NEWPORT – The Ozark Gateway Tourist Council, second oldest regional tourism organization in the state, celebrated its 50th anniversary on June 6, during the annual Leo Rainey Tourism Appreciation Banquet. The event was held at Arkansas State University’s Newport Campus, and Miss Arkansas was a special guest.
Dave and Karen Timko of Batesville was honored as this year’s Tom Biggs Award recipient. The couple created a tourist information display in his Daylight Donuts business as a service to travelers and visitors to the area. No stranger to tourism, Dave has been active in the local travel industry since serving as executive manager of Batesville’s Main Street program.
The award, given for service to tourism, has been presented since 1985 and is named for the late Thomas A. Biggs, one of Gateway’s greatest volunteers.
The beginnings of Ozark Gateway can be traced to 1961, when Leo Rainey was named to head a national pilot program to develop the rural economy in this region. The project was sponsored by the University of Arkansas Extension Service and Rainey was among the first specialists to head a program in the nation.
Alyse Eady, the reigning Miss Arkansas, entertained the 50th annual meeting with part of her ventriloquist/singing act that helped her win the crown last July, plus the first runner-up spot in the Miss America Pageant last January.
During the program, Areawide Media of Salem received the Wilson Powell Media Award. Named for the longtime business manager/writer of the Batesville Guard, the award was established in 2006 to recognize outstanding support of tourism through public media.
The President’s Special Award went to PD Printing for their excellent guidance and cooperation in publishing, storing and distributing the annual Ozark Gateway Travel Guide. The non-profit regional tourist association printed 105,000 guides this year. The booklets are free to the traveling public and other interested persons.
Ozark Gateway’s “Partners in Tourism” were recognized for their financial support of regional tourism. The businesses include North Arkansas Electric Cooperative, FutureFuel of Batesville, First Community Bank, Areawide Media and W.R.D. Entertainment.
Craig Ogilvie, who has worked with the tourism group for 49 years, was introduced during the event, along with all the volunteer board members from Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp and Stone counties. Ogilvie retired in 2005, after a 42-year career in newspapering, cartooning and travel writing for the Arkansas Tourism Division. He continues to serve as an advisor to board of directors.
President Bob Pest and Executive Director Cathy Drew were in charge of the proceedings.
L –R Cathy Drew, Dave Timko & Karen Timko (Tom Biggs)
L-R Cathy Drew & Tammy Curtis(Areawide Media – Wilson Powell Media Support Award)
L –R Cathy Drew, Jason Light, Scott Bullard and Bob Pest (P.D. Printing – President’s Award)
