency, you will be well served by the Bella Vista Ambulance Services, Inc. Call Bella Vista Ambulance Service at 855-4454.

Thank you!

With gratitude, a Bella Vista couple and ambulance service members.

Audrey and Tom Jurgens

Opinion, Pages 6 on 11/04/2009

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