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The eBullet
An Online Newsletter of “The Andy Griffith Show” Rerun Watchers Club (TAGSRWC)
Volume 13, Issue 3
May 2013
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Welcome to our third issue of The eBullet for 2013!  Read on for news about recent and upcoming happenings with cast members and fans, and also merchandise, including some brand new items, as well as some vintage ones that have recently returned to our Weaver’s Department Store shelves.

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 Floyd’s Barbershop Bulletin Board
&
Event Calendar

The Andy Griffith Museum, featuring the late Emmett Forrest’s amazing 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.

* Now-June 1: TAGSRWC’s online Mayberry for Moore Fundraiser for tornado victims.

* May 24 and 25: Darling boy Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform at the Bluegrass and Barbecue Festival at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo. For more info, visit www.silverdollarcity.com. And they’ll also be playing on the back of their ’41 Chevy truck at the Kimberling City Mall from 7 to 9 p.m. (Free admission to that one.)

* May 25 and 26: Circle the dates for David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning at the Pullman Square Memorial Cruise in Huntington, W.V.

* June 1: David Browning’s jaw muscles work at the Clinch River Days Festival in St. Paul, Va.

* June 5-9: Ronnie Schell performs in the Comedy Room at Harvey’s Casino in Lake Tahoe.

* June 8: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride continue their Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series at the Kimberling City Shopping Mall in Kimberling City, Mo. Look for them on the back of their ’41 Chevy flatbed truck in the parking lot outside the Hillbilly Bowl from 7 to 9 p.m.  The listening is free, but bring your own lawn chairs.  Continues every other Saturday night through Sept. 14.

* June 8: James Best and his fellow “Dukes of Hazzard” cast members appear  and perform at Cooter’s Dukes of Hazzard Fan Fair in Nashville.  For more info, visit www.cootersplace.com.

* June 8: Neal Brower, author of Mayberry 101, presents a dynamite lecture on the “Loaded Goat” episode of TAGS, starting at 2 p.m., on the lower level of the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, NC.  Admission is included with an Andy Griffith Museum armband ($3 or $5) or is $5 without one.

* June 13-15: James Best is among the guest stars at the Memphis Film Festival at Sam’s Town Resort in Tunica, Miss. (30 miles south of Memphis). Included in the jam-packed weekend of activities will be a performance of James’ one-man”Best in Hollywood” show on Fri. evening ($15).  For more info, visit www.memphisfilmfestival.com.

* June 21: Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou) greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 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 22: James Best appears with other “Dukes of Hazzard” stars at the Dukes Family Festival in Hagerstown, Md.  For more info visit www.hagerstownspeedway.com.

* June 22: Maggie Peterson, Rodney Dillard & the Dillard Band perform at Noon and 2 p.m. at the Somernites Cruise-In in downtown Somerset, Ky.  David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning will also be on patrol.

* June 22 and July 6: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride continue heating things up with their Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series at the Kimberling City Shopping Mall in Kimberling City, Mo. Look for them on the back of their ’41 Chevy flatbed truck in the parking lot outside the Hillbilly Bowl from 7 to 9 p.m.  The listening is free, but bring your own lawn chairs or milk crate.  Continues every other Saturday night through Sept. 14.

* July 10-13: The 36^th annual Western Film Fair will be held at the Hawthorne Inn and Conference Center in Winston Salem, N.C. Morgan Brittany, who portrayed Opie’s girlfriend Mary Alice Carter in “Opie’s First Love,” will be among the many guest stars. The stars will be signing autographs and having photo sessions with the fans. The Hawthorne Inn and Conference Center (www.hawthorneinn.com) is located at 420 High Street, Business off of I-40, Exit 5C, Winston-Salem, N.C. Admission tickets are $20 for a single day. For reservations, call 1-800-972-3774. For more info, visit westernfilmfair.tripod.com/id4.html.

* July 12-14: Mayberry Country Boys member Roland White and wife Diane Bouska are among the performers at the  Vancouver Island MusicFest in Vancouver, British Columbia.

* July 13: Neal Brower, author of Mayberry 101, presents a lecture on the “Up in Barney’s Room” episode of TAGS, starting at 2 p.m., on the lower level of the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, NC.  Admission is included with an Andy Griffith Museum armband ($3 or $5) or is $5 without one. P.S. Hard cider not provided.

* July 19: Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou) greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 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.

* July 20 and Aug. 3: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride are still picking away at their Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series at the Kimberling City Shopping Mall in Kimberling City, Mo. Look for them on the back of their ’41 Chevy flatbed truck in the parking lot outside the Hillbilly Bowl from 7 to 9 p.m.  The listening is free, but bring your own lawn chair or stump.  Continues every other Saturday night through Sept. 14.  And remember: No camping allowed!

* Aug 10: Neal Brower, author of Mayberry 101, presents a lecture on the “Aunt Bee’s Romance” episode of TAGS, starting at 2 p.m., on the lower level of the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, NC.  Admission is included with an Andy Griffith Museum armband ($3 or $5) or is $5 without one.  Important reminder from this episode: Avoid carbolic acid.  “That’s goodbye in any language!”

* Aug. 16: Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou) greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 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.

* Aug. 17: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride, Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series, parking lot outside the Hillbilly Bowl, Kimberling City Shopping Mall, Kimberling City, Mo., 7 to 9 p.m., free, seat yourself.

* Aug. 17: James Best and his “Dukes of Hazzard” costars return to Henderson Auctions in Livingston Parish, La., for the Second Annual Family Reunion and Car Show.  They’re joined by country singer Doug Stone, cast members from “Duck Dynasty,” Lou Ferrigno, and others. For more info, visit www.dukesreunionla.com.

* Aug. 23 and 24: 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 on Fri. and then concert benefiting the Montgomery County DARE program on Sat. The evening concert will be at the James H. Garner Center in Troy, N.C. Tickets 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/.

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* Oct. 5 and 6: David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning and most of his merry band of fellow Mayberry tribute artists will be falling in line with cheery activities at the Autumn Jubilee Festival at Dan Nicholas Park in Salisbury, N.C.  The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days (we think).

* Oct. 28-Nov. 2: Halloween Cruise to Mayberry 8.  Five Days aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Paradise, leaving from Tampa to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and two “Fun Days” at sea. Special Guests for the cruise are Jackie Joseph, best known to Mayberry fans as Ernest T. Bass’ love interest, Ramona Ankrum and Dobro-playing Country Boy Leroy McNees.

They will be joined by several Mayberry tribute artists, an Elvis tribute artist and the VW Boys for entertainment provided exclusively to Mayberry Cruise participants. For more info, visit the All About Cruises website at www.allaboutcruisesnc.net.

 **** News of Cast & Crew ****

Ron Howard‘s next feature film release, the action-filled biography Rush about the rivalry of Formula 1 racing legends James Hunt and Niki Lauda continues to get great media buzz as it revs up for its release on September 20.

Meanwhile, the big fun this month is the much anticipated release of the fourth season of “Arrested Development” on Netflix!  The  entire fourth season will be released exclusively on Netflix on May 26. Ron, one of the show’s executive producers, is back as narrator for the series, a cult favorite whose production has experienced its own arrested development for the past seven years.

Ron also has an on-camera cameo this season.  And the smart money is on the return of Clint Howard reprising his first-season role as tree-hugger Johnny Bark.  While the adventures of the Emmy-winning show’s Bluth family are not exactly as kind and gentle as Mayberry, they are hilarious, thanks to the show’s brilliant writing, acting and overall production, traits “Arrested Development does share with TAGS.

It has also been announced that Ron will direct the film adaptation of In the Heart of the Seas, a tragic story of the Essex, a whaling ship destroyed by a whale in 1820.  Ron has been spotted casually scouting possible filming locations in the Northeast, Great Britain and elsewhere.

And Ron and Imagine Entertainment partner Brian Grazer are working on bringing the “Friday Night Lights” TV series to the big screen (where filmed versions of FNL, based on the FNL book, started in 2004).  The interesting twist is that Imagine likely will use crowdfunding (that is, money from fans through KickStarter or a similar program) as part of the backing for the new movie.

Ron and Imagine are likewise still looking for a way to bring Stephen King’s The Dark Tower to screens of various sizes.  This project has been Ron’s elusive white whale (not to be confused with his work on In the Heart of the Seas, of course). There has been a lot of speculation about the prospects for Dark Tower while Ron has been at the Cannes Film Festival this month.

In the Face of Jinn, the 2005 novel  by Ron’s wife, Cheryl (writing under the lightly disguised pen name Cheryl Howard Crew), will be released as audio book audio book this summer.  Daughter Bryce Dallas Howard provided the voices for all of the characters in the audio book.

It’s official…Jim Nabors will return to sing “Back Home Again in Indiana” again for this year’s Indy 500 on May 26. Since 1972, Jim has missed singing the song live at the Indy 500 only twice (2007 and 2012), both times because of illness.  (A video of Jim singing the song was recorded in Hawaii for last year’s race, because Jim was recovering from a heart-valve replacement.)

The 16th Annual George Lindsey UNA Film Festival, the first since George died last May, was another big success and a positive sign that the festival will continue to thrive, as George had hoped. Daughter Camden was able to attend and represent the Lindsey family.

In April, George’s hometown of Jasper, Ala., officially dedicated a ball field in a city park in George’s honor. Here’s a link to a local newspaper story.

Betty Lynn greeted fans at the Andy Griffith Museum on May 17, and will be back on June 21. (Look for her at the Museum the third Friday afternoon of just about every month, with occasional special appearances other dates.)

Connie Sawyer, who played Kansas City newspaper researcher Miss Blanchard in “Helen’s Past” (Episode #243) was on the “Tonight” show with Jay Leno earlier this month.  Now 101, Connie Sawyer may be the oldest living person who worked on TAGS. She has appeared in countless TV and movie productions in a film career spanning 65 years, and still counting.

Karen Knotts (daughter of Don) will be back with her one-woman “Tied Up in Knotts” show at Mayberry Days in Mount Airy in September.  Also look for her in Maine, Kentucky, Louisiana, Kansas and Virginia.  Check out her website for details at www.karenknotts.com. And if you’d like to see her show, which features lots of stories about her dad,  in your area, let local event organizers and venues know they can contact her through her website.

We’re sad to report that Robert Nichols, who played the Relief Bus Driver in “Taylors in Hollywood” (Episode 167), died of heart failure at his home in Occidental, Calif., on March 21. He was 88 years old.

 

Robert Nichols was born in Oakland, Calif., on July 20, 1924 (the day before Don Knotts). He began performing in high school and continued to do so in the Army Special Services during World War II. He later earned a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He went on to become a familiar face, if not always a name, in a distinguished career as an accomplished actor, singer and dancer on both stage and screen during his performing career of more than five decades.

He was a scene-stealer in 1952’s Sally and St. Anne, which also featured Frances Bavier.  In a letter about a year ago to TAGSRWC’s Paul Gilkes, Robert wrote about his other Mayberry connections. “I gave Ruta Lee her first professional job in a musical called Great to Be Alive. She was adorable. And I also directed Joyce Jameson [Fun Girl Skippy] in a musical, Baby Face O’Flynn, in which she was terrific.”

For Mayberry fans, Robert Nichols will always be the friendly Hollywood bus driver who made sure the visiting Taylors got to see some movie stars’ homes. Read his full obituary here.

Editor’s Note: Thanks to our eagle-eye stringer Brent Seguine for spotting this news about Robert Nichols, as well as Connie Sawyer’s appearance on the “Tonight” show.

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Douglas Dillard Legacy Fund
It’s hard to believe that it has been over a year since we lost the beloved Doug Dillard. The Douglas Dillard Legacy Fund has been established by friends of Doug as a means to  provide financial support (a special permanent grave marker is part of its mission) and also to perpetuate Doug’s music and memory. Contributions should be sent to:

Douglas Dillard Legacy Fund
PO Box 90537
Nashville TN 37209

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 **** Chapter Update ****

We have one new chapter since the March eBullet, which brings us to 1,404 chapters founded since TAGSRWC began.

“Dogs, Dogs, Dogs”                                             Holbrook, N.Y.

If you’re interested in starting a chapter of TAGSRWC, all you need to do is choose a name that hasn’t already been picked, and submit it with a list of your founding members by e-mail or by U.S. mail to TAGSRWC’s HQ in Nashville.  There’s a searchable list of existing chapter names at www.tagsrwc.com.

What you do as a chapter is entirely up to you. Your group can do as much or as little as you like. The idea is simply to have lots of Mayberry fun with whatever you do.

Or if you’re feeling more like a joiner than a starter, you can write to us about how to contact a chapter near you.

Our mailing address is TAGSRWC, 9 Music Square South, PMB 146, Nashville TN 37203-3211. Our e-mail address is Goober@iMayberry.com.

And you can join our online “Who’s Been Messin’ Up the Bulletin Board?” chapter. (It’s really quick and easy to do. Info is at tagsrwc.com.)

We hope you can enjoy the fun of being part of a TAGSRWC chapter!

A special note for fans in the vicinity of Louisville, Ky.: There is interest in getting a new TAGSRWC chapter started–or an established one revitalized.  We have had several chapters in the Louisville area through the years, and we still have lots of individual members in the area.  They just haven’t had regular meetings in a while.  If you’re interested in getting together with other fans, write to us at HQ at the above e-mail address.  That goes for anywhere, not just Louisville, but some folks there wanted us to spread the word.

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**** Merchandise Update ****

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

There are lots of great vintage and rare things, too. First one thing and then another. Plus there are many things on sale right now or at new, permanently lower prices.

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

Miss Crump’s Summer Reading Recommendations

We carry most of the Mayberry and Mayberry-related books that have been published. Some have been out of print for years, but we still have some copies. Whether your interest is history or trivia, biography or cooking, we’ve got the Mayberry book for you or a friend.

Here are four special books we’re featuring this month:

Everybody on the Truck-The Story of the Dillards by Lee Grant One copy Autographed by the Original Dillards! This book is out of print and RARE. Even more rare is that this copy is autographed by all four of the Original Dillards: Doug Dillard, Rodney Dillard, Mitch Jayne and Dean Webb. That makes this a truly special collector’s item, besides being a really interesting book. This 168-page history of the Dillards is filled with great information about the Darling bluegrass group-with a substantial portion devoted to their time in Mayberry. Lots of firsthand comments from the original Dillards and from Maggie Peterson and Denver Pyle, who also wrote the Foreword. Dozens of rare photos. Includes the never before published words to songs that made Charlene cry, which are sure to make you laugh. In a word, Outstanding! NOTE: All proceeds from the sale of this autographed copy go toward TAGSRWC’s/Weaver’s annual commitment of financial support of the Mayberry Days festival in Mount Airy, N.C. A non-autographed copy (itself rare) is also available at Weaver’s for $22.00.

A Guide to Television’s Mayberry R.F.D. by Dale Robinson & David Fernandes $29.00 The second terrific Mayberry book by David Fernandes and Dale Robinson (authors of The Definitive Andy Griffith Show Reference), is 225 fact-filled pages of fun reading for any fan of Mayberry. Now available in softcover, this is the first book devoted entirely to the “R.F.D.” years of Mayberry. It provides detailed, episode-by-episode information about everything you might ever want to know about what happens in “Mayberry R.F.D.” It has extensive notes about the show’s cast, crew and guest stars, plus there’s a beautiful foreword by Arlene Golonka. We sadly lost great Mayberry friends David and then his cousin Dale far too soon in the last few years, but this book and their Definitive Andy Griffith Show Reference are lasting legacies of their special brand of detailed scholarship and their love of Mayberry.

Memoirs of a Famous Composer Nobody Ever Heard Of by Earle Hagen $25.00

Here’s what Earle’s publisher writes about the book:

Have you ever wondered who wrote and whistled the theme for ‘The Andy Griffith Show’? Has it ever crossed your mind that tomorrow’s film and television music will come, in large part, from the students getting much of their guidance from two singular textbooks? Of course not! That’s why Earle Hagen is a famous composer that nobody, including you, ever heard of. And that’s why he’s written a gabby, breezy, anecdotal book about the half century career he had in music.”

Well, of course, the publisher is wrong about one thing. We Mayberry fans know very well who Earle Hagen was and what an important part his music is for TAGS. But the publisher is correct that all TV and music fans will enjoy learning about the fascinating life and brilliant music of this talented man. And yes there is a good-sized section devoted to TAGS in this softcover book’s 336 pages.

Bonus: Our copies come with blank bookplates that are an exclusive of Weaver’s and TAGSRWC. The “Fishin’ Hole”-related design for the bookplates was rendered by artist Mike Johnson.

Goober in a Nutshell

by George Lindsey
Foreword by Ernest Borgnine

This 1995 autobiography by George Lindsey has been out of print for a few years, but George’s family has graciously provided us with a few copies, which George had kept safe all these years, to use as fundraisers for some charitable causes that meant a lot to George.

The copies we have are still pristine, carefully preserved by George since publication. The 210-page paperback covers highlights of George’s fascinating life from childhood in rural Alabama to New York and Hollywood to Mayberry and Kornfield Kounty. It’s filled with wonderful photos and many adventures, both hilarious and poignant.

All proceeds from the sale of this book go toward TAGSRWC’s support of the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival in Florence, Ala.

Choice of either plain ($15) or a special autographed copy ($100).

What’s that? Tired of reading and want to just sit back and watch life in Mayberry?

For pure Mayberry, you can’t beat the actual episodes themselves!

And look no further. All 249 TAGS episodes on DVD, plus the “Danny Thomas” pilot, Return to Mayberry movie, bunches of original commercials and more-now only $119 at Weaver’s (originally $249!). Hey everybody, that’s about 50 cents an episode to own the best TV show ever in its entirety, plus the extras!

Murder in Coweta County DVD

$22.00

This popular and critically acclaimed 1983 made-for-TV movie stars Andy Griffith as the wealthy John Wallace and Johnny Cash as Sheriff Lemar Potts of Coweta County. It’s riveting to watch the two entertainment icons as adversaries in this fascinating film, which is based on real events in Georgia.

June Carter Cash is also featured among the fine cast of character actors. And of special interest in a pivotal role is Cindi Knight, who became Mrs. Andy Griffith about six weeks after this movie was first broadcast.

For years this film has been extremely difficult to find, except overseas and on old VHS tapes. In time for its 30th Anniversary this year, we’re pleased to be able to offer it on DVD!

Complete Season 8 of Matlock on DVD

New on DVD and on Sale this Spring!
$50.00 $44.00

The special guest stars in this season include: Milton Berle, Arlene Golonka (Mayberry’s Millie), Joel Grey, George Peppard and Warren Frost.

The list price for this set is $50, but we’ve got it for just $44.00.

4-Movie Collection of Don Knotts Disney Classics on DVD

New Release in November 2012!
$19.00

Together for the first time on one DVD set are four hilarious movies Don Knotts made for Disney! And at a really fantastic price!

The movies are:
* Apple Dumpling Gang
* Apple Dumpling Rides Again
* Gus
* Hot Lead & Cold Feet

Three of the movies also star Tim Conway. And there’s a Who’s Who of favorite Hollywood character actors and Western sidekicks. And even legendary Baltimore Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas, along with a football-kickin’ mule!

These are funny and wholesome films for the whole family. And all for less than $5 per flick!

Get Your Cool Summer T-Shirts!!!

Weaver’s has more than two dozen officially licensed Mayberry T-shirt designs. Some are vintage designs that are no longer in production and hard to find anywhere else. We also have a handful of shirts of other TV classics and some vintage embroidered “Andy Griffith Show” logo sport shirts and even a few Snappy Lunch sports shirts.

All of our preshrunk heavyweight 100% cotton T-shirts are just $18.00. And the sport shirts are nicely priced, too. Most of the T-shirts are available in Sizes Medium, Large, XL and 2X, and a few styles also come in 3X. Several also come in small. (The size selection is not as large for the out-of-production vintage shirts.)

Have fun showing your Mayberry spirit with one of these fun-tastic shirts today!

Just a few of our many Mayberry T-shirt designs.
All still only $18.00 each!

And don’t forget Father’s Day coming up on June 16.  Opie knows that you can’t wrong with a necktie!

Classic Barney Silk Necktie

$25.00
(Psst…great idea for Father’s Day!)

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

**** Mayberry for Moore Fundraiser ****

It has been heartbreaking for all of us to watch coverage of the recent terrible tornadoes.  We can only imagine what the survivors are going through, and will be for months and years ahead.  We’ve been trying to think of something appropriate that TAGSRWC can do. For past natural disasters, we’ve done various fundraisers to support disaster relief.  We’ve usually done grab-bags of differnent kinds.  (TAGS writer Harvey Bullock even built Opie birdhouses for us to raffle after Hurricane Andrew in 1992.)

With some of the disasters in recent years, we’ve come to realize that in this age of amazing technology, it’s easier and certainly faster for folks just to give directly to the relief organization of their choice.  And TAGSRWC/Weaver’s is doing that this time.

But we still wanted to do something else to uplift the recent victims, even if with just a small gesture of solidarity.  Especially for the folks in Moore, Okla., which was so completely devastated.  Something we did after the 2011 tornadoes in Tuscaloosa was to send bunches of TAGS T-shirts.  They were sent in part for clothing needs, but mostly just to bring smiles at the sight of dozens of shirts with the faces of Andy and Barney and all the gang.

TAGSRWC was able to ship about 80 shirts to Tuscaloosa, just out of our existing inventory.  This time around, because, as Goober once said, “I ain’t no Rockefeller,” we thought we’d create a way for TAGSRWC members and other fans to participate in our T-shirt smiles program.

So here’s the deal.  In the T-Shirts section of our Weaver’s Department Store online, we’ve created a Mayberry for Moore selection. Order a Mayberry for Moore T-Shirt ($18) and we’ll send it to Moore for distribution in the community.   And for every Mayberry for Moore shirt purchased, TAGSRWC/Weaver’s will match that with two additional shirts that we’ll send with it.  So, your purchase of one Mayberry for Moore shirt will result in three being sent to Moore. The Mayberry for Moore shirt is not a specific design or size. We’ll be sending an assortment of our existing designs and sizes from our inventory to make up the shirts going to Moore.

Our initial goal is to be able to send 100 shirts as soon as possible.  Ernest T. says that means we need 33 fans to buy a shirt, and TAGSRWC/Weaver’s will provide another 66 shirts.  (Ernest T. will supply the 100th.)  We have set Andy Griffith’s birthday of June 1 as our target to receive Mayberry for Moore orders. We’ll plan to ship them on June 3.  Sooner, of course, would be even better.  (Sooner is always better in Oklahoma!)

Note: Our normal flat-rate $5 Shipping & Handling charge on every order will still appear on your order when you submit it, but that $5 will be removed before we process your credit card. You’ll be charged just $18 for each Mayberry for Moore shirt donation.  (However, with your order for a Mayberry for Moore shirt contribution, if you also order other items to be sent to you or somebody else, that’s perfectly fine.  Ol’ Ben Weaver of course always loves that! The $5 Shipping & Handling charge will still apply for those other items in your order. As always, the $5 charge is per order/shipment, not per individual item.)

We hope we’ve explained this well enough for it to make sense.  We’ve come up with this plan sort of on the fly.  Thanks for taking a moment to consider it.  And T-shirt participation or not, please continue to keep a good thought for the folks in Moore and other recent disaster areas!

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

The iMayberry Community
We’re really excited about the launch last year of Web activity hosted by TAGSRWC and organized and overseen by webmaster Allan “Floyd” Newsome.  It’s called iMayberry Community.  You can check it out and sign up for free at: http://imayberrycommunity.com/.

The iMayberry Community has been getting a great response.  It complements our other online activities, including our main www.imayberry.com page, podcasts, Facebook page, online newsletters (such as The eBullet!), 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 rooted in watching the show itself.  Whether through DVDs, 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 53 years ago–for us and generations to come!

Two 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 237 episodes since the podcasts began almost 5 years ago.  And counting!)

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.

Also, check out the podcast area of our www.imayberry.com site for info about a Mayberry Bible Study Podcast, also hosted by Allan.

And there’s a Brother Figure podcast to Two Chairs, No Waiting. It’s hosted by longtime TAGSRWC member Kevin Burke, who does a super job of describing and discussing individual episodes. It’s called Burke on Mayberry. Check it out.

 

TAGSRWC’s official page on Facebook now has more than 36,000 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 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!

**** Chapter News ****

The biggest chapter news and Mayberry news in general since our last issue was the 3rd Annual Mayberry Comes to Westminster festival in Westminster, S.C., during the third weekend in April.  Thousands of fans turned out to see TAGS cast members Maggie Peterson and LeRoy McNees, along with a host of Mayberry Tribute Artists and the VW Boys and who knows what all.

Spearheaded by TAGSRWC’s Laura Lee Hobbs chapter in Westminster, the event receives support and participation from dozens of chapters and at-large TAGSRWC members from at least 10 states.  With strong support from local businesses, civic groups and the general public, the event has continued to thrive, rain or shine.

Our Barney chapter (Greensboro, N.C.) shares in the outrage of thousands of other TAGS viewers in their area at Mayberry flagship WFMY-TV’s moving TAGS from its decades-long traditional time slot of weekdays at 5:30 p.m., right before the local news. They’ve moved it to the mid-afternoon wasteland to make room for some new-fangled semi-news show of some sort. (Like Barney choosing not to buy a postage stamp from a machine that time, we hear folks aren’t watching the replacement show, so reports about what the new newsy show is all about are therefore sketchy.)

Age of miracles like DVRs and DVDs notwithstanding, there has always been something special about watching TAGS on WFMY live at 5:30, where the show has always been “appointment television.” The seeds of TAGSRWC itself were sown by watching TAGS at 5:30 on WFMY more than 40 years ago.  Piedmont Triad of North Carolina, keep those calls, e-mails and letters to the editors coming. We defy the WFMYafia!  Read more here: WFMYGoesRogue.

   **** Post Note ****

If you ever miss receiving an issue of The eBullet, you can always catch up by reading it in the eBullet Archives in the Newsletters section at iMayberry.com. Each issue is usually placed in the Archives within about a week or so of its being distributed to subscribers.

Between issues of The eBullet, keep up with the goings-on in Mayberry with the daily Who’s Been Messin’ Up the Bulletin Board? (aka WBMUTBB) Digest. It’s a free subscriber list that consists entirely of comments, newsflashes, and questions and answers from subscribers. You can sign up for that list by going to the Mailing Lists link at tagsrwc.com. WBMUTBB also has its own Archives where you can follow the ongoing stream of messages.

And TAGSRWC publishes Weaver’s Newsletter in more-or-less alternate months to The eBullet. Like The eBullet, the Weaver’s Newsletter is free. Its focus is mainly on new Mayberry merchandise and collectibles and quick newsflashes. To sign up, go to: Weaver’s Newsletter Sign-Up.

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 eBullet is planned for July, and the next Weaver’s Newsletter is scheduled for June.  Till then, happy Mayberry watching!

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