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 Volume
1 Issue 7
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Published
monthly by the Arkansas River
Valley Tri -Peaks Region
Association
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January
2004
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Eyeing
Eagles Across
The
Natural
State
 
·Lake
Dardanelle State Park,
Russellville.
Dress warmly for
two-hour barge tours led
by park interpreters on
the Arkansas River to
see eagles, other birds
of prey and migratory
waterfowl. Birds often
spotted include osprey
and white pelicans. The
program includes bird
identification, view of
the lock and dam and
discussion of the river
navigation system. Tour
dates: Jan. 10, 11, 17,
18, 24, 25 and 31; and
Feb. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21
and 22. Saturday tours
begin at 10 a.m. and
Sunday tours begin at 2
p.m. Limit of 12
passengers per tour.
Participants must
sign-up in advance.
Contact: Lake Dardanelle
State Park at (479)
967-5516 or lakedardanelle@arkansas.com.
·Petit
Jean State Park,
Morrilton.
Jan.
17-18, park interpreters
devote two days to
programs about eagles
and other birds of prey.
Activities include field
trips to Holla Bend
National Wildlife Refuge
to see wintering bald
eagles along the
Arkansas River.
Admission: free.
Contact: John Morrow or
Lori Anderson at (501)
727-5441 or petitjean@arkansas.com.
"Arkansas
Department of Parks
&
Tourism"
.
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Arkansas
Hospitality
Association
By
participating in local charitable
programs, your business can make
a difference in your community,
and in employee and your own
personal morale.
Planning
and Preparing
Community
participation can help your
establishment in many ways, but
it is essential to plan all
activities carefully. As a
business, not a charity, it is
important to plan your efforts
carefully and with an eye towards
a purpose beyond simply doing
good. Establish your company's
philosophy. Determine how
community involvement fits in
with your company's goals. Set up
a review process, perhaps
including a screening team, to
select those projects that match
your company's goals and
financial limitations.
Investigate
the legitimacy of a charity
before donating money. If money
is tight, or you have doubts
about handing over cash, try
volunteering time
instead.
Finding
Charitable
Opportunities
After
establishing your goals for
community involvement, the next
step is to decide which
charitable activity is a good
match for your business. Look for
existing organizations that you
can join, such as "taste of"
events. Listen to your customers
for local charities and
activities going on in your
community. Watch the news and
read local newspapers for
opportunities to donate food,
community festivals, and other
events. Work with your local
schools by sponsoring luncheons
or work internships. Donate
surplus food to a local food
bank. For more information, go to
www.secondharvest.org for a
listing of food banks in your
area. Host a holiday celebration
for people at risk of hunger or
others in need.
Getting
Staff Involved
Becoming
involved in community efforts is
a good way to boost employee
morale, make connections with
people in your area, create new
business opportunities, and hold
on to valued workers. Develop a
consensus. Make sure everyone
working in your restaurant feels
comfortable with or, better yet,
is excited about charitable works
you decide to take on.
Set
an example for your employees by
getting involved in the community
programs first hand. Listen to
your staff for charitable
organizations they may already be
involved in, and show support.
Organize community service
projects for the entire staff,
such as a neighborhood clean-up
project or helping to construct a
house for a family in
need.
Keeping
an Eye on the
Books
As
a business, it is important to
maintain good records and good
community activity processes in
order to keep things running
smoothly. Start small. Simple
efforts that require no capital
outlay are a good way to get
started in community involvement,
giving you a risk-free way to
acquaint yourself with the time
and planning requirements. Expand
your involvement slowly and
cautiously, spacing projects out
so they won't interrupt regular
work. Although mileage and
out-of-pocket expenses are
deductible, donated time is not
and rules may vary widely from
project to project. It is
important to consult with a tax
preparer to determine what is
eligible for deduction. Review
the "Bill Emerson Good Samaritan
Food Donation Act," which
protects donors from liability
when donating to a non-profit
organization. It also protects
donors from civil and criminal
liability should the product
donated in good faith later cause
harm to the recipient. Donate
foods that are in cases, canned,
or unopened and refrigerated.
Perishable foods should not be
donated unless the charity is
certified to handle such
items.
The
Big Pay Off
Although
you may not see an immediate
return in your bank account each
month, participating in community
activities and giving to
charitable works will give you an
immediate return in your
investment. Customer
satisfaction, community
appreciation, employee morale,
and the knowledge that you made a
difference prove why getting
involved will make you and your
establishment better off in the
end.
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HOSPITALITY UNIVERSITY
CLASS SCHEDULE
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Employers: Train your employees with no
expense to you except for the time the
employee is actually in class. The
curriculum is FREE through this grant with
the Arkansas Workforce Investment Board.
If you are interested in registering your
employees for classes, or if you want to
host a training in your facility, contact
Kristy Seago or Michelle Wilkins at (501)
376-2323. AHA has trained over 2,000
Arkansans! Contact us right away, if you
would like to participate, or if you have
any questions.
DATE TIME
COURSE/LOCATION
January 13, 2003 8:30am - 5:30pm
ServSafe, Hot Springs Embassy Suites
Trainer: Renee Jeffery
If you are interested in registering
your employees for classes, or if you want
to host a training in your facility,
contact
Kristy Seago or Michelle Wilkins: (501)
376-2323 or kristy@arhospitality.org
or michelle@arhospitality.org
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Protect
Your Lodging Establishment &
Your
Customers From Credit Card
Fraud
Thousands of hotel room nights
are stolen each year! Last year,
scam artists in New York alone
enjoyed thousands of nights of
fee-free lodging that added to
the cost of doing business. Hotel
owner/operators have the key
position in helping to STOP
fraud. Credit card fraud affects
all the credit cards you welcome.
To stop the negative impact fraud
can have on your hotel, train
your employees to:
 Verify
that the person offering the card
is actually the card holder.
Make sure the name on the card
is the same name used in the
signature
on the receipt.
Compare
the signatures
Check
expiration dates to make sure the
card is valid
Compare the account number on the
front of the card with the number
in the back of the card.
Watch
for bent edges
Bumpy
or dull card surface
Smudged
lettering on the card
Embossed numbers that are out of
line
Scratched
or damaged magnetic strip
Damaged or altered signature
As the owner or operator of a
lodging establishment, you are
responsible for educating your
employees about credit card
fraud. Conduct regular reviews of
procedures during staff meetings
and reassure your employees that
checking the validity of a card
or signature is simply a good
business pratice.
Arkansas Hospitality
Association
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Arkansas
River Valley Tri-Peaks
Tourist
Association
Vicki
Lyons- President
Beebe Huett -
Secretary/Treasurer
Board
of
Directors
Conway
County
Beebe
Huett --- Morrilton Area
Chamber of Commerce
Buddy Hoelzeman ---
Museum of
Automobiles
Karen Hofford ---
Morrilton Mayor's
Office
Wally Scherrey --- Petit
Jean State
Park
Johnson
County
Pat
Kowalewycz
--- U S Forest
Service
Vicki
Lyons ---
Clarksville-Johnson
County Chamber of
Commerce
Carol Martin ---
Individual
Nancy Rogers ---
Hampton Inn
Logan
County
David
Flugrad ---Mt. Magazine
State Park
Bro. Mel Stinson, OSB
--- Coury House Retreat
Center
Lynn Wright --- First
National Bank
Debbie Westlake-Allen
---Paris Area Chamber of
Commerce
Perry
County
Doug
Brandon --- First
Electric Cooperative
Pope
County
Betty
LaGrone--- ARV Arts
Center
Yvonda Tilley--- Boston
Mountain Copper Co.
Andy Thomas--- Lake
Dardanelle State
Park
Lou Vitale --- ARVAC,
Inc.
Yell
County
Mike
Hall---Mt. Nebo State
Park
Jim Holbrook--- Chambers
Bank
Patti
Styles---Centerville
Dragway
Carole Tackett
---Catfish 'N
101
N Johnson
Clarksville
AR 72830
(479) 754-6453 Fax (479)
754-4923
1-800-561-6508
Email:
info@arvtripeaks.com
Web:
www.arvtripeaks.com
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Tri-Peaks
Monthly Tourism
Information
December
tourism information for
the Tri-Peaks region has
been sent to 25 states
and to Canada. December
request totals:
Web
Site - 17
Phone
Inquiries - 4
AR
Vacation Planning Kit -
63
Visitors
to WEB site -
727
Newsletter
emailed - 65
ARVTPR
Vacation
Packages
ARVTPR
has five packages on the
Arkansas.com site
romance
packages
http://www.arkansashotdeals.com/details.asp?id=627
http://www.arkansashotdeals.com/details.asp?id=628
http://www.arkansashotdeals.com/details.asp?id=753
outdoor
sports and
adventure
http://www.arkansashotdeals.com/details.asp?id=687
http://www.arkansashotdeals.com/details.asp?id=626
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Annual
Governor's Conference on
Tourism
The
Arkansas Governor's
Conference on Tourism
will be held in
Fayetteville March 7-9,
2004. This is the
largest meeting of
travel and tourism
professional in the
state. The conference
provides excellent
opportunities to network
and gain new knowledge
about the tourism
industry. The annual
Henry awards will be
presented at a banquet
featuring Governor Mike
Huckabee. For more
information contact
Nancy Clark,
501-682-1120 or
nancy.clark@mail.state.ar.us.
Petit
Jean State Park to Hold
New Year's Eve Dinner
and
Dance
A
great way to welcome in
the New Year is at Petit
Jean State Park's New
Year's Eve Dinner and
Dance. Mather Lodge will
be the setting for this
wonderful evening. For
only $65 per couple, $35
for each additional
person, you can enjoy a
wonderful dinner
prepared by the
restaurant staff,
followed by an evening
of dancing and fun. A
sparkling grape juice
toast will bring 2003 to
a close and provide a
wonderful start to
2004.
The
evening will begin at
7:00 p.m. in the
restaurant at Mather
Lodge After dinner,
dance in the New Year
from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00
a.m. with your DJ. He
will play all your
special requests.
Reservations
are required. Call
Mather Lodge at
1-800-264-2462 or (501)
727-2462 to make your
reservations. For your
enjoyment, no alcohol
will be allowed and all
buildings at Petit Jean
State
Park are
smoke-free
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 Hot
Springs Summit Arena -
The 2004 calendar is
quickly filling up with
events: singer Willie
Nelson will perform
during Springfest, the
Wal-Mart Bass Fishing
League All-American
Tournament, and Arkansas
Harley Owners Group
Rally are scheduled for
2004.
Fall/Winter
Sweepstakes winner -
Janette Dobbs of
Hatfield, Arkansas was
the winner of the fall
newspaper insert
vacation sweepstakes.
Dobbs was selected from
more than 4000 entries.
The newspaper insert was
distributed in six out
of state markets and
across
Arkansas.
Destination:
Arkansas campaign - The
campaign is promoting
the future arrival of
the Clinton Presidential
Center and the influx of
national and
international visitors
it expects to attract.
Restaurants, lodging
facilities and
attractions around
Arkansas can now post
special travel packages
and hot deals on the Web
site
arkansasglobecoming.com
in preparation
for
increased
traffic.
Arkansas
Tourism Industry
Newsletter
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 Calendar
of Events
January
~ February
Dardanelle
Lake
Dardanelle State
Park
Eagle
Watch
Jan.
10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25
,31
Feb.
1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 and
22
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Petit
Jean State
Park
Jan.
17-18 Eagle
Watch
Russellville
Jan.
2004 ARV Arts
Center
Art
Exhibits by Tina Lake & Laura
Conley
Subiaco
Jan
21 Christmas in January ~
Sturgis Quartet assisted
by
Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
Walter Auditorium
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Happy
New Year