Baxter County Friends of the Taxpayers

The BCFT Booth featured a PowerPoint slide-show presentation, voter registration applications, custom-imprinted refrigerator magnets, information sheets, a free drawing for a full-day guided fishing trip for two people (courtesy John Miskelley of Two Rivers Guide Service in Norfork), plus sweet treats. BCFT T-shirts were also offered for sale.

Over the 4-day period, twelve volunteers gave out nearly 250 magnets and handouts, added 4 new members to the roster, and had 224 people enter the drawing for the fishing trip. Winner was Terry McElwain of Mountain Home.

Re-Striping the Van Matre Senior Center Parking Lot
Saturday, May 13, 2006

Ed Schild and George Bethke

Saturday, May 13, 2006, 17 members of BCFT and a local striping contractor joined forces and re-striped the parking lot of the Van Matre Senior Center at Cooper Park. The paint was donated by the manufacturer (Valspar) and a local merchant who asked to remain anonymous.

JoAnn Rodish & John Beach

BCFT members provided the elbow-grease. A total of 65.17 volunteer hours were contributed to this project, between 8:30 am and 3:00 pm.

Local striping contractor Bob Henington

An important member of our team was local striping contractor Bob Henington, who owns and operates Stripe-a-Lot. We contacted him to ask for technical advice and to find out where we could obtain stencils for the handicapped parking spots, but he offered to donate his time and the use of his equipment to help us get the professional results we were looking for. Thanks, Bob!

From left: Sharon Shirley, John Beach, Larry Shirley

Ken Blade & Jay Schapiro

Chuck Barnes

Henry & Lea Chodacki

Mike Rodish

Jim Bond

Frank Kaye helping striper Bob Henington with handicapped spaces

Taking a lunch break (photo by Linda Seay of the Senior Center)

Lunch was very generously provided by the Van Matre Senior Center -- thank you, Joan Statler and Linda Seay! It really hit the spot!

Front row (L-R): Chuck Barnes, Henry Chodacki, Sharon Shirley, Lea Chodacki, JoAnn Rodish, Suzan Kaye, Ed Schild
Back row (L-R): Larry Shirley, Jim Bond, John Beach, Mike Rodish, Frank Kaye, Jay Schapiro, Ken Blade, George Bethke
(Not pictured: Barb Streed & Kit Kaufman)

photo by Linda Seay

Job well done!

Our "Chili & Chocolate" fundraiser dinner, held Sunday, April 3, 2005, from noon until 4 PM at the VFW Hall in Mountain Home, was a huge success!

Nearly 150 hungry people came for dinner over the course of the afternoon, and sat and talked with us and each other about the A&P Tax (and lots of other interesting things!). Over $1000 was raised (after expenses), between ticket sales and outright donations to the cause. We are most grateful for all the support!

Proceeds will be dedicated to covering advertising costs incurred in our fight to overturn the A & P Tax.

A big BCFT "Thank You!" goes out to

• Baxter Bulletin & KTLO Radio for publicity

• VFW for use of the facility, and donation of coffee, tea and condiments

• Local businesses and BCFT members who donated door prizes

• Carole C, Mel S, Vera H, Kit K, Marlene B, Mrs. Chuck B, Larry T, Sam L, Ann K, Joanne R, Barb S, and Mike N, for cooking up some outstanding pots of chili (including antelope chili!)

• Carole C, Vera H, Kit K, Joanne R, Janice B, Barb K, Jan P, and Mrs. Larry S for more chocolate goodies than we knew what to do with

• Steve K & Chuck B for selling tickets at the door

• Fred L, Jim B, John B and Mike R for pitching in wherever needed

• Our tireless kitchen crew (Vera H, Larry T, Mel S, Fred L, Mike & JoAnne R, Mike & Linda N, Ed S) for their long hours of hard work!

Our sincere thanks for all you've done -- and apologies to anyone whose name we've left out. There were so many people who came and went on Sunday that someone might have slipped through the cracks.