Christmas Cash Mob is back

She’s back! Judy Thompson, former Cash Mob Coordinator, will be hosting the December Christmas Mob. The December Mob will be held at American Artisans, 10 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 9. Thompson notes that she is excited to do this special holiday Mob and is looking forward to seeing not only Mob’sters from the past, but new guests. She said this Mob will be full of games and prizes.

Anyone who attends wearing some type of Christmas head attire will be able to register for a special door prize. This can be anything from Santa hats to elf ears; snowman hats to sprigs of holly. Bring on your creative side and make your head gear even more special.

Another prize will be given for the most outstanding head attire. Everyone is invited to attend this Cash Mob, with or without a hat. Complimentary refreshments will be provided by American Artisans.

The Downtown Cash Mob is a project of the Mena Downtown Partners (MDP) to promote the “Buy Local, Shop Small” effort while providing an opportunity for fun and socializing. For those not familiar with a cash mob, it is a community effort that is popular in many areas of the country and joins people together to support local businesses. It is an entertaining way to encourage shoppers into businesses where they not only normally shop but also to stores they may not have visited. The Downtown Mena Cash Mob provides an opportunity to shop at various downtown businesses. All participating merchants and hosts are members of MDP.

Locally, the invitation to attend is extended giving the name of the business which will host that month. The group then meets at the designated location for refreshments, fellowship, games and door prizes. Finally, the name of a participating MDP business is drawn. The group then converges on that business going in laughing and yelling “You’re being mobbed.”

Thompson advises there are only two requirements for attending Cash Mobs: Each participant must spend $20 or more at the store that is being mobbed and they must have fun. The Cash Mob is open to anyone. Shoppers have included everyone from 10 to 90. This is a great way to meet new people and a fun way to hang out with your friends.

Contribute to the local economy and have a great time with the “all-American” pastime of shopping. Grab your friends or come by yourself and do some Christmas shopping. Join in the Christmas fun and meet at American Artisans.

By Richie Lawry

It was a cold, windy day in December 1903. Orville Wright stands on the beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, staring at the sky. His brother Wilbur is flying overhead in the machine they had built together. It was their fourth flight of the day in their hand-built flying machine. Wilbur Wright successfully flew their homemade machine for 59 seconds, covering 852 feet at 7 miles per hour. Orville had piloted the day’s first flight, which lasted just 12 seconds and traveled only 180 feet, but it proved human flight was possible.

Orville wrote in his diary about the first attempted flight that morning. “I found the control of the front rudder quite difficult. As a result, the machine would rise suddenly to about ten feet and then as suddenly, on turning the rudder, dart for the ground. A sudden dart when out about 100 feet from the end of the tracks ended the flight. Time about 12 seconds.”

The brothers realized a successful flight depended on their ability to learn how to handle the machine. Each attempt showed improvement. They were pleased enough with Wilbur’s 59-second flight but knew they could have done better. Unfortunately, there was not going to be another flight that day. Orville explains in his diary. “We set the machine down a few feet west of the building, and while standing about discussing the last flight, a sudden gust of wind struck the machine and started to turn it over. All rushed to stop it. Will, near one end, ran to the front, but too late to do any good. Mr. Daniels and myself seized spars at the rear, but to no purpose. The machine gradually turned over on us. Mr. Daniels, having had no experience in handling a machine of this kind, hung on to it from the inside, and as a result was knocked down and turned over and over with it as it went. His escape was miraculous, as he was in with the engine and chains. The engine legs were all broken off, the chain guides badly bent, a number of uprights, and nearly all the rear ends of the ribs were