2nd Annual Fundraiser For Area Youth

For the second year in a row, Dancing With The Stars of Branson returns to raise funds in support of Branson High School’s Project Graduation and the Branson Arts Council.

The event takes place on Wednesday, February 16th at 7:00pm at Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater.

Event producer Bob Nichols of Associated Artists returns with his line up of Branson celebrities and professional dancers for a night of fun, entertainment, and fundraising to benefit of youth in the Branson community!

Video Production will once again be sponsored by The Vacation Channel.

Last year’s winners were Tom Boyce & Shanda Watts. Stars participating in this year’s event include, Tony Orlando, Paul Harris, Steve Willoughby, Jim Barber, Bucky Heard, Fotsch, Bill Tirone, Billie Naioti, Laveeta VanBuren, Police Officer Kip Teitsort and there will be a special appearance by Branson Mayor Raeanne Presley!

Tickets Go on Sale next week at the Dick Clark Theater! For information call 417-339-3003.

A new book by author Arline Chandler entitled “The Heart of Branson – The Entertaining Families of America’s Live Music Capital” is dedicated to the millions of Americans who cherish childhood memories of family trips to Branson, Missouri to see live performance by the Baldknobbers or the Presleys.  Today, these same people take their own children to see how new generations of those same entertaining families continue to split sides and tug heartstrings. Author Arline Chandler takes the reader backstage to places like Silver Dollar City and the Shepherd of the Hills, telling the stories of the people who made Branson into the showbiz marvel that it is today.   Quite a feat when you consider that the community has been able to adhere to the town’s cultural foundation and strong values of hard work. Chandler also describes the emergence of newer acts like the Duttons, the Hughes Brothers and Shoji Tabuchi in a place where Broadway and the backwoods shake hands and SIX voices is all that is needed to produce a full orchestra. The new book is published by The History Press and can be ordered online at Amazon.com.

On Sunday May 30, the Branson Veterans History Project conducted its 999^th and 1,000^th interviews, just in time to commemorate Memorial Day 2010.

Interview subjects were Branson/Springfield area veterans Parke Piper of Hollister, who was a drill instructor for the United States Marine Corps and served in World War II, and his brother Guy Piper of Springfield.  Piper was a Navy Seaman, Second Class stationed at the base on Ford Island when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Piper served in the Navy for 21 years and is also a veteran of the Korean War. He is one of the last remaining survivors of Pearl Harbor in this area.

The Branson Veterans History Project has been capturing the stories of veterans since 2004 as part of the Veterans History Project that was originated by Congress in 2000. Their videotaped interviews are conducted by a skilled interviewer, to capture the most compelling moments of their subjects’ wartime experiences. All interviews are copied and sent to the Library of Congress as well as archived locally at the College of the Ozarks.

Below is a segment of the interview with both Parke and Guy Piper.
Interviewer: Dick Erickson  Camera & Editing: Jim Barber