Meanwhile with McKiever : Cast your vote now for our state’s official pie
Posted on Sunday, April 23, 2006
You know that oftentimes sad but true joke that goes, "Thank God for Mississippi, or Arkansas would rank dead last in everything"? Well, I’m offering an opportunity (and we are the Land of Opportunity, right?) for our state to get ahead of almost all the others in the Union. Here’s all we have to do: Decide on our official state pie. That’s right, pie. Be thinking what kind of pie best represents the Natural State.
Here’s the deal. So far, only one state has declared an official state pie. Vermont chose to be" The Apple Pie State. "As this column is being written on Friday, lawmakers in Florida are trying to pass a bill naming themselves" The Key Lime Pie State. "So, we have a chance to be one of the first few states with an official pie. The only thing left to do is agree on which flavor. I took a small unofficial survey in the newsroom.
A few Daily Record coworkers went on the record this way: apple pie 4, chocolate 1, strawberry rhubarb 1, strawberry 2, black apple walnut 1 and lemon ice box 1. One clever voter spoke up for Arkansas as the" Chicken Pot Pie State" because poultry contributes so much to our economy. Trying to combine several ingredients important to the state in one pie, another co-worker’s vote was cast for "spinach quiche on rice pilaf — washed down with some wine from Arkansas grapes."
The American Pie Council announced a show of support for Floridians fighting for key lime. Apparently, the council, along with the Edwards Baking Co., is eager to assist each state in its efforts. The council issued a statement calling its organization completely "nonpartisan." A spokeswoman for Edwards said state pies are a way to preserve part of our national pie heritage.
As you determine which pie best represents Arkansas, consider our state’s other symbols and designations. Our official dance is the square dance, and our state bird is the mockingbird. The floral emblem of the state is the apple blossom, and the official fruit is the south Arkansas. vine-ripe, pink tomato. Our gem is, of course, the diamond, and the official insect (didn’t know we had one, did you?) is the honeybee. The declared state mammal is the white-tailed deer, and our tree is the white pine. Looks like pie is about the only official object Arkansas has left to claim. If you want a say in this, I’ll keep track of votes for a week. Then I’ll send them on to our state officials and ask them to get busy and please pass the pie legislation.
• • • Tonya McKiever is a reporter for The Benton County Daily Record. Her column appears on Sundays.
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