Music In The Park at Washington State Park

Historic Washington State Park announces the annual summer concert series “Music in the Park” with the theme “Arkansas Roots.” A free concert will be held in June, July, and August and is open to the public.

June 15 – Hartley Family Bluegrass Band
July 20 – Bear Creek Boys
August 17 – Harmony

Arkansas was formed as a territory in 1819. This year is the 200th birthday of the formation of Arkansas as its own territory. The music groups are bands that have their roots in Arkansas and its history.

Hartley Family Bluegrass Band is a family band from Arkadelphia, Arkansas. They started learning to play bluegrass and gospel music in 2003, just wanting to do something together as a family. A year later, to their surprise, they started getting invitations to play at churches, festivals, and other events. By 2007 they were traveling to places as far away as upstate New York, sharing their songs and meeting many kind people. The they continue today with Tom and Deb Hartly and their two youngest children, Abby and Micah. More information at www.hartleyfamilybluegrass.blogspot.com.

Bear Creek Boys is a local band that is made up of members from Hempstead, Howard, and Pike counties. They enjoy play different oldies pieces and Country music from the 1970s. They play for different local events around the southwest Arkansas area.

Harmony hails from Mountain View, a beautiful town nestled in a valley of the Ozark Mountains. They specialize in traditional and contemporary Folk Music, Old-Time String Band music, and good-old three-part harmony Gospel Songs. More information at www.harmonyband.org.

Bring your lawn chairs or blanket to spread on the grounds of the 1874 Courthouse by 7:30 p.m. on concert dates. The gift shop will be open for refreshments and Williams’ Tavern Restaurant will be open from 11 am – 7 pm for dining. For more information, call 870-983-2684.

Sevier County Coalition To Host Lunch-and-Learn Events

The Sevier County Coalition’s Live Well Sevier County Committee has announced they will be hosting monthly Lunch-and-Learn events in conjunction with University of Arkansas Cossatot. The Coalition is comprised of businesses and local agencies represented by employees who work together to improve the overall quality of life for county residents through the use of local resources.

Co-chair of the Live Well Sevier County Committee, Cheryl Byrd, a Community Health Nurse Specialist with the Arkansas Department of Health, says “The public will be given opportunities to bring their lunch and learn about many aspects of wellness, including but not limited to physical, mental and financial wellness.” Kay Trotta, committee co-chair and LPN Instructor at UA Cossatot added, “The Lunch-and-Learn events are going to be a great resource for both professional development and personal enrichment.”

The first of the events is a free presentation, How Failing Made Us Successful: Tips and Tricks to Cope with the Rising Healthcare Costs, that will be presented on Thursday, June 20th at UA Cossatot’s De Queen Campus. The presentation will begin at 12:00 noon in the Weyerhaeuser room, located in the Skilled Trades Building, and will conclude at 12:40 p.m.

Presenter Jayme Mayo, Physician Assistant, is the in-house medical provider and wellness director at Nabholz Construction, where she has successfully led efforts over the past 12 years. Due to the Nabholz innovation, Jayme was featured in HBO’s documentary on obesity titled “Weight of the Nation” and with the CDC as a National Healthy Worksite Program Case Study and follow up video. Jayme has consulted with the Department of Defense, Former President Bill Clinton’s “Health Initiative” and the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute along with numerous businesses across the country to help implement successful worksite wellness programs. Her most recent was Nabholz being named #25 in the 101 Healthiest Employers in the Country. She speaks regularly at regional, national and international conferences sharing the many successes of her program. Jayme is an 8-time triathlon and ultra-marathon finisher.

Mayo says, “As companies look for new and innovative ways to control the rising cost of healthcare, implementing a worksite wellness program is considered one strategy. In recent times, however, wellness programs have garnered a reputation of being both costly and ineffective. That theory has been put to rest. I look forward to sharing strategies to help employers, employees and their families cope with the rapidly increasing costs of medical care and health insurance.”

“I am excited that we can share this opportunity here in Sevier County, says Sarah Powell, committee co-chair and Rural Health Specialist with the Arkansas Department of Health. I’ve seen Mrs. Mayo speak.

She’s entertaining, inspirational and committed to helping people transform their lives through awareness, education, and motivation. This event is going to be relevant to both businesses wanting to develop or enhance their workplace wellness program and individuals seeking a healthier lifestyle,” says Powell.

For more on Lunch-and-Learn programs, visit the Sevier County Coalition website at www.seviercountycoalition.com or call UA Cossatot’s Continuing Education Services at (870) 584-4471.