Author: Cherry Blossom Festival

Kami Cotler

Kami CotlerKami Cotler serves as the founding Principal of Environmental Charter Middle School. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ms. Cotler attended the University of California at Berkeley, where she graduated with a degree in Social Sciences and then received her teaching credential. Ms. Cotler began her teaching career in a small, rural district near Charlottesville, Virginia where she taught in ALPHA, an interdisciplinary, alternative program for at-risk high school students. When she returned to California, she took a position as ninth grade team leader at Environmental Charter High School in Lawndale, California. While exploring education options for her own children, Ms. Cotler learned about Ocean Charter School and worked on various committees in the year before the school’s opening. In August 2004, she was selected as founding co-director at the Ocean Charter School. After serving as co-director for three years, Ms. Cotler began an educational consulting business, working with developing charters and homeschooling families. Her experiences outside education include running a boutique travel company, an internship at IBM, managing a café in San Francisco, and, as a child, acting on the television series “The Waltons”. She has been a member of the Board of the American Montessori Society, the Ocean Charter School board of trustees, and the Goethe International Charter School board of trustees. She made famous the role of Elizabeth on The Walton’s television show.

Margaret Kerry

Margaret Kerry is probably best known for a beguiling character that was only 3 1/2 inches tall.  Kerry was the model for Disney’s enchanting fairy Tinker Bell. Chosen for both her dancing and pantomime abilities, Kerry started in show business when she was only 4 in Midsummer Night’s Dream playing, in an interesting twist of fate, a little fairy.  Kerry later worked as a dancer and actor in three of the Our Gang comedy shorts and played the role of Eddie Cantor’s teenage daughter in the film If You Knew Susie.  Besides Kerry’s work in movies and television, she appeared on The Andy Griffith Show, she is also known for her work as a voiceover performer with a wide range of character voices.  Kerry also worked in radio as a producer, writer and host of “What’s Up Weekly” on KKLA-FM Los Angeles.  Tinker Bell Talks is the official Margaret Kerry web site and has more pictures and information on Margaret’s fascinating life. 

Margaret Kelly

 

Alison Arngrim

Alison-ArngrimNew York Times Best Selling author of “Confessions of A Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated”, Alison Arngrim is best known to viewers world-wide for her portrayal of the incredibly nasty “Nellie Oleson” on the much loved, long running hit television series “Little House On The Prairie,” and continues to amuse audiences through her many film, television, stage and multi-media appearances.

Her one woman show “Confessions of a Prairie Bitch”, which started at Club Fez in New York in 2002, has now become a world-wide phenomenon, having been performed to packed houses in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Green Bay, San Francisco, Seattle, and in France, where Alison performs entirely in French to standing room only crowds in her all French version titled: “Confessions d’une Garce de La Prairie” and “La Malle aux Tresors de Nellie Oleson.”

As a stand-up comedian, Alison has headlined at nightclubs such as the Laugh Factory, the Comedy Store and the Improv in Los Angeles; as well as the Laurie Beechman Theatre in New York and assorted comedy venues all across the United States and Canada.

Alison has mocked her status as an “ex-child star” on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show, during their month long parody, “Hollywood Survivor” and continues to be a frequent interview subject on everything from “A&E”, “E! Entertainment”, “TV Land” and “VH-1”, to CNN and the Travel Channel.   The TV Land network honored her undying image as TV’s worst bitch, by declaring her the winner of their 2006 award for, “Character Most Desperately In Need Of A Time Out”.

In her spare time, she takes tourists on the rollicking comedy outing, “Nasty Nellie’s Tour of Hollywood”, (featured at Dearly Departed Tours), where she simultaneously enlightens and amuses passengers with behind the scenes tales from both Hollywood history and her own life.

Never one to forget her “Prairie” roots, Alison enjoys making appearances several times a year at various “Little House on the Prairie” historical sites for educational events and gatherings of fans. She has been a frequent visitor to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in the real life Walnut Grove, Minnesota as well as Green Bay, Wisconsin’s Heritage Hills, Mumford’s Genesee Country Village, Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri and many, many others.

She currently serves as California Chair, National Spokesperson and Founding Board Member on the National Advisory Board of The National Association to Protect Children, or PROTECT.org, fighting to give children a legal and political voice in the war against child abuse.   As an activist for the improvement of child protection laws, she has spoken before the California Senate and worked on legislative and political campaigns in several states, including Virginia and New York, in addition to PROTECT’s work on federal legislation in Washington, D.C.

Alison currently lives somewhere in the wilds of Tujunga with her husband of over twenty years, musician Bob Schoonover, (from the rock and roll band “Catahoula”) and their evil cat, Clarice. She takes pride in the fact that so many people enjoyed hating her as a girl and is more than happy to give them the opportunity to do so in the future.

2016 Presidential Prayer Breakfast

Former United States Attorney General John Ashcroft will be the speaker at the 2016 Presidential Prayer Breakfast during the Cherry Blossom Festival. The breakfast will be held on Saturday, April 30 at 8:30 AM at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Former Missouri First Lady Janet Ashcroft will ceremoniously plant her Cherry Blossom tree following the breakfast. 

John Ashcroft

John-AshcroftFormer U.S. Attorney General, Governor and U.S. Senator John Ashcroft serves as founder and Chairman of The Ashcroft Group and The Ashcroft Law Firm (together, the “Firm”).  Together with the select group of seasoned, respected and experienced senior executives he recruited to join him – many of whom helped to lead the U.S. Department of Justice during a significant time in our nation’s history – the Firm has earned a reputation for integrity and a track record for accelerating successful resolutions of even the most complex matters.  With a focus on issues of integrity and corporate governance, the Firm provides compliance advice, legal counsel and consulting services to world-leading clients, including Fortune 500 companies, multi-national corporations and corporate executives.
As Attorney General, and the U.S. Justice Department’s CEO, Mr. Ashcroft led the world’s largest and foremost international law firm and law enforcement agency—an organization larger than most Fortune 500 companies, with over 122,000 employees. Mr. Ashcroft integrated strategic planning, budgeting and performance measures, which resulted in the DOJ earning a clean audit for the first time in its history.
Mr. Ashcroft boldly led the Department of Justice through the transformational period after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He subsequently reorganized the Department to focus on its number one priority: preventing terrorism. The tough antiterrorism campaign he directed helped keep America safe throughout his tenure and resulted in the dismantling of terrorist cells across America and the disruption of over 150 terrorist plots worldwide.
Within two months of the attacks, and with financial markets still reeling, the unprecedented corporate scandals at ENRON, WorldCom and dozens more unfolded, further destabilizing the weakened economy. John Ashcroft was called upon to restore America’s faith in the integrity of our marketplace. He marshaled the resources of the federal government to bring to justice those guilty of massive corporate fraud. At all times, he demanded that cases be brought swiftly, with appropriate serious penalties—always taking into account the best interests of the employees and shareholders whose lives were most directly affected.
From 1985 to 1993, as Governor of Missouri, Ashcroft balanced eight consecutive budgets, built a $120 million budget surplus and established a $190 million operating reserve. His management and fiscal integrity helped generate 338,000 new jobs state-wide, a triple-A bond rating from the three major Wall Street rating agencies, a per capita state and local tax burden ranked 49th in the United States and a 12 percent increase in personal income. His new education performance standards led Fortune magazine to name him as one of the nation’s top ten Education Governors. In 1991, the non-partisan National Governors Association voted him Chairman.
Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994, he brought his management skills to Washington where he authored budget rules protecting Social Security and Medicare and helped balance the federal budget for the first time in decades. As a member of the Senate Judiciary, Foreign Relations and Commerce Committees, he worked to reform laws regulating the banking, telecommunications, aviation, transportation and information technology industries.
In 1973, Mr. Ashcroft served as Missouri Auditor, followed by two terms as Missouri Attorney General. He was raised in Springfield, Missouri, received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago.

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M.L. Brummett – Author of “Semper Fidelis”

M.L. BrummettAuthor, M.L. Brummett, an American writer, believes a good book should be a treasure trove of adoration in the reader’s hands.  A good novel should cast the reader into another era and give them the opportunity to live adventures outside of their own lives.  She believes the reader should know each character personally in a good piece of literature, and no matter how often the reader opens their favorite book, they should find something comforting and familiar that will enrich their lives.  Her passion for writing developed early in her lifetime.  As a child she carried a notebook with her to jot down characteristics of everyday people to use as material for writing project; a practice she still does today.

Outside of her passion for writing, M.L. Brummett chose a profession in human resources which provides another creative outlet by creating training and educational programs.  She holds a BA, in Business Administration, and is completing her MBA in Human Resource Leadership.  Additional credits include a season of songwriting in Nashville, Tennessee.  She extended her skills in the music industry into promotions and band management.  She owned a country music show in Louisville, Kentucky, which spotlighted local talent. 

M.L. Brummett currently resides in Springfield, Missouri, with an abundance of friends and special family.  She is a member of the Springfield Writers Guild.

M.L Brummett’s novel is called Semper Fidelis. It is based on the love letters that her father wrote her mother during WWII.  It comes out on June 9 worldwide.  This year, 2015, celebrates the 70th year of end of the war, and it is a great time for Semper Fidelis to be released.

 

 

Michael K. Hamra – Hubble Medal of Initiative

Michael HamraMichael K. Hamra is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hamra Enterprises which owns and operates 98 restaurants consisting of Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, Panera Bread bakery-cafes and Noodles and Company stores spanning from the Midwest to the North East.

Mr. Hamra received his B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University, his J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law and his MBA from Kennesaw State University.

Mr. Hamra practiced law in Washington, D.C. from 1994 to 2001.  During his time in Washington, D.C. he was the Director of Governmental and Regulatory Affairs for Metricom, Inc., a high-speed Internet access company providing mobile wireless Internet access to laptop and personal digital assistance users in fifteen markets in the United States.

Prior to joining Metricom, Mr. Hamra was an attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. from 1997 to 2000 representing telecommunication clients on regulatory and legislative matters.

From 1994 to 1997, Mr. Hamra served as Legislative Counsel for the U.S. Senate, Office of the Sergeant of Arms and later received a political appointment in the Clinton Administration where he served as Special Counsel at the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration where he assisted the Clinton Administration in the drafting of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. After leaving the Clinton Administration, he became the Chief of Staff and Legal Advisor for the Federal Communications Commission’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.

In 2001, Mr. Hamra was commissioned by the U.S. Department of State to represent the United States in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia where he assisted the new Yugoslavian government in rewriting the telecommunications law inherited from the Milosevic regime.

Mr. Hamra is active within the Panera franchise community and formerly served as an elected franchise official on Panera’s franchise council and was its co-Chairman during his tenure.  He is also a director of Oakstar Bankshares Holdings based in Springfield, Missouri.  Mr. Hamra also serves as the Chair of Family Enterprise USA which is a Washington, DC based non-profit membership organization that provides education to the general public, policymakers and the media about the collective issues facing family enterprises.

Mr. Hamra is a recipient of the US Department of Commerce Bronze Medal for Superior Federal Service and recognized as a Boston Business Journal’s 40 under 40. He is also a member of Young Presidents Organization.

 

C. A. (Candy) Simonson – “Loves Journey Home”

 

C. A. (Candy) SimonsonC.A. (Candy) Simonson has always had a love for words. She started writing stories as a child and even won a contest for writing in the third grade. Her first published piece was at age 17.

She is an award winning author, editor, and writer of fiction and nonfiction short stories, articles, and books. She has over 200 publications nationally in anthologies, newspapers, magazines, and other tabloids. She has been the editor of a monthly newsletter for five companies over the years, is a frequent contributor to many local newspapers, and had a monthly column in a national magazine.

“Love’s Journey Home” is an young adult adventure/romance based on true events. The second book in the series, “Love Looks Back,” is a mystery. She has been published in several anthologies, and Plans are in the works for more short stories and perhaps another novel or two. She lives in the Ozarks of Missouri, and besides writing, she enjoys crafting, painting, and fishing.

 

Love’s Journey Home will be available for sale at the festival. Its sequel, Love Looks Back, will be available for order. Release date on sequel is April 30. Both can be purchased at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble, or at Candy’s website, http://casimonson.wordpress.com

Available in Kindle format or print copy.

Love’s Journey Home – Young Adult Romance/Adventure

Abandoned at 10, separated from brothers and sisters, Frankie was left to find his way back home. When ​a farmer and his wife took him in, he thought he found a home. Finding his two younger brothers brought hope for a happy reunion, until one brother, then the other were taken from him again. Believing he was being sold to a stranger, Frankie stowed away on a train to escape his fate. Will the longings in his heart ever be fulfilled?

Love’s Journey Home tells the story of a young boy who must fight the battles of his mind and struggle between right and wrong. As Frankie reveals experiences from his troubled past, he learns about life and love as he grows from a boy to a man. He finally lands at a place where he thinks his past is behind him until he meets Anne. Anne changes everything, and digs up something deep inside Frank that has been buried way too long. Love’s Journey Home is a message of redemption and hope in the midst of despair.

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Love Looks Back – Young Adult Cozy Mystery

Frank finds the courage to return to his hometown to make peace with his past and settle old scores. When he stops at the old barn where the children once took refuge, he finds chilling evidence of things gone wrong. Behind the barn is an unexpected grave with the note, “Found him. Buried him.” What really happened in that barn, and who is in the ground? Frank must unite with his siblings and follow the clues to find answers to many disturbing questions. He ends up finding much more than he expected.

Roy Beck ~ Moderator for Presidential Family Panel

Roy Beck

Roy Beck (MHS ’66) has been a journalist and policy advocate in Washington D.C. since 1987 when he arrived as the chief Washington correspondent for the Booth Newspapers chain. He is author of four books on public policy and has frequently provided testimony at congressional hearings and commentary on national radio and cable TV. No stranger to controversy, Roy has been profiled by the New York Times, MSNBC and the Chicago Tribune. His reporting in the Atlantic Monthly was included by Encyclopedia Britannica in its “Annals of America” book as one of the most important writings of the 1990s. He is president of the NumbersUSA Education & Research Foundation which he founded in 1996 to support the immigration, economic fairness and environmental sustainability recommendations of two federal commissions. Recipient of the U.S. Army Commendation Medal in 1972 (non-combat), Roy and his wife live in Arlington, Virginia.