RIVER VALLEY and OZARK AREA — Bill Wells was inducted into the Hall of Honor at the Heber Springs Area Chamber of Commerce Banquet at the Heber Springs Community Center on Jan. 24. Wells, a doctor, has made many wonderful contributions to the community, and it was wonderful to learn about such an outstanding citizen.
The theme of the evening was “Embracing Excellence,” and Wells certainly has that covered.
But it seemed the real reason everyone was there was for the live auction. A lovely framed print of Collins Creek sold first for several hundred dollars. Other items included an Ozark Country Market gift basket, a golf club from Dicky Pride, a baseball autographed by Chris Lee and a football autographed by Frank Broyles. They saved the best for last, though — the street signs. The street sign from Sandy Beach and the street sign from the Heber Springs Sports Complex, which reads “Red River Dodge Avenue” sold for several thousand dollars each.
I sat next to Rick Gardner, who told me why these two signs are such big-ticket items.
Basically, they just always have been. The signs have become iconic for members of the town. They are only used on special occasions — often once a year during Springfest or on the Fourth of July.
The signs are collector items and sell for huge prices at the banquet every single year.
Something that doesn’t happen every year is Craig O’Neill. The KTHV anchor was in good spirits after dinner.
“Y’all thought that was chicken, but it was really roasted red-winged blackbird imported for Beebe, collected by Mayor McPherson himself,” he said.
Yum.
O’Neill suggested some new nicknames for Heber Springs as well, after the World Championship Cardboard Boat Races beat out the Justin Bieber concert in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s list of top weekend activities in the central Arkansas area.
“You could call yourself the Town That Beat Bieber,” O’Neill said.
Finally, O’Neill talked about the invention of air conditioning, and how so often, people began to migrate inside their homes to enjoy the air conditioning. Soon, sitting on the porch with a cold glass of sweet tea and talking to neighbors was a thing of the past.
“That doesn’t seem to be a problem here in Heber Springs,” O’Neill said.
I think he’s right.
I’ve got a couple of other chamber of commerce banquets coming up in the next few weeks. I’m not sure about the possibility of running into any more street signs, but I’ll let y’all know.