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Friday, May 24, 2013
HI Farmers' Market Open Fridays
Posted Friday, May 17, at 6:52 AM
Rockin' Robin Latham, Manager of the Holiday Island Farmers' Market, is standing by every Friday morning to assure that Islanders--and you too--have access to affordable, fresh, and local produce. Robin sent out the following tongue in cheek press release to inspire us to take advantage of the opportunity for "fresh, local, and honest" produce and other goods:...

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The Extra Man and the Odd World of Independent Film
Posted Tuesday, May 7, at 9:34 AM

One great value of having a Netflix or other on-demand internet streaming media account is the access they give subscribers to hundreds of independent films that never make it to theatres--and especially never to small market theatres like the ones in our area...

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Snap Shot of a Neighborhood
Posted Monday, April 29, at 1:59 PM

I can clearly see my house, or the beginnings of my house, in the far background of a 1903 postcard of the First Christian Church in Berryville, located over on east Church Street. In 1903, my house was a small white box sitting on a bit of treeless ground. The ground looks like an over-grazed pasture and there are bumps and rocky hiccups thrown across it. It's was a bit of a mess back then--and it is still a bit of a mess today, but for different reasons...

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Berryville's Out of Control Animal Population
Posted Thursday, April 18, at 8:08 AM

There's a young dog who lives over on Ada Street in Berryville. He weeps and weeps all night long. I can hear him at 3:00 AM, and at 4:00 AM, and throughout the day. I suppose his owners got him when he was a puppy, and cute. Now, he's just a mutt, chained in the backyard and ignored; he is lonely and he certainly isn't cute anymore, just noisy. Thank goodness dogs go to heaven since so many owners make their pet's lives hell on earth...

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Bridging the Gap--Saturday Night!
Posted Wednesday, April 17, at 7:27 AM

The public is invited to a "Bridging the Gap" event on the Berryville Town Square Saturday night, April 20th from 5-8 PM. Bridging the Gap is a project of four Berryville high school students in the English IV class who have the idea to bridge the gap between their grandparents' generation and theirs...

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Big Changes at the BV Library
Posted Saturday, April 13, at 9:13 AM

We ran into Mark Schuster, the head librarian at the Berryville Public Library and talked about some of the changes he's made since our old friend Carol Stubbs Engskov retired as Head Librarian a bit over a year ago. Among the changes instituted by Mark are expanded hours to include Sunday afternoons. "So far, we've had a steady and positive response," Mark said. "We get an average of about 50 visitors each Sunday and we expect greater utilization once the word gets out...

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What is a Community Garden?
Posted Monday, April 8, at 8:08 PM

There are more than 2,000 community gardens in the United States. Every major city in the country has one, and some cities like Detroit, Michigan, or Portland, Oregon, have dozens. Even some small towns, like Berryville, have one. What is a community garden?...

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New Life for an Old Privacy Fence
Posted Wednesday, April 3, at 2:09 PM

I have a six foot tall privacy fence surrounding my back yard that is about 20 years old. Nails and other fasteners used during construction have begun to pull apart and many of the vertical boards have warped over time. I was sure that last year was the final year that it would stand without major--and expensive repairs...

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Loretta Tanner's Chocolate Throw Together Cake
Posted Friday, March 29, at 12:37 PM

When members of Berryville's First Christian Church celebrated March birthdays last week, they were treated to Loretta Tanner's astonishingly vibrant Chocolate Throw Together Cake. It was so good I had to try it at home. Begin by pre-heating the oven to 350 degrees and grease two 9x13 in pans...

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David Bell Inspires, Informs, HI Photo Guild
Posted Tuesday, March 26, at 8:47 PM

Noted photo-journalist, college instructor, and magazine publisher David Bell was the guest speaker at the March 26th meeting of the Holiday Island Photography Guild. Bell entertained and informed Guild members with a slide show of photographs that served as road maps to better pictures. His advice was both inspirational and hands-on...

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A Never-Fail, No Fuss Pie Crust
Posted Wednesday, March 20, at 5:40 PM

Home cooks are always looking for opportunities to diversify their menus, to save time and money, and to overcome barriers to particular dishes or recipes. One of my great challenges has been the ordinary and yet elusive pie crust. No matter how much I tried I could never get it off the rolling board and into the pie plate without it tearing or coming apart. This week I discovered a recipe--at least for one crust pies--that allowed me to look like a pro...

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Showy and Easy Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
Posted Wednesday, March 13, at 5:23 PM

Among the many reasons I enjoy visiting mother-in-law Betty Kaiser is that she always prepares a special desert to celebrate my arrival. Yes, I am her favorite son-in-law! This week, she prepared a showy and delicious Peanut Butter Sheet Cake and generously provided the recipe so I could share it with you...

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CC Literacy Council: Reading--and so Much More!
Posted Thursday, March 7, at 7:23 AM

We expect our various Literacy Councils to teach folks to read, but did you know that the Carroll County Literacy Council tutors adult students enrolled in college level courses, helps community journalists master audio and video editing software, and facilitates skill building for writers and seniors who want to know the ins and outs of Facebook, YouTube, and internet blogging?...

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Alexander Virden Needs Your Help
Posted Tuesday, February 26, at 4:31 PM

Alexander Virden, popular local restaurateur and owner of the Grandview Hotel, has hit a rough patch lately with regard to his health. Prior to coming to Berryville, Alexander worked offshore on oil rigs and suffered a serious job related accident that left his legs and hips damaged. Now, that old damage has deteriorated further and reached a critical stage: unless he gets medical attention--surgery, physical therapy, and a long period of rest--he may lose the ability to walk entirely...

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Build a Mini-Greenhouse!
Posted Tuesday, February 19, at 6:38 AM

I'm an advocate for a sustainable communities idea that is summarized by the slogan Food Not Lawns. You can click on the link provided here for a detailed description of what that means, but briefly, it is about turning as much land as possible into food production...

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Adventurous Asian Style Chicken Soup
Posted Tuesday, February 5, at 11:31 AM

One dark and stormy night in a little village on the Laos-Chinese border, I had a bowl of chicken soup that stuck in memory like a first kiss. It was spicy, heart and soul warming, and among the best things I've ever eaten. Over the years since I've tried to replicate it and, this winter, I think I've succeeded. If you're interested in a versatile, easy to prepare, and off the beaten path chicken soup recipe, you'll want to try this one...

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A Pretty Good Carrot Bread Recipe
Posted Wednesday, January 30, at 7:13 AM

I like to use bread and cake recipes that use carrots as a main ingredient because (a) carrots are good for us and we should eat them and, (b) I don't like carrots and feel glad when I can disguise them as something else. I feel the same way about oatmeal. Imagine my excitement (okay, interest) when I found a pretty good recipe for Oatmeal Carrot Cake Bread on the Quaker Oats website. Preparation time is about 15 minutes; baking time about 45-55 minutes...

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Llama Manure is...Llama-licious!
Posted Wednesday, January 23, at 7:02 AM

Steve Hanna, an elder at Berryville's First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is also the proud owner of some llamas. He wanted to know if the church's Community Gardeners could use some llama manure for the all-natural garden they operate each year behind the church's main building. "I don't know if the stuff is any good," he said, "but you're welcome to have it."...

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The Khan Academy--Not Just for Kids
Posted Monday, January 14, at 4:03 PM

I read James Gleick's biography Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman last fall and enjoyed every page, but was unsettled to find that a lot of the physics discussed in the book was way over my head. Either I had forgotten a lot of what I'd learned, or I'd never learned it in the first place...

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The Winter Market is Going Strong
Posted Thursday, January 10, at 3:39 PM

One of the tender mercies afforded us by life here in the beautiful Ozark Mountains is access to fresh, local food all year round. No, we're not able to get locally grown tomatoes or eggplant in January, but we can have carrots, turnips, radishes, salad greens, and a medley of other natural and organic foods that include free range chicken, eggs, and fresh baked goods...

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The Ubiquitous Pig
Daniel Krotz
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Ubiquitous is a word that means "everywhere." We all know that there are lots of pigs in the world. Some good pigs like Wilbur in Charlotte's Web...and some bad pigs too, like the pigs in Orwell's Animal Farm. I have a picture of a beautiful Yorkshire hog diving off a board into a pretty county pond. The pig is smiling. He is a good pig. Good pigs are everywhere. Happy, friendly, useful pigs. And then there are the bad pigs. Remember when you mother admonished you? "Don't be a pig!" she'd command. She was telling you not to be selfish, and to think of other people. Your mom (and my mom) hoped that we would consider the feelings and rights of other people. This blog is about good things and bad things: good and bad things happening in Carroll County, good and bad books, good and bad food. Thanks for taking a look.