Museum to Host “Things That Fly” Spring Homeschool Day
Mankind has been interested in flight almost since the beginning of time, and new technologies and designs continue to shape our culture and environment. Celebrating the museum’s newest exhibit about aviation, Old Independence Regional Museum will host its Spring Homeschool Day “Things That Fly” on Monday, March 11 from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
Participants will explore the history of ballistic, aerostatic, and aerodynamic flight and how flying has shaped our world both locally and internationally. The earliest inhabitants of this region utilized ballistic flight and a variety of projectiles for food, protection, and entertainment. Later advances in aerostatic flight, including hot air balloons and zeppelins, affected travel, war and science. Today, aerodynamic flight continues to shape the lives of residents in even our smallest towns. Students will have the opportunity to experience the history of flight through lessons, activities, and museum artifacts.
Pre-registration and a $7 participation fee are required by Monday, March 4. Late registrations will be accepted through Friday, March 8, with a $10 participation fee. Entry for parents is free. Registration forms are available online at www.oirm.org, on the museum’s Facebook page, or at the museum, located at 380 S. 9th Street in Batesville. For more information, call (870) 793-2121 or email oirm.educator@gmail.com.
Old Independence serves a 12-county area: Baxter, Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Marion, Poinsett, Sharp, Stone, White, and Woodruff. Parts of these present-day counties comprised the original Independence County in 1820s Arkansas territory.
This humanities program is made possible by local support from Independence County and the City of Batesville, as well as by Challenge Grant Endowment funding from the National Endowment of the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Phone: (870) 793-2121
E-mail: oirm.educator@gmail.com
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current membership chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.