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Weaver’s Newsletter April 2014

Weaver’s Newsletter
An Online newsletter of
“The Andy Griffith Show” Rerun Watchers Club (TAGSRWC)

**** Merchandise Update ****

Browse the full selection of books, apparel, DVDs, music, artwork, collectibles, items for your vehicle and much more at our online Weaver’s Department Store (www.weaversdepartmentstore.com).

We appreciate your shopping at Weaver’s, especially because Weaver’s sales are the main thing that helps TAGSRWC be able to offer financial support to Mayberry Days and other Mayberry-connected events and charitable efforts throughout the year. We appreciate it!

Featured This Month at Weaver’s:

“Mayberry R.F.D.” on DVD!

NEW!!!

MayberryRFDDVD1$26.00

We’re delighted to offer the First Season of “Mayberry R.F.D.”  on DVD.   This is the first time that a season of “Mayberry R.F.D.” have been released for sale in any format!

We were beginning to think “R.F.D.” would never get its chance, but Warner Bros., which owns that series (unlike TAGS, whose DVD and merchandising rights are held by CBS), is finally taking the Mayberry plunge.  If the first season (26 episodes) sells well, we expect the other two seasons (also 26 episodes each) will follow before long.

So, for all the Mayberry fans who’ve been waiting for years (and in some cases, decades!) to see the 78 episodes of “Mayberry R.F.D.” your wait is over.  You’ll finally get to see Andy and Helen get married, and, when the second season is released, you’ll get to see Andy Taylor Jr. be baptized. And all the other “R.F.D.” adventures, including dune buggies in Palm Springs.

The list price of this Complete First Season DVD set for  “Mayberry R.F.D.” is $30, which is a nice deal, but we’ve worked to get our Weaver’s Department Store price down even lower, to $26, or just $1 per episode, which makes the episodes all the more enjoyable!

A Great “R.F.D.” Companion

MayberryRFDSoftcoverIf you like to read about Mayberry as you’re watching, we highly recommend A Guide to Television’s Mayberry R.F.D. by David Fernandes and Dale Robinson.

The two late authors and great friends of Mayberry were actually too modest. Their book is not just “a guide,” it’s the only guide published about the show. And a mighty fine one, it is!  It’s $29.00.

More on DVD:

Weaver’s of course always has individual Season sets of “The Andy Griffith Show,” as wel las The Entire Series  (now only $109.00!) and a 50th Anniversary Collection of TAGS on DVD, as well as “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” and favorite movies and other features starring Andy Griffith, Don Knotts, George Lindsey and The Dillards.

Blu-ray Update

TAGSBluray1The release date for the Complete Season 1 of “The Andy Griffith Show” on Blu-ray has been bumped from the previously announced April 8 to May 6. CBS wanted to take a little more time to gather special features to include in the set.

Among the features announced for the Blu-ray is a 1957 episode of the CBS show “Person to Person,” featuring Andy Griffith being interviewed by host Edward R. Murrow. But perhaps most special are some Howard family home movies shot on the “Andy Griffith Show” set!  And the 1960 “Danny Meets Andy Griffith” pilot for TAGS and the 1986 Return to Mayberry movie are other features included in this First Season set.

We've got the new Blu-ray, but only if you think you REALLY need it.

We’ve got the new Blu-ray, but only if you think you REALLY need it.

The list price for the First Season is $130 ($21 more than our current price for the box set of the entire eight seasons of TAGS on regular DVDs!)  We’ve been able to get our Weaver’s price down to $89, considerably under the list price, but still jaw-dropping.

For those careful shoppers who can wait, skin-flint Barney advises holding off for a few months to see if the price eventually becomes more reasonable.  But for those who just can’t wait (and you know who you are!), we at least have the Blu-rays at over 25% off the introductory list price.

T-Shirts Galore for Summer !

Are you ready to add a cool splash of Mayberry fun to your summer?  Well, Weaver’s is ready for you.  We have nearly three dozen designs of licensed Mayberry T-shirts, most available in sizes Adult Medium to 2X, and several also in Small and a few in 3X.  All are 100% cotton and preshrunk for a sizing that lasts.  Most are priced at $18, with a couple at $20. We have lots of Barney designs, some with Andy and Opie, a couple with Gomer and one with Floyd. And a few with just words.  Something Mayberry to wear for everybody!

MayberryUnionHighTMayberryChoppersTMayberryWhistlersT

 

NIPIT!TAllAmericanAndyTAwPaT

Just a few of our T-shirts

Fife Security Thermometer

FifeSecurityThermometer$21.00

Winter is gone.  (We think!)  So, now it’s time to see how hot the summer is gonna be.  (Ugh!)  We’ve got just the man for the job.  He’s a hot-shot, because he’s always cool under pressure!  As Floyd says that Calvin Coolidge said, “Everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” That may be true, but at least with this thermometer, we can measure exactly what we’re complaining about.

The Andy Griffith Show Trivia Game

TAGSTriviaGame$59.00

TAGSTriviaGameOpenThis is the original Andy Griffith Show Trivia board game from 1998. It’s now out of print and hard to find still unused and even sealed in its original shrink wrap, but we’ve got a couple.

A wonderful game to play or preserve as a collectible. (But even crusty ol’ Ben thinks it’s loads more fun to play than to save back on a shelf forever.  And definitely better on your shelf than his, he says!)

Find all of these items and much more at weaversdepartmentstore.com, or just click on the orange and blue Weaver’s button at the top left or top right of the page whenever you’re visiting www.imayberry.com.

***


Floyd’s Barbershop
Bulletin Board & Event Calendar

There may be no listings for Falcon Keeper on Floyd's bulletin board, but there are plenty of other interesting items.

There may be no listings for Falcon Keeper on Floyd’s bulletin board at the moment, but there are plenty of other interesting items.

The Andy Griffith Museum, featuring the late Emmett Forrest’s phenomenal collection of Andy Griffith memorabilia, is open daily in Mount Airy, N.C. For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.

The following information is from The eBullet: Official E-mail Newsletter of “The Andy Griffith Show” Rerun Watchers Club (TAGSRWC).

Legendary Mount Airy barber Russell Hiatt at his 90th birthday party in January with Kenneth "Otis" Junkin and Allan "Younger Floyd" Newsome.  Russell has recently been under the weather, but he's doing better now, and all his friends and customers hope he'll soon be back in his Floyd's City Barber Shop.  Photo by Hobart Jones.

Legendary Mount Airy barber Russell Hiatt at his 90th birthday party in January with Kenneth “Otis” Junkin and Allan “Younger Floyd” Newsome. Russell has recently been under the weather, but he’s doing better now, and all his friends and customers hope he’ll soon be back in his Floyd’s City Barber Shop. Photo by Hobart Jones.

LA Deli

* Now-Apr. 27: L.A. Deli, the latest play by TAGS writer Sam Bobrick, is being performed at the Marilyn Monroe Theatre in West Hollywood, Calif.  Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. For more info or tickets, visit www.plays411.com or call (323) 960-7738.

* Apr. 24 and 25: Eagles’ Wings fundraiser event in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The golf tourney is on Thursday (morning and afternoon flights with lunch provided) at Indian Hills Country Club. On Friday, the silent auction ( 5 p.m.), dinner (6:45 p.m.) and entertainment are at the Bryant Conference Center.  David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning, Allan “Floyd” Newsome, Kenneth “Otis” Junkin are among the entertainers with Mayberry connections.   This annual event supports Eagles’ Wings’s efforts to assist adults with disabilities.  You may call the Eagles’ Wings office at (205) 345-5484 for more info regarding the Golf Tournament and the Dinner & Auction, or visit www.eagleswingsoftuscaloosa.org.

MorganBrittanyToday2

Morgan Brittany

* Apr. 25-27: Maggie Peterson and Morgan Brittany (Opie’s girlfriend Mary Alice Carter) are special guests for the Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival in Marshfield, Mo. Morgan is moderating a panel on TV Legends  at 11:15 a.m. on Apr. 25 at Marshfield Christian Church.  Maggie and Morgan (and others) will participate in a Memories of Mayberry forum moderated by TAGSRWC’s Paul Mulik at 10:30 a.m. on Apr. 26 at Marshfield Assembly of God.  Both of those sessions are free. For info, visit www.cherryblossomfest.com.

* Apr. 26: Ron Howard discusses his career with NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.  For tickets ($33.50) and info, visit www.tribecafilm.com.

BestCover* Apr. 26: James Best brings his “Best in Hollywood” show to the Newberry Opera House in Newberry, S.C.  For more info, call the box office at 803-276-6264 or visit www.newberryoperahouse.com.

* Apr. 29: David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning  entertains at Mayberry Night Banquet at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn.  For info, visit www.bellevue.org.

KarenKnottsGuitarrodney_dillard_westminster_2011* May 2 and 3: 4th Annual Mayberry Comes to Westminster Festival in Westminster, S.C.  Guests include Rodney Dillard and the Dillard Band, Karen Knotts and her one-woman “Knotts, Knotts, Who’s There?” show (for two performances), several Mayberry tribute artists, “A Salute to Elvis” with Wayne Euliss, trivia,  and Miss Mayberry pageant.  For updates, visit: www.westminstersc.com/mayberry. Tickets available at www.jneg.org. Also, Rodney Dillard and wife Beverly perform songs of praise during the 10:30 a.m. worship service at Westminster Baptist Church on Sunday, May 4.

MissouriBoatrideTruck3* May 3: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride continue their free Kimberling City Winter Bluegrass Concert Series from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Ozark Room at the Kimberling City Shopping Mall in Kimberling City, Mo. (Call Hillbilly Bowl/RT’s Restaurant for Snow or Ice cancellations: 417-739-4425.  Snow and ice in May?  After the winter we’ve had, you never know!)

* May 7: David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning entertains at Senior TRIAD Day in Richmond, Va.

RodneyDillard&DillardBand* May 10: Rodney Dillard and the Dillard Band perform at Cherokee Park in Morristown, Tenn., from 6 to 8 p.m.

RafeHollisterSings* May 10: Neal Brower, author of Mayberry 101, presents a lecture on the “Rafe Hollister Sings” episode of TAGS, starting at 2 p.m., in the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre in Mount Airy, N.C.  Admission is included with an Andy Griffith Museum armband ($3 or $5) or is $5 without one.  For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.

* May 10: David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning is ready to write tickets at the 5th Annual Antique Car Show at the Heritage Center in Morristown, Tenn.

Photo by Hobart Jones.

Photo by Hobart Jones.

* May 16: Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou) greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-1:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8×10 photos available ($10). For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.

CharleneRodneyColor3* May 17 and 18: Mayberry in the Midwest in Danville, Ind.  Stars confirmed include Maggie Peterson, Rodney Dillard and the Dillard Band, and a full slate of Mayberry tribute artists.  Events include a pancake breakfast, concerts, contests, Opie’s Soap Box Derby, and the Mayberry Squad Car Nationals. (If you have a Mayberry Squad replica that you want to enter in the MSCN, contact Kenneth Junkin at 205-364-7727.)

For inquiries (such as renting vendor booth space) and updates, go to www.visitdowntowndanville.com. And follow the event on Facebook HERE.

The host hotel is the La Quinta Inn & Suites (317-279-2650) in Plainfield, which is 15 to 20 minutes away, depending on traffic. If you can’t get a room at the LaQuinta, there are also some hotels (Fairfield Inn & Suites and Comfort Inn) in Avon, which is also five to 10 minutes closer.  And a couple of other hotels in Plainfield are a Hampton Inn and a Best Western.

Ronnie Schell

Ronnie Schell

* May 20-25: Ronnie Schell performs at the Improv Comedy Club at Harrah’s Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. For more info, visit www.harrahslasvegas.com.

* May 24 and 25: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform at the Bluegrass and Bar-B-Q Festival at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo.

* May 25: Capping a four-decade tradition, Jim Nabors is scheduled to sing “Back Home Again in Indiana” at the Indy 500 for the final time. (Shazam.)

MissouriBoatridePorch* May 31: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride kick off their free Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series outside of the Hillbilly Bowl at the Kimberling City Shopping Mall in Kimberling City, Mo.  In true Darlings style, they’ll be performing on the back of their ’41 Chevy flatbed truck. From 7 to 9 p.m. roughly every third Sat. into Sept.  Bring your lawn chairs and whatnot.

* May 31: David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning floats into St. Paul, Va., for the Clinch River Days Festival.

RutaLee* June 12-14: Ruta Lee appears at the Memphis Film Festival at the Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino in Tunica, Miss.  For more info, visit www.memphisfilmfestival.com.

BarneyandTLPhfftt* June 14: Neal Brower, author of Mayberry 101, presents a lecture on the “Barney and Thelma Lou, Phfftt” episode of TAGS, starting at 2 p.m., in the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre in Mount Airy, N.C.  Admission is included with an Andy Griffith Museum armband ($3 or $5) or is $5 without one.  For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.

BettyLynnHeadShot* June 20: Betty Lynn greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-1:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8×10 photos available ($10). For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.

* June 21: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride continue their free Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series outside of the Hillbilly Bowl at Kimberling City Shopping Mall in Kimberling City, Mo.  In true Darlings style, they’ll be performing on the back of their ’41  truck. From 7 to 9 p.m. roughly every third Sat. into Sept.  Bring your lawn chairs.

* June 28: David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning shines bright at the Star City Motor Madness Car Show in Roanoke, Va.  For more info, visit www.starcitymotormadness.com.

* July 3-5: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform at the Starvey Creek Bluegrass Festival in Conway, Mo.

BacktoNature* July 12: Neal Brower, author of Mayberry 101, presents a lecture on the “Back to Nature” episode of TAGS, starting at 2 p.m., in the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre in Mount Airy, N.C. Admission is included with an Andy Griffith Museum armband ($3 or $5) or is $5 without one.  For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.

* July 12: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride continue their free Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series outside of the Hillbilly Bowl at Kimberling City Shopping Mall, in Kimberling City, Mo.  They’ll be performing on the back of their  ’41 flatbed truck. From 7 to 9 p.m., more or less every third Sat. through Sept.  Bring your own lawn chairs.  Or find on old tree stump.

* July 18: Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou) greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-1:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8×10 photos available ($10). For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.

Ronnie 4* July 23-27: Ronnie Schell performs at the Improv at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe (Nev.).  For info visit www.harveystahoe.com.

* Aug. 2: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride continue their free Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series outside of the Hillbilly Bowl at Kimberling City Shopping Mall in Kimberling City, Mo.  More power to ’em as they be perform on the back of their  ’41 Chevy truck. From 7 to 9 p.m. tonight, and more or less every third Sat. through Sept.  Bring your lawn chairs, but no overnight camping.

Songfesters* Aug. 9: Neal Brower, author of Mayberry 101, presents a lecture on the “The Songfesters” episode of TAGS, starting at 2 p.m., in the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre in Mount Airy, N.C.  Admission is included with an Andy Griffith Museum armband ($3 or $5) or is $5 without one.  For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.

KarenKnottsPromo* Aug. 13:  Karen Knotts unleashes her one-woman “Tied Up in Knotts” show on Hoover Auditorium at Lakeside Chautauqua in Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio, on the banks of Lake Erie.  Show time is 8:15 p.m. For info, find a web-footed red-crested lake loon to follow, or visit www.lakesideohio.com.

* Aug. 15: Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou) greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-1:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8×10 photos available ($10). For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.

CharleneDarling* Aug. 22 and 23: Rodney Dillard and Maggie Peterson are joined by several of the Mayberry tribute artists (including David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning, Allan “Floyd” Newsome, Kenneth “Otis” Junkin, Phil “Ernest T.” Fox,  and Jeff “Howard” Branch) for a Cruise-In in Oakboro, N.C., on Friday, and then a concert benefiting the Montgomery County DARE program on Saturday at the James H. Garner Center in Troy, N.C. Tickets for the Saturday show are $20 for reserved seats and $15 for general admission.  Tickets for children 6 years-12 years old are $10. For more info, call Jeff Branch at (704) 985-6987, e-mail jbranch205@windstream.net, or visit www.bluegrassintroy.com/.

Missouri Boatride (featuring Dean Webb, far left)

Missouri Boatride (featuring Dean Webb, far left)

* Aug. 23: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride continue their free Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series outside of the Hillbilly Bowl at Kimberling City Shopping Mall in the heart of Missouri.  In the Darlings-esque way, they’ll be performing on the back of their  flatbed truck. From 7 to 9 p.m.

* Sept. 13: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride close out their free Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series outside of the Hillbilly Bowl at Kimberling City Shopping Mall.  As usual, they’ll be performing as usual on the back of their  ’41 Chevy flatbed truck. From 7 to 9 p.m.  Bring your lawn chairs or whatever you like to sit on while listening to music under the stars.

Betty Lynn with happy fans at the Andy Griffith Museum. Photo by Hobart Jones.

Betty Lynn with happy fans at the Andy Griffith Museum. Photo by Hobart Jones.

* Sept. 19: Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou) greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-1:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8×10 photos available ($10). For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.

* Sept. 21-24: Life Lessons From Mayberry: It’s All There in Black and White in Ridgecrest, N.C. (outside Asheville) is a Bible study event drawing on the biblical truths and life applications found in “The Andy Griffith Show.” The event is $295 per person (based on double occupancy), which includes three nights of on-campus lodging, eight meals, Bible study sessions based on favorite TAGS episodes, dynamic preaching, worship, an orchestra concert of TAGS tunes, and a lunch with favorite Mayberry tribute artists. To register, call Ridgecrest Conference Center at (800) 588-7222 or visit www.lifeway.com/mayberry.

Rodney Dillard

Rodney Dillard

* Sept. 25-28: 25th Annual Mayberry Days in Mount Airy, N.C.   As always, numerous “Andy Griffith Show” stars will be on hand. Stars already confirmed are hometown favorite Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou) and Darling Boy Rodney Dillard and the Dillard Band, who will perform a matinee show on Friday.  James Best also presents his popular “Best in Hollywood Show” on Friday afternoon, and Karen Knotts returns with her fun, wonderful “Tied Up in Knotts” show, at 12:30 p.m. on Friday.

Other festival favorites include David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning and the merry Mayberry band of tribute artists, the VW Boys and their “Salute to Mayberry,” and Michael Hoover’s Elvis.

James Gregory

James Gregory

Also, there will be a hilarious comedy show on Friday night by the amazing James Gregory, “the Funniest Man in America.” Also, the Embers warm the night with their music on Thursday, while the legendary Tams bring their soulful coastal music to the amphitheater on Friday evening. And much more TBA! There will be something for everybody at this special 25th Mayberry Days. Visit www.surryarts.org for more info.

* Oct. 3: 54th Anniversary of the premiere of “The Andy Griffith Show” on CBS.NewHousekeeperPorch3* Oct. 3: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform for the The Old Brush Arbor, at Keystone Baptist Church in Reeds Spring, Mo.

* Oct. 5: Karen Knotts brings her “Tied Up in Knotts” show to the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto, Calif., at 2 p.m. For tickets and info, call 209-338-5071 or visit www.galloarts.org.

LeroyMackFlag* Oct. 19: LeRoy “Mack” McNees and wife Jan share their faith and bluegrass gospel music during the 11 a.m. worship service at the New Horizons Baptist Church in Oxford, N.C.

RonHowardGuilford* Oct. 23: “An Evening with Ron Howard” as part of the Bryan Series, hosted by Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C. In a moderated conversation, Ron will offer the Bryan Series reflections on his 50 years in the motion picture and television industry. He will discuss his journey from his role as Opie to his achievements as one of the most accomplished filmmakers of our time. Expect him to talk about the creative process and the significance of his films including Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon and others. The presentation starts at 7:30 at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Current Bryan Series subscribers have an exclusive renewal period through May 21, when new Series subscriptions (for a total of five lectures) begin.  Sales of single event tickets to Ron’s lecture (and the others) start Aug. 15.  Ticket prices haven’t been announced yet.  For more info, visit www.guilford.edu/bryan-series.

CarnivalVictory* Nov. 1-6: Cruise to Mayberry 9 stars LeRoy “Mack” McNees, George Lindsey, Jr. , and a passel of Mayberry tribute artists for music, sights, sun, fun, and games…and hearty eatin’ aboard Carnival’s Victory cruise ship, departing Miami for Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman.  There are several important deadlines coming up for making reservations. For more info, contact Sharon at All About Cruises (336) 538-4926 or by e-mail at pwesje@aol.com or visit the website at www.allaboutcruisesnc.net.

**** News of Cast & Crew ****

Ron Howard is well into editing and other post-production work for his film In the Heart of the Sea, the story of the Essex, a 19th century whaling ship. The film is currently set for release in March of 2015.

Ron is executive producer for Unsung Heroes: The Story of America’s Female Patriots, a documentary scheduled to air on PBS in May.  Here’s a link to trailer for it: Unsung Heroes.

Ron is also set to direct a film titled Mena about notorious 1980s pilot and cocaine smuggler (and CIA informant) Barry Seal, who was based in Mena, Ark.

Rush, Ron’s most recent release as a director, was nominated for two Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture (Drama).  And it was nominated for four British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards, including Best British Film. Ron was in London in February for the BAFTA awards show. Rush was honored with the award for Best Editing.

Ron Howard tweeted this selfie while on stage at the Distinguished Speakers series in Pasadena.

Ron Howard tweeted this selfie while on stage at the Distinguished Speakers series in Pasadena.

Amid his editing on In the Heart of the Sea, Ron made time in New York for some sightseeing, including the Statue of Liberty, and a gala fundraiser for the Art Production Fund.  He was also a featured speaker at the Tribeca Film Festival (which brother Clint Howard also attended because a film he’s in is featured at the festival) in New York this month.  Ron was likewise a speaker for the Distinguished Speakers series in Pasadena, Redondo Beach and Thousand Oaks, Calif., this month.  And see Floyd’s calendar listing for details about a speaking engagement as part of Bryan Series in Greensboro, N.C., in October.

Ron and business partner Brian Grazer have joined forces with Discovery Communications to form New Form, a digital studio that will specialize in creating content for devices and forums other than traditional TV channels and movie theaters.

The duo and their Imagine Entertainment are also set to produce a new adaptation of East of Eden for the big screen.  Jennifer Lawrence has been announced as one of the stars.

Clint Howard in "Sparks," an indie super-hero film in select theaters (and at select film festivals) and also now on DVD.

Clint Howard in “Sparks,” an indie super-hero film in select theaters (and at select film festivals) and also now on DVD.

Clint Howard has roles in half a dozen indie films in various stages of production–some about to be released and one filming now.  He was also in an episode of “Hawaii Five-O” that aired in November.  One of the movies, Rick’s Parking, also features Rance Howard.  Rance has a couple of other indie movies expected to be released this year, and he was featured in an episode of Comedy Central’s “Kroll Show” that premiered in March.

Jim Nabors has announced that this year’s Indy 500 will be his final time singing “Back Home Again in Indiana,” a cherished tradition at the race since the 1970s.

In addition to her monthly autograph sessions at the Andy Griffith Museum (including a big crowd of visitors to see her on April 18), Betty Lynn also enjoyed visiting with Maggie Peterson and Ronnie Schell during their trip to Mount Airy to perform Love Letters on Valentine’s Day. Despite a big snow storm that week, there was a nice audience for the performance of the two-person play by these Mayberry favorites. (Betty herself performed the popular play with Howard Morris for the Surry Arts Council on the same Mount Airy stage in 2002.)

Maggie Peterson and Ronnie Schell performing "Love Letters" in Mount Airy.  Photo by Hobart Jones.

Maggie Peterson and Ronnie Schell performing “Love Letters” in Mount Airy. Photo by Hobart Jones.

And Betty was also the belle of the Surry Arts Council’s annual Arts Ball in March. She does much year-round to support arts programs in her community.

This winter and spring seem to have been the seasons for theater openings around Mayberry. James Best and wife Dorothy were in On Golden Pond at the Hickory Community Theatre in Hickory, N.C., in March. And ace TAGS writer Sam Bobrick’s new play L.A. Deli opened in Los Angeles in March and continues through April.

Also, George Lindsey Jr. was featured as a monk in Incorruptible, “a dark comedy about the Dark Ages” at the LAPC Theatre in Woodland Hills, Calif., in March and April.  And George’s sister, Camden Gardner, represented the Lindsey family at another successful George Lindsey UNA Film Festival in Florence, Ala., in March.

Karen Knotts has had several performances of her “Tied Up in Knotts” stage show so far this year.  And she has more coming up (see Floyd’s bulletin board above).

Jackie Joseph has been active with show business gatherings (she’s very involved with SAG-AFTRA) and also events, fundraisers and advocacy for animals.  She helped her dear friend Doris Day celebrate her 90th birthday earlier this month.  And she’ll be on a guest on a 17-day Doris Day cruise from L.A. to New York in May.  Jackie also continues to write a column once or twice a month for the Tolucan Times.

LeRoy “Mack” McNees has already had several bluegrass-gospel performances this year, mostly in the Southeast U.S., but also one with Almost Bluegrass at Festival Atitlan, near Santiago Atitlan, in Guatemala.

Margaret Kerry (Bess Muggins and Helen Scobey) has been busy as usual with lots of Disney-related appearances.  She was a featured guest at the Disneyland Resort’s Tinker Bell Half-Marathon in January.  Keep up with Margaret (if you can!) on her website: www.tinkerbelltalks.com.

***

Morgantown, W.V., hometown of Don Knotts, is picking up steam again in its efforts to pay tribute to Don with a memorial sculpture and garden. After Don’s death in 2006, the city, friends, family and fans raised a good bit of the $50,000 needed to complete the sculpture by West Virginia sculptor Jamie Lester.  (TAGSRWC helped with that initial effort through fundraisers at our Weaver’s Department Store and direct donations by our members and others to the Don Knotts Statue fund.)

DKScuptureGarden2014Morgantown organizers put the fundraising on a back burner as other community financial needs were being addressed during the recent economic recession.  Along the way, there were occasional fundraisers, including a major one with Karen Knotts and her “Tied Up in Knotts” show that she performed in Morgantown.

The Don Knotts Statue Fund (formerly the Don Knotts Legacy Fund) is now within about $10,000 of its $50,000 goal.  The plan is for the statue to be the centerpiece of the Don Knotts Sculpture Garden, located near Don Knotts Boulevard, which is very near the Monongahela River that runs through Morgantown. Francey Knotts (Don’s widow) and the Knotts family have given their blessings to the current statue design and garden plan.  (We haven’t heard any mention of a duck pond being included in the design, but you never know!)

TAGSRWC may come up with some new fundraisers designated for the statue fund, but right now we’re already stretching to cover our ongoing commitments to Mayberry Days and some of the other Mayberry events and charities that we try to support.  So, for anyone interested in helping the statue effort, sending a direct donation is probably the most immediate and helpful route.  Checks should be sent to: Don Knotts Statue Fund in care of Your Community Foundation, 111 High Street, Morgantown WV  26505.

Let’s hope it won’t be long until there’s a beautiful tribute to Don Knotts in his hometown–one that can be enjoyed by residents and visitors for many years to come!

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**** Mayberry on the Web ****

imayberrycommunityThe iMayberry Community
This TAGSRWC online group is organized and overseen by webmaster Allan “Floyd” Newsome.   You can check it out and sign up for free at: http://imayberrycommunity.com/.

The iMayberry Community complements our other online activities, including our main www.imayberry.com page, podcasts, Facebook page, online newsletters (including Weaver’s Newsletter!), weaversdepartmentstore.com and chat rooms.  Combined with TAGSRWC chapters and the various Mayberry events for all fans (from Mayberry Days to ocean cruises), not to mention enjoying the sites of Mount Airy year-round, the world of Mayberry fun keeps expanding.

And best of all, it’s all grounded in watching the show itself.  Whether through DVDs, streaming video, local stations or TV Land, loving to watch the show continues to be the energy that feeds all the other Mayberry fun and activities that we enjoy.  What a wonderful thing Andy Griffith and his talented team of actors, musicians, writers and crew people created 54 years ago–for us and generations to come!

Mayberry Podcasts

TwoChairsLogo2Two Chairs, No Waiting is our weekly podcast of TAGS news, interviews and pretty much whatever happens to be going on in and around Mayberry. It’s hosted by Allan Newsome. There’s a new episode every Tuesday (and you can watch and listen live during tapings on Monday evenings). Past episodes are in an online Archives in case you want to listen to or view episodes you’ve missed. (There have been 278 episodes since Allan started the podcasts in October 2008.)

There’s a lot of info and discussions that you simply won’t find anywhere else, including rare interviews (vintage and new) with cast and crew members of TAGS. If you’ve got sound on your computer or have an iPod or similar device, you can easily tune in live or download these podcasts.

BurkePodcastAlso, check out the podcast area of our www.imayberry.com site for info about a Mayberry Bible Study Podcast, also hosted by Allan, and a “brother figure” podcast called Burke on Mayberry, hosted by Kevin Burke.

The original Mayberry Facebook page!

The original Mayberry Facebook page!

TAGSRWC’s official page on Facebook now has more than 51,000 friends! You can find us at www.facebook.com/tagsrwc. There’s a variety of comments about Mayberry, and a lively stream of fans’ favorite TAGS lines and photos. And our Facebook page is also one of the first places we post announcements and breaking news about TAGS. If you haven’t already dropped by the page, we hope you’ll check it out sometime when you have the chance. We invite you to become a TAGSRWC Facebook Friend!

   **** Post Note ****

Between issues of Weaver’s Newsletter, keep up with the happenings in Mayberry with the daily “Who’s Been Messin’ Up the Bulletin Board?” Digest. It’s a free subscriber list that consists entirely of comments, news flashes, and questions and answers from subscribers. You can sign up for that list by going to the “Mailing Lists” link at www.tagsrwc.com.

TAGSRWC also publishes The eBullet in more or less alternate months to Weaver’s NewsletterThe eBullet is the online successor to our longtime printed newsletter, The Bullet. Like Weaver’s Newsletter, The eBullet is free. It includes some of the same news as Weaver’s Newsletter, but with more features and depth and a little less emphasis on merchandise news. To sign up, go to:www.tagsrwc.com/ebullet/joinebullet.htm.

TAGSRWC’s other main vehicle for Mayberry information is simply our website at www.tagsrwc.com (and its sister site www.iMayberry.com). Both sites have extensive content and links for just about everything a Mayberry fan might be looking for.

The next issue of Weaver’s Newsletter is scheduled for June, with the next eBullet planned for May.

What you lookin' at ?!

What you lookin’ at ?!

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