-News from August 6, 2009 issue

Local News
The Crittenden Press Full Version (PDF)

Rains fail to bog down fair
Despite the rain that seems to follow no matter when it is scheduled, this year’s Crittenden County Lions Club Fair was able to overcome Mother Nature and provide enough margin for the club to continue its charitable efforts, according to its president.
“It’s probably about the best fair we’ve had in a long time,” said Copeland, second-year president of the Lions Club.
Looking back Monday at the previous week’s events, Copeland noted that despite a few hitches, this year’s county fair helped erase some subpar financial results over the last five years. Copeland credited two new events – mud bogs and a lawn mower demolition derby – with putting the fair in the black. The profits from the fair will be used by Lions to provide eyeglasses to the needy and fund contributions to numerous community projects.
This year’s fair had an ominous start, however, with the first event on July 25, a horse show, cancelled due to a muddy arena. Two of the next four events were affected by rain, with the talent show moved indoors and the truck and tractor pulls pushed back a day. But the organizers were able to accommodate all the weather had to throw at them, even outlasting a couple of deluges during Saturday’s demolition derby.
“We basically packed four nights of the fair into two,” Copeland said.
One of those nights, Friday, the mud bogs ran simultaneously with the main event in the arena, which Copeland said most of the Lions seem to favor doing again next year. However, the truck and tractor pulls that took place in the arena will likely be split over two nights next year. The joint-pulls ran almost 12 hours, starting at 7 p.m., Friday and ending near the break of dawn on Saturday.
Because of the local interest and participation in the mud bogs, Copeland said the club may host a couple of stand-alone bogs this autumn. And the pit will likely be back at next year’s fair, too, which will run July 26-31.
The same carnival will be back, as well, despite some pricing issues with the wristbands for all-night riding. Copeland said the Lions Club was told the cost would be the same as in 2008, which was $10. However, the carnival owner upped the price by $3 to cover expenses and make up for sparse crowds due to the bad weather. The club contracts with the midway for the entertainment, but has no control over pricing. Despite the confusion, the carnival has been invited back for the next three years.
“It’s hard to find good carnivals,” he explained, “and they keep bringing in better rides, so we signed them again.”
Something else that should return for 2010 will be the lawn mower derby, another first-time event at the fair. Though only 10 people or so participated, Copeland said it was a crowd-pleaser, and led in nicely to the feature event of the fair, the traditional demolition derby with automobiles. Thirty-nine cars entered the derby, a bit down over usual, but a good number just the same, according to Copeland.
“It was packed Friday and Saturday,” he said of the crowds.
The good return on the Lions’ volunteer efforts will allow the organization to continue providing eyeglasses to underprivileged children and adults. Copeland said the club approves funding for about a dozen pair each month, paying as much as $85 toward the cost of glasses purchased locally.

New high school vice principal named
A new assistant principal at Crittenden County High School has been named. Lori Phillips, an economics and practical living instructor at South Marshall Middle School in Benton will work alongside second-year principal Todd Merrick.
“She has had a wealth of teacher leadership experiences in Marshall County and Graves county and comes highly recommended,” said Dr. Rachel Yarbrough, superintendent of schools. “I think she’ll add to the experience of the students at the high school.”
Phillips replaces Kathy Evanko, who left the position after one year to take on the same role at Heath High School, where she lives nearby. Phillips divided more than a year teaching business at both Graves County and Reidland high schools before joining SMMS in 2000.

Baptists use Sunday blitz to net people for God
Jesus called on his followers to be fishers of men, asking his disciples to metaphorically imagine throwing a net into the masses to bring more people into the church.
Baptists in Marion were casting for the Lord Sunday with a novel approach, fishing for hearts and minds around the community by focusing on those who are not generally churchgoers. To do that, they got outside the church doors.
"The point is to witness to people, and if we reach one person it's all worth it," said Sharon McDaniel one of the countless members and regulars at Marion Baptist Church who participated in Sunday's Faith in Action program.
Pastor Mike Jones dismissed regular Sunday service in order to facilitate the effort. While the rest of Marion's Christian community was shuffling into their pews between 10 and 11 a.m., the Baptists on Depot Street were washing cars, giving away school supplies, food and bottled water, visiting senior citizens and hosting a free yard sale. They hoped the untraditional approach would have uncommon results.
It worked, said Rev. Jones.
"Reaching people for the Lord is the first and foremost reason why we exist as a church," said the preacher. "We did get some new interest in our church. We had three families stay and eat lunch with us."
The book of James exhorts Christians to "not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves," it encourages them to, "Do what it says." The verse was printed on the front of Sunday's church bulletin.
"The point of the program was to reach people then get them to church," said member Pam Enoch. "Sunday is a good time to do that because most people work during the week. On Sunday, they're probably not working, but many don't go to church either."
So rather than asking people to come hear a traditional sermon, the Baptists lured others to their church parking lot by offering free food, free car washes, free clothes and more.
"I know that some people came to the free yard sale then came back to eat lunch with us," observed McDaniel. "So it worked."
Rev. Jones spent the entire month of July preparing his flock with sermons about Jesus' call to action.
"During his time on earth, Jesus went out of his way to create relationships with people. He healed them and fed the 5,000, but in the process of meeting their physical needs he was also meeting their spiritual needs," said Rev. Jones. "We try to continually emphasize living out the Great Commission."
That commission implores Christians to spread the gospel to all nations of the world. In Marion, the Baptists are reaching their fair share. The church, with 700 resident members, is perhaps the largest in the county. Over the past two years, the church has increased its roll by about 80 members.
"People are looking to be active in a church not just set back in a pew," Rev. Jones added. "We want to continue building relationships. We want to love God, love others and live the mission."
Marion Baptist Church built its impressive Family Life Center a few years ago and has continued growing its outreach programs. It hosts Upward Basketball and Cheerleading, Wednesday afternoon's Mission Possible for school children and weekend's in The Basement for faith-based youth activities. The church also organizes and conducts a monthly Angel Food Ministry, hosts an outdoors and big buck show, a community Thanksgiving meal and Passion Play among other things.
"As our mission and vision, we basically try to reach people for the Lord wherever we go and whatever we are doing," Jones explained.
The church will evaluate results from last weekend's Faith in Action program and decide whether to skip another Sunday service and do it again.
"I think we will," Rev. Jones said. "We had great participation from our folks as we always do. We are very blessed to have very active members."