Time for Talk presents program recordings to county library

Richard Reynolds, director of the Dunklin County Library, left, is handed a copy of Time for Talk programs by producer Dr. Russ Burcham. [Click to enlarge]

On Friday, Feb. 4, Time for Talk's television files were given to the Dunklin County Library.

Russ Burcham, producer of the program handed over approximately 400 recordings to Dunklin County Library Director Richard Reynolds. According to Reynolds, the library will be unique in affording such service to it's patrons.

The files which cover a span of nearly 30 years will provide a visual historical record of Kennett and the immediate area.

Included in the number are the prized black and white movies of Kennett made by a commercial photographer in 1939.

The video, captured on tape, has been in process of transfer to state-of-the-art DVD for the past one and one-half years.

Some of the tapes were in an adavanced state of deterioration. The new format has an estimated shelf life of more than 100 years.

DVD recordings can be copied without degredation an infinite number of times, so the video can be kept indefinitely without deterioration if handled properly.

Now, the Dunklin County Library personnel will be in the process of making reserve copies to guard against loss.

Time for Talk, with Rosemary Burcham as host, has been sponsored by the Slicer Street Church of Christ for the entire time of it's existence and has served the public interest by recording activities in our community as the city progressed and grew.

This could not have happened without the cooperation of Time-Warner Cable which has provided the technical assistance necessary for transmission of the signal from the church to the cable head end for distribution. In addition the input of viewers has been significantly valuable.

As a result, many personalities are able to speak to us from the past. Some of them aare still living. Many have passed on, such as J.D. Faulkner, Joe Welman, Charles Baker, Dr. George Dunmire, Metz Cherry, Sonya Astrachan, Dr. Jack Cash, Tom Crunk, Dick Rice, Mrs. E.B. Mobley, Ophelia Wade, Dr. Pin. Pu, Bob Talbert, Mrs. Clyde, Hezzie Highfil, Mrs. Josie Langdon, Mrs. Clara Donaldson, Rudy Pylant, Dr. Joe Zimmerman, Jim Elliot, Paul Jones, Hubert Lebo, Dr. Paul Miltenberger, Dolph Riggs, Raymond Scott, Paul Price, Odell Craig, Brydon Ross, Jack Stapleton, Drew Williams, and Curley Adkins. But in these videos they come to life again.

Poignant and emotional scenes such as the departure of the 1137th National Guard and their return from Desert Storm in 1991 can be vividly relived.

Reynolds will publish the times when the disks will be ready for viewing by patrons of the library.