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>> GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.
I WOULD LIKE TO JOIN�-- I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO WEIU THIS
EVENING.
THIS IS ARTHUR, THIS IS OUR STORY.
THIS IS ALL ABOUT ARTHUR, ILLINOIS.
>> I'M JANA JOHNSON, MEMBERSHIP MANAGER, JOINED BY�...
>> KE'AN ARMSTRONG.
WE HAVE FRIENDS OF ARTHUR.
A LOT OF STORY TELLERS.
WE'RE HAPPY THEY'RE WITH US.
AND WE HAVE PEOPLE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STUDIO AND THE
PRODUCTION CONTROL ROOM.
>> FOR ARTHUR, THIS IS OUR STORY, WE HAVE 28 WONDERFUL
STORY TELLERS.
WE CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU, THE VIEWERS, TO HEAR THIS STORY
TONIGHT.
>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME TONIGHT.
YOU'RE ONLY CONSIDERED A STRANGER ONCE.
THAT'S HOW THEY MADE US FEEL.
WE'RE ALL FAMILY HERE THIS EVENING.
WE'VE GOT FIVE STORIES COMING UP RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THE SHOW.
THIS IS ARTHUR THIS IS OUR STORY.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] [music playing]
Jeff Owens: Arthur, This is Our Story is supported by...
Tri-County Welding, big enough to serve, small enough to care.
Roselen's Coffees and Delights an atmosphere of releaxation, rejuvenation and comfort,
and the Yoder Center, a vital part of Arthur.
Masterbrand Cabinets has a legacy in the Arthur community.
Masterbrand, built on the solid foundation of craftsmanship, trend-forward thinking and
attentive service.
Masterbrand Cabinets supports Arthur and we are delighted to support Arthur, This is Our
Story.
A high level of integrity and a strong belief in the good people of the Arthur Area, describes
the Arthur Community Bank.
Arthur Community Bank, is proud to help bring you, Arthur, This is Our Story on WEIU TV.
Pauly's BBQ of Arthur, ribs, pulled pork and smoked sausage is proud to support, Arthur,
This is Our Story.
Congratulations to all the Arthur storytellers for your devotion to Arthur.
Arthur This is Our Story, from Pauly's BBQ.
The Village of Arthur located in the Heart of Illinois Amish Country, i proud to help
bring you, Arthur This is Our Story on WEIU.
The Arthur Area is home to the largest and oldest Amish community in Illinois.
Enjoy the show from everyone, from the Village of Arthur.
The Sarah Bush Lincoln Arthur Clinic provides home health care services to the Arthur Area.
Sarah Bush Lincoln Arthur Clinic, trusted, compassionate care, is proud to be a part
of Arthur, This is Our Story.
State Bank of Arthur is Community Bank that welcomes the opportunity to serve the people
of the Arthur Area.
State Bank of Arthur thanks everyone associated with Arthur, This is Our Story, on WEIU.
State Bank of Arthur, Member FDIC.
[music playing] Bruce Condill:
My wife Marybeth is a fourth generation on this farm.
Her great-grandfather, Frank McDonald, left Virginia with his brother and they rode a
horse and led a horse all the way out from Virginia here to Illinois and they settled
her in 1859.
So, when you come to the Great Pumpkin Patch, you really are coming to Old McDonald's farm.
Mac who manages the farm is a fifth generation, and his kids and my other sons' children,
eight grandchildren, are the sixth generation on this farm.
So, the roots run deep.
Our twin boys who joined their older brother Kit, were born on October 26th, 1976.
And the next Spring, Marybeth wanted them to have their own pumpkins to carve on their
first birthday; so, that's how it started.
The boys, just little ... they were barely crawling in the Spring but helped plant the
pumpkins in the garden.
Every year they would plant pumpkins for their fall harvest and starting the second year
they had more than what we could use, so they put them out in front of the milk-house where
the windmill is, and we hung an envelope on the door up by the house and people bought
them on the honor system.
And that year we had enough money to pay for the seed for the next year.
So, when they got into preschool they would bring their classmates out for a field trip
to the farm and we were a working farm: corn, soybeans, and alfalfa, see the machinery get
up in the tractors all that kind of stuff.
So that just became part of the yearly routine.
And then in 1988 we had a drought year; I'm a corn and soybean farmer, the 80s were hard
on farming, we were wondering whether we could keep doing this.
We weren't really making any money and so we had the idea, why not open up the farm
in the fall to the public.
We're already raising these pumpkins the boys are selling them, they're making two or three
hundred dollars and for a sixth grader or seventh grader that's pretty good money; so,
we decided to open up to the public.
So, in 1989 we opened it up and that first weekend there were people parked everywhere;
and people were in the buildings, even in the house, they were everywhere.
Marybeth and I were sitting out and looking at this and she says, "We've created a monster."
We still have that monster.
Since day one the boys have been part of this project, and we've let their creative juices
flow and I think they've really appreciated that.
But all great ideas around here, a lot of them come from our sons.
Mac is kind of the manager.
I remember he and his brothers got in the bus to go off to school when he was about
twelve years old and before he got into the bus he handed me a list of things to do.
And they got on the bus and I turned to Marybeth and I said, "Look at this we've got a manager
on our hands, he's given me a list of things to do."
So, it's been a family effort and it's been a lot of fun, a lot of hard work but we hardly
feel like we're going to work every day; it's never felt that way.
[music playing]
Lyle Dorjahn: The Moultrie-Douglas County Fair has been
and institution and a real part of the fabric in Arthur, Illinois for almost 90 years.
The first fair was held in 1924, it was in early October.
And we like to refer now to the fair as "Arthur's Original Street Festival".
Arthur's become somewhat noted for cheese festival and several other barbecue festival
and other events that we've got.
The reason we say that, is the first fair for the first twenty-five years or so, was
held uptown on the grade school grounds.
A lot of people today don't remember that and it was held there until 1950 or '51.
They set up tents around the street, around the grade school grounds, people had livestock
for neighbors for about a week there in the streets, in front of their houses.
My dad still tells stories about sleeping on Carter Odom's front porch and that way
they close to the tent where his pigs were at.
They set up a stage, there on the grounds; and that was the beginning of what's become
an institution in that the Moultrie-Douglas County Fair has become noted for great entertainment;
those free acts started at that very early fair in 1924.
The fair stayed downtown there at the school grounds until 1950,'51, that's when the first
addition to the grade school was built.
It was at that point in time that some families got together, donated some ground south of
the high school and what is now known as Jergen's Memorial Park, and the fair took up residence
there and has been there ever since.[music playing]
Johnny shows up with the Tennessee Three, and the Statler Brothers, and the Carter Family
and his wife June Carter-Cash and just put on two great shows.
And what I remember is that all the roads leading into Arthur, from the Arthur Atwood
Road, the county road south of town, 133 to Archola and Lovington were lined on both sides
with vehicles.
The night of the fair after that performance, try to walk through the mid-way, you couldn't.
There were people hanging upside-down out of trees and everywhere else, I've never seen,
and no one in town has ever seen that many people.
Estimated attendance was between fifteen and twenty thousand that one day of the fair.
The Moultrie-Douglas County Fair has been kind of a leader in several different activities.
Our tractor-pull is annually one of the really good ones in Central Illinois and many people
don't realize that the pulling sleds that the tractors hook up to and drag down the
track, that was invented by a guy here from Arthur named Billy Watkins.
Our first queen contest was in 1962 and continues to be an important part of the program here
at the Moultrie-Douglas County Fair.
We think that we had first junior-only livestock show in the state here in 1941.
My dad, he participated in the late '40s with his 4-H FFA projects.
My grandsons are currently participating at the Moultrie-Douglas County Fair, we go to
see them a year ago.
And they represent the sixth generation of my family that have participated in pure-bred
livestock; and so, that's been a really important part of the fair for me.
The community has supported the fair for ... this is going to be 87th version of the Moultrie-Douglas
County Fair, it's been a big part of the fabric of this community and we're just proud to
have served in some small part and be able to tell some stories about the fair that we
remember and that are dear to us and lots of folks just like me.
[music playing]Tanya Walker: Before there was C.H.I.
Overhead Doors and before MasterBrand Cabinets there was Progress Industries.
It was founded in 1920 by Arthur Martin and Joe Fitzgerald, they were two business partners
in what was called "oil jobbing", which meant that they took fuel to different clients,
farmers, etc.
The problem was that the tanks that distributed the fuels didn't have markers on them, the
ones that did were so expensive it was prohibitive for their customers, so they decided that
they could manufacture these pumps for half the cost of what everyone else was buying
them for; So, they designed a new patent and started making them.
The name "Progress" came from the fact that a local doctor would stop by everyday and
ask, "How is it coming?
What's your progress?"
Arthur Martin was quite the inventor and always trying to determine what else could be made
with the tools that he had.
So, by 1924 Progress had expanded to include caskets made of hardwoods, solid copper, and
polished bronze.
The oil side of the company created the first three gallon tank that was mounted on a Model-T
truck, it sold for $125.
The 1930s came and brought the Great Depression and of course great unemployment.
Arthur Martin and his partner Joe Fitzgerald were determined to keep the local Arthurites
working so with his own money Arthur Martin built a shoe factory and a garment factory
to keep the local Arthur people working.
Over the next several years Progress built two complete lacquer and paint making plants
for St. Louis businesses, three complete canning plants where food was canned for the war effort,
cheese making units, bread truck bodies, steel cyclone cellars for school houses in case
of tornadoes, air compressors for filling stations, water softeners, metal filing cabinets;
they built fire trucks, front-end loaders, corn elevators and milk tanks and trailers.
In 1941 it was determined that all steel use in the United States had to be towards the
war effort.
Soon Progress was making spherical floats which were used in anti-submarine nets; these
floats were 57 inch steel balls that required painting inside with paint that retained its
solid form at 300 degrees.
But at 2 p.m. April 10th, 1943, while the paint was heating to the proper temperature,
flames shot across the room and traveled up the walls.
The fire department arrived and they helped put the fire out but by that point two-thirds
of the company had burned to the ground.
The company, in a miraculous effort, was back in production in two weeks and full capacity
production within a month.
At its height, Progress had 450 employees between the oil and funeral divisions.
By the close of '79 it was shown to have the highest sales and profit year in the company's
history, with sales of over 14 million.
However, the funeral supply division was sold to Toccoa Casket Company and at the end of
February, 1980 the entire funeral division operation closed.
During the Spring of 1980 business started to slow but they thought this was only going
to be temporary, however, the Ag economy went into a depression and Progress never recovered.
I wanted to tell this story because my father was General Manager of Progress for about
14 years and later became Personnel Manager.
He spent his entire career working for Progress, it was his life.
I worked at Progress in the summers with my sister cleaning offices to put myself through
college, my mother worked in the clerical division, all our family friends worked there;
it was just family.
It was a family business, it meant so much.
[music playing]Philo Schrock: My story begins in a garage at my house on
a Wednesday night, we had four people together and we wanted to play music; we were all guitarists
and we wanted to play music but we didn't want to play in a bar or anything like that,
we just wanted to sit around and play music.
So uncle Omer told me and a group of guys ... he said, "Come on over to Cadwell and
you can use our Civic Center to play," and so we did.
Eventually it grew to where there were parking issues out in his yard, so one of the merchants
in Arthur asked us if we would like to come to Arthur and perform uptown.
And we kind of welcomed that because first of all we were running out of space and we
moved to Arthur and we were at the Gazebo Annex.
We played there for quite a while and the people started hearing about us and they started
coming in numbers and also people wanted to come and play.
Eventually we moved to a new building behind the Mexican restaurant in Arthur there, and
we were there for quite a while.
The acoustics were kinda bad so we hung up gunnysack material and hence the name "The
Gunnysack Review", and the "review" part of it is we are not a band, "review" at that
time because anybody could come and play.
And in 2015 we moved into Penn Station as our home and we play there every Wednesday
night, just because we have fun doing it and because it's also a place for folks to go
to dance, they can also sit there and just enjoy music or they can enjoy fellowship with
others.
It is a destination on a Wednesday night.
We have a large following of folks that come from Decatur, Atwood, Tuscola, Champaign,
Homer, we have people from Neoga, we have people from Mattoon, Charleston, Lerner, all
those places, they all come and some of them come as early as 5:30 for a 7 o'clock show,
now that is dedication.
We were debating when we were building the building "should we put in a dance floor",
and some of them "Ahh, I don't know if we want to or not" and then we finally did, we
went ahead and put it in there.
These guys come from all over the place to dance and these guys are good; they're flying
all over the place and now we've got youngsters 15 and 16 years old that are dancing as well.
Most of us are from Arthur and we started in Arthur or in Cadwell, we started in Arthur
and the patrons, the merchants, they've all helped us out and they stayed open late at
night because of us being in towns.
All the restaurants, you can see all of those people that come to Gunnysack Review or to
Penn Station, they're eating food there and so it's a great help and it's, I think, it
makes Arthur special.
[music playing]Leroy Allison: The Arthur United Methodist Church for years
we've had youth group on Wednesdays and we've always fed a meal to our youth group, junior,
senior high.
In 2009, early February, they came to us with this idea that since there were people who
were hurting because of the economy, was it possible to invite them to join us for the
meals.
And we looked at it and said, "It's a good idea, but how do you identify who you want
to come?
How do you invite them without embarrassing them?"
We looked at it and said, "There are other people who may not have a financial need but
just have a need to be with other people."
So in February of 2009 we started this project, we were gonna do it for 6 weeks.
At the end of the 6 weeks we sat down, the cook said, "Well, there's only another 4 or
5 weeks before we stop youth for the summer, we'll just continue it till then."
We sat down in May to look at it and the thought probably at that point was we'd just stop
it for the summer and pick it up in the fall.
And one of the ladies who was at the planning meeting told us of one of her older members
who had told her, with tears coming down her cheeks, how important it was for her to be
able to have a meal with somebody else because this lady lived alone and she didn't get out
too much.
I said, "you've hooked us."
I'm convinced today that if we has stopped for the summer we probably wouldn't have picked
it up again in the fall, but we kept going.
The early days maybe we had 50 to 75 was a crowd, which we were already feeding 30 or
so youth, so it wasn't too bad.
The word spread and people started coming.
Last year we served over 15,000 meals we average about 300 meals a week; those are served in
2 hours from 4:30 til 6:30.
Most of them go out the door as carry-outs but people are hungry we don't care where
they eat.
We encourage people not only to take a meal for tonight but if you're gonna be hungry
tomorrow take a meal for tomorrow.
It just grows.
We started from within the church, but we call it a community meal because the people
who work to the meal and who work on the meal come from all over.
We have probably as many people in the kitchen preparing and serving from other churches
as we do from United Methodist.
That is something I just celebrate.
We've done eight years, we're in our ninth year if my math is correct.
People have asked me for several years "How many years are you going to do this?"
My standard answer is as long as the need is there, as long as the finances are there
and as long as the help is there I see no need to stop.
>> I HOPE YOU'RE HAVING AS MUCH FUN AS WE ARE IN THE STUDIO
HERE.
SOME ARE EMOTIONAL.
>> KE'AN INTERVIEWED THAT GENTLEMAN, SHE SAID SHE WAS
CRYING.
YOU WOULD CRY ON THAT ONE.
THAT IS THE FUN THING DOING PROGRAMS LIKE THIS.
EMOTIONS ARE ALL ACROSS THE BOARD.
THERE ARE TEARS, LAUGHTER, YOU LEARN SO MUCH.
SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS GO THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU DO
THESE STORIES.
>> WE HOPE YOU ARE WANTING TO HAVE YOUR OWN COPY OF ARTHUR,
THIS IS OUR STORY.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL THE NUMBER AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR
SCREEN.
RIGHT THERE, WE HAVE OUR FIRST CALLER.
LET'S KEEP THE PHONES RINGING.
WE'LL BE HERE WITH YOU ALL EVENING LONG.
ALL
YOU HAVE TO DO IS [AUDIO SKIPPING]
>> I WANT YOU TO TALK ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE ABOUT ALBERT'S
CLOTHING.
>> WE'RE HAVING A BLAST.
WHAT'S YOUR PHONE NUMBER?
>> IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY IN A LOT
OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
AN EXTENDED COMMUNITY.
NOT ONLY DID DELBERT'S CLOTHING HELP OUT THE COMMUNITY, BUT A
LOT OF BUSINESSES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OVER THE YEARS HAVE
RELIED ON CUSTOMERS, CLIENTS.
>> I KNOW YOU HAD A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE WITH THAT.
GLAD YOU'RE HERE WITH US THIS EVENING.
>> THANK YOU.
>> LITTLE GIGGLE WILL COME LATER IN THE PROGRAM.
TERRY CLARK, DELBERT'S CLOTHING.
>> THANK YOU, KE'AN.
>> WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT CALLED BEFORE WE GOT BACK ON.
NOLAN AND SALLY AND DAWN FROM ARTHUR.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
PEOPLE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
RIGHT NOW, EIGHT PEOPLE ANSWERING THE PHONE.
ONLY ONE PERSON ON IT.
WE NEED ALL THE PHONES BUSY.
WHO WILL BE THE NEXT ONE TO CALL?
WE WOULD LOVE TO SEND YOU A DVD. 28 STORY TELLERS FROM THE ARTHUR
AREA.
EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS GREAT PROGRAM.
ONLY ON ARTHUR.
75 FOR THE FIRST, TWO OR MORE, 60 EACH.
THE PHONE NUMBERS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE BACK HERE, THAT HAVE COME OUT, MOST
ARE STORY TELLERS, THEY'RE EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS
GREAT NIGHT.
>> I WANT TO THROW A CHALLENGE OUT TO THE VIEWERS.
IF YOU ENJOY GOING TO YOU DOUGLAS COUNTY FAIR, THE STORY
TELLER IS IN THE HOUSE.
I'M SURE HE WILL GET TO THE PHONE IF HE NEEDS TO.
IF YOU ENJOY THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, SHOW HIM YOUR SUPPORT.
SAY I WANT A COPY OF THE DVD BECAUSE THEY APPRECIATE THAT
FAIR IN MY HOMETOWN.
>> PROGRESS INDUSTRY.
TONYA IS ANSWERING THE PHONES HERE.
THAT WAS AN AMAZING STORY.
IT IS CRAZY HOW LONG IT WAS THERE.
HOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT WENT THROUGH, THE PEOPLE IT EMPLOYED
FOR ALL THE YEARS IN ARTHUR.
MAYBE LATER ON WE CAN TALK TO TONYA, TOO.
>> WE HEARD FROM BRUCE.
OLD MCDONALD FARM.
BEAUTIFUL FARM, WONDERFUL PICTURES, GREAT STORY TELLER.
ANOTHER FAMILY ORIENTED STORY.
>> TONIGHT, OUR GOAL IS TO GET 100 PEOPLE TO CALL US.
SO RIGHT NOW, ON THIS BREAK, WE'LL BE HERE A FEW MINUTES, WE
NEED TO GET THE BALL ROLLING.
ONCE IT IS ROLLING, EVERYBODY ELSE WANTS TO CALL.
RIGHT HERE ON THE PHONES.
HERE WE GO!
KEEP IT GOING.
WE KNOW THAT THIS PROGRAM IS SO GREAT YOU WANT ONE FOR YOURSELF,
FOR LOVED ONES, PEOPLE THAT MOVED AWAY FROM ARTHUR.
THERE ARE GREAT PEOPLE AND WE WANT THEM TO HAVE A COPY OF THE
DVD.
>> THINK ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS COMING UP.
WE HAVE A SPECIAL ONE, MOTHER'S DAY, WE HAVE ANOTHER COMING UP
SOON, FATHER'S DAY.
IF YOU THINK WHAT WILL I GIVE THE SPECIAL PERSON IN MY LIFE,
THIS WILL BE AN AWESOME GIFT TO GIVE THEM.
>> YOU CAN CALL.
IF THE PERSON ON THE PHONE IS NOT WHO YOU WANT TO TALK TO, WE
WILL SWITCH.
WE'RE KIND OF CRAZY, BUT NOT REAL CRAZY.
WE'RE HAVING A GOOD TIME.
IF YOU ARE OUT THERE, WATCHING THIS PROGRAM.
YOU HAVE ONLY SEEN FIVE STORIES SO FAR.
>> WE HAVE 28 THIS EVENING, IN TOTAL.
>> TO PUT A PROGRAM LIKE THIS ON THE AIR, IT TAKES MONEY.
WEIU TAKES THIS SERIOUSLY.
HOW MANY COUNTIES DO WE COVER?
>> 22 IN ILLINOIS, PART OF THE COUNTIES IN INDIANA.
AND THE PEOPLE WATCHING TONIGHT AND ALL THE POTENTIAL HOUSEHOLDS
THAT COULD BE WATCHING WEIU, THEY REALLY DO MAKE A
DIFFERENCE.
WHEN YOU CALL IN, YOU MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
>> YOU ARE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WE REACH.
IT IS A MILLION POTENTIAL HOUSEHOLDS.
WE HOPE YOU ARE WATCHING TONIGHT.
IF YOU ARE WATCHING, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW YOU CAN TUNE IN VIA
CABLE, SATELLITE AND VIA STREAMING.
WE ARE STREAMING LIVE ON WEIU.NET.
>> THAT IS REALLY AMAZING WE CAN DO THAT.
THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE, THEY'RE WATCHING US
ONLINE.
I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUTOUT TO ONE SPECIAL STORY TELLER THAT
COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT.
MILO.
IF HE IS WATCHING, WE HOPE YOU GET BETTER.
WE MISS YOU.
SAD YOU COULDN'T BE PART OF THIS TONIGHT.
OUR HEART IS GOING OUT TO YOU NOW.
WE HOPE YOU FEEL THE LOVE.
>> YOUR STORY WILL BE SHARED VIA THIS DVD.
WE HEARD IT.
WE WERE PROUD TO LISTEN TO YOUR STORY AND SHARE IT.
I'M SURE WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT LOTS OF OTHER
STORY TELLERS THROUGHOUT THIS EVENING.
WE WANT YOU TO SHARE THIS EXCITEMENT.
THE PHONES KEEP RINGING.
WE HAVE A FEW OTHER PHONES AVAILABLE.
CALL THE NUMBER AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW.
>> WE HAVE A PHONE LIT.
THAT IS WHEN EVERY PHONE IS ANSWERED.
RIGHT NOW, WE NEED TWO, THREE MORE PEOPLE TO CALL.
IF YOU ARE THERE NOW AND YOU WANT THE PHONE BLIP GOING, GIVE
US A CALL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN.
>> IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE TO GO ONLINE ON THE WEBSITE, WEIU.NET
AND SHOW SUPPORT BY GETTING A DVD OR TWO, HOWEVER MANY YOU
WANT TO HAVE.
WE CAN GIVE A SHOUTOUT TO YOU.
WE KNOW WHO IS CALLING, WHERE YOU ARE FROM AND WE ARE ALSO
HAPPY TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE STORY TELLERS.
YOU CAN TELL THEM WHAT YOU APPRECIATED ABOUT YOUR STORY AS
WELL.
>> WHAT IS NEED WHEN YOU�-- NEAT WHEN YOU DO CALL, I CAN GIVE A
SHOUTOUT TO MY KIDS, IN ANOTHER STATE.
OR SO AND SO WAS MY TEACHER OR I CAN REMEMBER TALKING TO BRUCE
AND MARY BETH.
YOU CAN CONVEY THAT, WE ARE PART OF YOUR FAMILY.
KE'AN AND I TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY.
WE SHOP THERE.
WE KNOW YOU LOVE ARTHUR, TOO.
IF YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE, GIVE US A CALL TONIGHT.
>> SO EASY.
$75 FOR ONE DVD, TWO OR MORE ARE $60 EACH.
YOU SEE IT THERE ON THE SCREEN.
WE HAVE PEOPLE SITTING BACK HERE WAITING TO ANSWER THE PHONES.
WE HAVE MORE SHOUTOUTS AND THANK YOUS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH KRISTIN.
REGINA FROM CHAMPAGNE, MARY FROM ARTHUR, ROGER FROM ATWOOD.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING ARTHUR IS OUR STORY.
>> OUR GOAL IS TO GET OVER 100 PEOPLE CALLING.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE HAD FIVE PEOPLE.
BEFORE THE END OF THE BREAK, WE WOULD LIKE TO GET TO 20.
WHO WILL BE THE ONE TO HELP US GET THERE?
THIS IS FUN.
THIS IS OUR SEVENTH OUR STORY.
WE HAVE DONE SEVEN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
ARTHUR IS JUST AS GREAT AS THE OTHERS WE HAVE DONE.
WE HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW GREAT PEOPLE.
ONE THING YOU SAID EARLIER, WHAT WE FOUND, PEOPLE ARE KIND,
YOU'RE ONLY A STRANGER ONCE.
THAT IS TRUE.
>> THAT'S FOR REAL.
VERY GENUINE PEOPLE.
SO HAPPY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME, TALK WITH THEM, MEET WITH
THEM, HEAR THEIR STORIES.
THEY HAVE BECOME OUR FAMILIES.
>> WELL, THAT IS PART OF WHAT WE DO HERE.
YOU KNOW WEIU JUST ISN'T A PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION.
WEIU IS A COMMUNITY STATION AS WELL.
THAT IS SOMETHING WE'RE REAL PROUD OF.
WE WANT TO BE PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY AS WE HAVE BEEN A PART
OF ARTHUR.
ONCE WE GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE IN ARTHUR, THEY'RE OUR FRIENDS
FOREVER.
>> WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE ON THE PHONE.
>> I BET YOU KNOW SOMEBODY THAT IS ON THE PHONE BANK THAT IS NOT
ON THE PHONE.
GIVE THEM A CALL.
>> THE STORY TELLERS BACK HERE, YOU WILL HEAR FROM LATER.
DWAYNE IS HERE, TALKING ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
CHRISTI, WE WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUTOUT.
SHE'S A TOURISM DIRECTOR.
A BIG HELP TO US.
THANK YOU, CHRISTI.
WE HAVE KIT WITH THE NEWSPAPER.
TONYA, WE HEARD HER STORY ABOUT PROGRESS INDUSTRIES.
WE HAVE FOLKS THAT WORK FOR THE CITY.
THE LIBRARY, MARTY, LYNN, AND ALSO WE HEARD FROM TERRY A
MOMENT AGO.
LOTS OF PEOPLE UP HERE WILLING TO TAKE YOUR CALL.
JUST CALL RIGHT NOW.
MORE THANK YOUS.
ROD AND CAROL FROM ARTHUR.
THANK YOU. AND RITA FROM ARTHUR.
>> THAT SEVEN PEOPLE, THANK YOU FOR CALLING.
WE WILL TRY TO GET TO THE GOAL BEFORE THE END OF BREAK.
IF YOU ARE SITTING THERE, YOU ARE LIKE I WILL GIVE TO THE
PROGRAM.
>> WE GO GET BACK TO THE PROGRAM.
>> WE HAVE 13 MORE, LUCKY 13 CALLERS THAT WE NEED TO CALL IN.
WE'VE GOT ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE PHONES AVAILABLE.
LET'S GET THE PHONES RINGING.
>> I THINK WHEN THERE ARE LIVE NIGHTS THAT SO MANY PEOPLE WILL
LEARN SO MUCH TONIGHT ABOUT YOUR HOMETOWN.
WE HAVE HEARD FROM OUR STORY TELLERS, WE SAID YOU KNOW,
TALKED ABOUT THEY GOT EMOTIONAL.
THEY LAUGH, THEY HEARD FUNNY STORIES.
MOST OF ALL, THEY LEARNED A LOT OF THINGS THEY NEVER KNEW
BEFORE.
THE 28 PEOPLE THAT STEPPED UP, SAID I WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS
GREAT PROGRAM, WE THANK THEM FOR DOING IT.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
IT TAKES ALL OF US TO BE ABLE TO PUT THIS PROGRAM TOGETHER.
WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY, AND THE PEOPLE
CALLING IN TONIGHT, YOU'RE SUPPORTING THEM AS WELL.
IT IS KIND OF A PYRAMID SCHEME HERE THAT WE COME TO THE
COMMUNITY, WE ASK THEM TO VOLUNTEER AND TELL THE STORIES.
THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SHARE THE STORY OF THEIR
COMMUNITY.
THIS IS THE SMALLEST COMMUNITY THAT WE PRODUCED A PROGRAM ON,
BUT NOT SHORT OF STORIES.
>> NOT AT ALL.
NOT AT ALL.
WHILE WE'RE DOING THANK YOUS, I WANT TO GIVE A THANK YOU TO JACK
FLASH TONIGHT FOR PROVIDING PIZZAS FOR US.
AND THE KITCHEN OF DORIS YODER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH BOTH OF YOU FOR COMING TO SUPPLY THE FOOD
TONIGHT TO HELP WITH THE VOLUNTEERS.
APPRECIATE IT.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE UNDERWRITERS OF THE PROGRAM.
WE COULD NOT PRODUCE THE PROGRAM WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT.
MASTER BRAND CABINETS, SARA BUSH LINCOLN CLINIC, ARTHUR COMMUNITY
BANK, ROSELAND COFFEE AND DELIGHT.
STATE BANK OF ARTHUR.
PAULY'S BARBECUE, YODER CENTER AND ARTHUR DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS
AND ARTHUR TOURISM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ONE, TWO�-- OH, A PHONE RINGING.
FOUR PEOPLE NOT ON THE PHONE.
THE PHONE NUMBER IS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN.
>> HERE WE GO.
>> I'M TELLING YOU NO, WE'RE GETTING EXCITED.
[CHEERS] OK.
LYNN IS NOT BUSY, MARTY IS NOT BUSY.
WE NEED THREE CALLERS.
>> THREE CALLERS.
YOU CAN DO IT!
WE BELIEVE IN ARTHUR.
WE BELIEVE IN THE VIEWERS.
>> WE DO.
>> ALSO ALL ACROSS THE WORLD BECAUSE WE ARE SHARING ARTHUR
WITH THE WORLD VIA STREAMING, ONLINE.
>> WEIU WANTS TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY.
WHO ELSE WILL COME IN YOUR TOWN YOU.
YOU WILL GET TO TELL THE STORY AND PICK THE SUBJECT.
THAT MAKES THIS POPULAR AND VALUABLE TO YOUR COMMUNITY.
>> WE HAVE GREAT STORIES COMING UP IN A BIT, ONCE WE MEET THE
GOAL OF 20.
WE WILL HEAR ABOUT THE MOSES YODER FARM.
WE HAVE IRVIN AND BERNADINE WITH US.
WE WILL HEAR ABOUT THE HIGH SCHOOL, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE
NEWSPAPER, AWESOME TRACTOR CREW.
AND AN EMOTIONAL STORY FOLLOWING IN MY MOTHER'S FOOTSTEPS.
I WILL NOT�-- DO NOT GIVE IT AWAY.
SO MANY GREAT STORIES COMING UP.
RIGHT NOW, WE NEED TO HIT OUR GOAL BEFORE WE MOVE ON.
RIGHT NOW, IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PROGRAM, DON'T WAIT UNTIL LATER
ON.
DO IT NOW, THE PHONE NUMBER IS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN, THE
PEOPLE HERE WILL TAKE YOUR INFORMATION.
FAST AND EASY.
IT TAKES LITERALLY ABOUT A MINUTE TO DO IT.
WE LOVE TO THANK YOU ON AIR AS WELL.
>> WE NEED TWO MORE CALLERS.
IF YOU ARE SITTING THERE CONSIDERING, SHOULD I CALL
SHOULD I NOT.
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK KEVIN FROM ARTHUR.
AND MARIN.
>> ARTHUR, YOU CAN DO IT.
IF YOU ENJOYED THE STORIES WE HAVE DONE TONIGHT AND THEY
TOUCHED YOU IN ANY WAY, YOU NEED A COPY OF THE DVD FOR YOUR
FAMILY TO KEEP.
HOW MANY PHOTOS?
>> HUNDREDS OF PHOTOS THAT HE HAS GOTTEN.
HE LET US USE THAT.
>> YOU'RE ABLE TO USE THEM IN THE PROGRAM TONIGHT.
NOEL IS ABOUT CAPTURING AND SAVING THE HISTORY OF ARTHUR.
HE'S PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.
AMAZING HOW MANY PHOTOS THAT GENTLEMAN HAS.
HE'S NOT FINISHED YET.
>> A GREAT HISTORIAN.
ARTHUR IS LUCKY TO HAVE THAT.
WE WERE LUCKY TO MEET HIM BECAUSE YOU WILL SEE A NUMBER OF
THE PHOTOS IN THE DVD.
THAT IS WHAT THIS DVD AND PROGRAM DOES AS WELL.
IT ARCHIVES THE HISTORY WHICH WILL BE SHARED WITH MANY
CHILDREN GROWING UP IN THAT COMMUNITY.
>> RIGHT.
IF YOU ARE SITTING THERE NOW AND YOU ARE LIKE THIS IS A GREAT
PROGRAM.
GET ON THE PHONE.
CALL US, CALL YOUR FRIENDS, E-MAIL THEM, GET ON FACEBOOK,
WHICH IS THE BEST WAY TO GET THE WORD OUT NOWADAYS.
>> WHAT IS THE HASHTAG?
>> #ARTHURTIOS.
THIS IS OUR STORY IS WHAT IT STANDS FOR.
WE DID NOT GET THE PHONE BLITZ.
THERE IS TIME.
WE WILL BE HERE FOR A WHILE.
WE HAVE SIX MORE GREAT STORIES COMING UP IN A FEW MINUTES.
>> LIKE I SAID EARLIER.
WE HAVE 28 STORY TELLERS.
EACH ARE UNIQUE.
NONE ARE ALIKE.
WE TOUCH ON THE AMISH, THE HISTORY, WHAT IS GOING ON
NOWADAYS.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER ONES?
>> SOME OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THEY DO TO TAKE CARE OF THE
PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
>> YES, THE FESTIVALS.
THE VETERANS.
FIREWORKS ARE A BIGGIE.
THE PUMPKIN HOUSE IS SOMETHING I PERSONALLY ENJOY.
>> HE'S IN THE HOUSE TONIGHT.
HE WAS ON THE PHONE EARLIER.
MAYBE HE'S IN THE CONTROL ROOM.
>> CONTROL ROOM.
THAT IS SOMETHING EXCITING TO LOOK FORWARD TO, TOO.
RIGHT NOW, THE PHONES ARE QUIET.
CALL RIGHT NOW.
WE ONLY HAVE A FEW MORE MINUTES BEFORE WE GO BACK TO OUR
PROGRAM.
THINK ABOUT PEOPLE YOU WOULD LOVE TO GIVE THIS TO AS A GIFT.
MAYBE YOUR DAD LIVES IN ARTHUR.
OR YOUR GRAND FOR INSTANCE, THIS IS A TIME TO GIVE US A CALL.
>> THIS TOWN IS ALL ABOUT FAMILY.
THINK ABOUT YOUR FAMILY.
TELL YOUR FAMILY TO TUNE IN.
IF THEY CAN'T TUNE IN BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOMETHING ELSE GOING
ON.
GET THE DVD.
I WILL GIVE A COUPLE MORE SHOUTOUTS AND THEN WE'LL GET YOU
BACK TO THE PROGRAM.
WE WANT TO THANK JERRY FROM ARTHUR, TIM FROM ARTHUR.
MELANIE FROM ARBANA, RUTH ANN FROM ARTHUR, LESLIE AND LISA
FROM ARTHUR.
TOM SAID HI TO JANA.
LINDA FROM ARTHUR.
THAT IS HOW MANY?
UP TO 16.
>> 16.
>> 17.
18.
>> WE NEED TWO MORE.
TWO MORE!
WHOO!
WE MADE THIS, THAT TIME AROUND.
STICK WITH US, WE WILL GET YOU BACK TO THE SHOW.
KEEP THE PHONES RINGING.
WE'RE HERE ALL EVENING.