Stories from Wednesday, March 27, 2002

by David McNeal Who says the NCAA tournament selection committee didn't know what it was doing when it made out the brackets for this year's March Madness? Better check out the teams that made it to the Final Four before you start ranting and raving about power rankings, strength of schedule, league tournament winners, and your favorite home team...

"It was windy, and colder than a witch's heartstrings," Coach Barry Hardin said about the Berryville Bobcats' battle with the Huntsville Eagles last Thursday. The Bobcats survived the blast of arctic air a little better than the Eagles, and moved their season record to 8-4 with a 3-0 victory. That also kept their 1AAA record perfect at 5-0...

Justin Beck, Holiday Island's new golf professional, said his parents and grandparents started him playing golf when he was 4 years old, but he got serious about the game in the eighth grade. "I decided I was good at it, and it might be a way to pay for college," he said...

It was cold Saturday morning in Eureka Springs, in the twenties, but more than 250 runners and walkers showed up for the revival of the historic Victorian Classic race, held this year as a 5K run on the Grand Prix circuit. The race was previously a 10K, so all the times in all the divisions this year are new records...

Sylvia Helen Becker, 83, of 5 College Street, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, formerly of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, died Thursday, March 21, 2002, in Eureka Springs. A private service will be held for family and friends. Sylvia was born October 12, 1918, in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, the daughter of the late George and Marie (Braeger) Klenk...

Irene S. Maples, 86, of Bentonville, died Friday, March 22, 2002, in Springdale. She was born Dec. 29, 1915, in Boone County, a daughter of Sepha P. and Ada Rebecca (Gurley) Maples. Mrs. Maples owned and operated her own beauty shop. She was of the Methodist faith...

Blanche Maye (Swofford) Summers, 85, of rural Berryville, died Saturday, March 23, 2002, in Berryville. She was born Feb. 15, 1917, in Berryville, the daughter of Clarence and Alta (Plumlee) Swofford. She accepted Christ as her Saviour at an early age...

Arlis E. Robinson, 71, of Eureka Springs, died Thursday, March 21, 2002, at her home. She was born Sept. 4, 1930, in Quincy, Ill., a daughter of Herbert H. and Ethel (Aschenbrenner) Lange. On June 2, 1951, in Quincy, Ill., she married Donald L. Robinson. The couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last June...

Beulah O. Kendall, 95, of Gainesville, Ga., formerly of Berryville, died on Wednesday, March 20, 2002. She was born Oct. 10, 1906, in Grandview, a daughter of Owen Owens and Sarah Alzira Fansler. Mrs. Kendall was a resident of Carthage, Mo., from 1945 until 1996, when she moved to the Atlanta area. Previously living in Berryville before moving to Neosho, Mo., and then to Carthage, Mo., she was a teacher for many years...

Gene Wallace Barker died at the age of 74 on July 17, 2001, in Chesapeake, Va. Memorial services for Gene Wallace Barker will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, 2002, at the First Assembly of God Church in Eureka Springs. The Rev. Eugene Rose will officiate. The family will have a private interment at the Eureka Springs Cemetery...