OFF DUTY LIFE >>08-10-07

Moscow Ballet holding auditions for Nutcracker

The Moscow Ballet holds children’s open auditions for its Great Russian Nutcracker performance at 11 a.m. Aug. 18 at River City RV, located at 6721 Warden Rd, Sherwood. Moscow Ballet Russian soloist Anna Tyutyunnik will conduct the audition.
Applicants must have at least one year ballet experience and be between ages of 7 to young teens. Applicants must wear in ballet attire and bring pointe shoes, if on pointe.

For information, call local dance teacher coordinators, Suzie Baxter at 501-623-3133 or Marnita Bisbee at 501-716-2787.
The Moscow Ballet presents the Great Russian Nutcracker performance at the Robinson Center Music Hall at 7 p.m. Nov. 23. Tickets can be purchased at the box office byt calling 501-975-7575 or on-line at www.nutcracker.com.


Watermelon Festival in Hope this weekend

The 31st Annual Hope Watermelon Festival runs through Sunday at Fair Park in Hope. There will be more than 200 booths of arts and crafts, music, melon eating and seed-spitting contests, hillbilly horshoes, conventional horseshoe tournament, antique engine show, gospel shows, sports car shows, a 5K run, softball tournament, melon judging and a dog show.
Admission is free, however, there is a $2 parking fee. Admission to the gospel show is $3. For more information, visit www.hopemelonfest.com.


Museum to host lecture

The Jacksonville Museum of Military History presents "Arkansas Medal of Honor Recipients" as part of it's War Stories Lecture series at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Ret. Master Sgt. Jerry Reichenbach will discuss the origins and the evolution of the Medal of Honor.

Topics include the first Medal of Honor recipient; the only woman to receive a Medal of Honor and how she lost it and got it back, and Arkansas Medal of Honor recipients.

Arkansas Medal of Honor Recipient, Nathan Gordon of Morrilton and Nick Bacon of Maumelle will be in attendance. Sgt. Reichenbach will also talk about “Stolen Honor” and explain the new law that makes it unlawful to falsely represent yourself as a recipient.

For more information call 241-1943, e-mail dkduggarmilitarymuseum@centurytel.net or visit www.jaxmilitarymuseum.org.


Local Ducks Unlimited fund-raiser Sept. 15

The Jacksonville committee of Ducks Unlimited will host its 22nd annual Banquet and Live Auction Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. in the old Wal-Mart building on Loop Road in Jacksonville. Matt Robinson, committee chairman of Jacksonville, said proceeds from the event will go to support DU’s wetlands and waterfowl habitat conservation efforts in Arkansas, the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Children are welcome to attend the event and families are encouraged to get their children involved in the Greenwing youth program for Ducks Unlimited.

For more information, to purchase tickets or to find out how to be a sponsor of the event, contact Matt Robinson at (501) 412-8055 or e-mail Jacksonvilledu@aol.com