It's almost time for popcorn to be delivered from the Boy Scouts again! The only problem with it is, like girl scout cookies, every parent you know wants you to buy their sons popcorn. Then you also have cold calls of kids you don't know knocking on your door. This is after the cookie sales from your local school. There are several troops in the area and while there isn't anything wrong with popcorn sales, some troops find other ways to raise money as well. A good example of this is the Plainsman, a newspaper put out by troop 225 in Clinton.
Troop 437 in Lowry has two, one of which is an all you can eat chili supper. They has it on the 25th of October and all in all it was a pretty good success. One of the key elements of that success is the help of the kids. On top of the fact that things are running more smotthly (usually) it also helps the kids develop a sense of what it means to serve. They could be at home watching tv or playing kill anything that moves on their X-Box, but instead their asking if someone wants a refill or their trash taken away.
According to Sheriff J. Kent Oberkrom, members of the Central Missouri Cyber Crimes Tasks Force were in Henry County Thursday afternoon along with detectives from the Cass and Johnson County Sheriff’s Office concerning a possible child pornography case. A report was made through the Cyber Crime Task Force concerning the taking and electronic transfer of photographs of naked children. Sgt. Tony Helms and Deputy Jeremy Cochran assisted investigators with interviews of possible other victims and witnesses in Henry County.
A consent search of a home in the SE part of Henry County was conducted and a computer was taken into evidence concerning the investigation. One person was interviewed at the residence about the photographs. At this time no arrests have been made and the evidence was taken by the Task Force officers for laboratory analysis. Sheriff Oberkrom said the computer will be analyzed to determine if there has been a violation of the law and the case will then be forwarded to Henry County Prosecuting Attorney Richard Shields for consideration of the filing of formal charges.
The Community Organization for Drug Elimination (CODE) has received a donation again this year from Irene Vansant Seiler. Mrs. Seiler has been a great supporter of this project for the past several years. The CODE scholarship program awards up to six $500.00 scholarships every spring to deserving high school seniors throughout Henry County. Money raised from donations such as this along with other activities during Red Ribbon week celebration and proceeds from the summer Traffic Jam event go towards making the scholarships available. If you would like to make a contribution to the CODE scholarship program, please contact Sheriff Kent Oberkrom, Chief Kevin Miller or Amy Burt at Pathways Behavioral Health Care.
HENRY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWS RELEASE
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office arrested Christopher Barnett, age 20 of Clinton on a Henry County warrant charging him with four counts of arson in the second degree, a class C felony. The arson cases were investigated by the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Clinton Police Department and the Missouri State Fire Marshals Office. The case file was turned over, a few weeks ago, to the Missouri Attorney General Office at the request of Prosecuting Attorney Richard Shields for consideration of charges being filed against Barnett. Barnett posted a $10,000.00 bond and was released from the Henry County Detention Center last night.
One of the fun things about going to Heritage Days in Warsaw is the food. Everyone gives out samples of their wares in the hope that someone will buy them. This is a good strategy since everything is so good! There seems to be a strange ideal about older things. They didn't always have what the wanted, but they used what they did have to the best of their (and whatever they were using's) ability.
A good example of this is applebutter. Everyone's probably had applebutter at one time or another, but there's something about having it slowly cooked over a fire for several hours. It really does taste better than something you might buy in a store. There are those that would attribute the taste to nostalgia; there are also those that would attribute it to the lack anything that happens to have four or more syllables. Usually this would be a preservative or something that enhances the color of whatever is being sold. But it genuinely does seem to taste better. Probably because all the apples are probably chosen for ripeness in this case.
This phenomenon isn't limited to food though. Going through the gun collectors and creators, the detail of a handcrafted St. Louis Hawken is absolutely amazing. The brass plates and even something as simple as a trigger have a detail that goes far beyond simple utility. Knives that cost $165, but are actually worth it. In this current era of Bud-K $20 swords and pocketknives that fall apart as soon as you get them home, we need to look back to these times. If you bought a knife, your grandkids would probably inherit it at some point, because everything was made to last. Remeber that next time you buy a small appliance. If you have the money, buy an expensive one like a kitchenaid. You won't be replacing it soon, and will probably spend less in the long run.
HENRY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWS RELEASE
On Thursday, October 2, 2008 the Henry County Sheriff’s Office and Local Emergency Planning Commission held a training exercise for area law enforcement, fire, emergency medical, government leaders and other citizen groups at the Rotary Building in Clinton. The evening included two separate trainings. One training was for public safety personnel and volunteer groups, while the other was for government leaders. During the evening, government leaders received training from Jeannie Millsap and Bob Easton in the operations and function of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The EOC would be activated in the event of a natural disaster or massive event that would require several days to return to a normal state. Several Mayors from communities throughout Henry County along with County Commissioners Greg Lowe and Jim Talley attended the EOC training.
The other training was for public safety personnel and volunteer groups. During this training a simulated emergency was presented involving the Kansas City Power and Light plant near Montrose, Missouri. The group activated the Incident Command structure, identified areas of containment and established the incident command center location. The incident command structure included the incident commander (Leo Huff, Clinton Fire), safety officer (Chris Modlin, Clinton PD), public information officer (Sonny Lynch, Clinton PD), logistics (Lee McGhee Clinton Fire), operations (Jason Linhardt, Montrose Fire) and Liaison (Mike Erwin, Urich Fire). The next training will advance the exercise to a more detailed level including the activation of the EOC by government leaders.
Sheriff Kent Oberkrom and Major Rob Hills coordinated the training for the evening and lead the group through the first section of the exercise. The next training is scheduled for February, 2009.
Pixs: The incident command structure was activated with Leo Huff becoming the Incident Commander Sheriff Kent Oberkrom leads the group through the scenario Government leaders received training on the operations and activation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC)Drivers around the state will start recognizing which bridges will be improved over the next five years as Missouri Department of Transportation workers erect "Safe & Sound" logo signs on more than 800 of the state's worst bridges.
Last month the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission directed MoDOT to launch the "Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program" with at least 100 bridges under construction early in 2009.
All of the signs will be up by the end of October, and as construction schedules are developed, MoDOT will begin prepping the public for what they can expect as work gets underway.
"When drivers see these signs, they should begin thinking about the probability that they will be closed during construction and plan accordingly," MoDOT Director Pete Rahn said. "Closing these bridges lets the contractor complete the work quickly and get the bridges back open faster. It also keeps our costs down."
For alternate routes, as well as up-to-the minute information on bridge construction, closures and progress, log on to www.modot.org
With all of the doom and gloom in the media lately, it's nice to see something good. Gasoline has gone below $3.00! Sure, there's not a whole lot of difference between $2.99 and $3.00 but it's a milestone. The one good thing out of all of these bad things.
Hopefully this will help out some people around here- especially if it goes further yet. The general market feeling is that this is a bad thing since commodities traders will lose some money from it, but as a whole our society will be better off the lower it goes. People need gasoline to power their cars. This is especially true in this area since public transportation is at a minimum and people regularly travel between towns for the goods and services that they need. The people in this area also need gas to get to their jobs, a lot of which are in KC, but even having to travel from Osceola to Clinton can add up. This is taking a large chunk out of peoples food money, which had also gone up because of the cost of fuel (Diesel for trucks and tractors is making gas look cheap) has become too expensive to ignore without adding them to business owners' bottom lines. Yes, this is old news, but it's worth remembering for the simple fact that it's effected the overall economy.
You have less money from the trip to work to buy the food, utilities (such as propane or natural gas, another set of fuels that have gone up) that are now more expensive and surprise! It's now harder to pay the mortgage! That's why it's good that fuel is going down. There are, of course other reasons for the collapse of the economy, but out of control fuel costs are a factor, and as they lower, maybe people can get a little breathing room.
JEFFERSON CITY -- There is good news for everyone who shares Missouri highways: the number of commercial motor vehicle crashes that resulted in fatalities fell an incredible 23 percent between 2005 and 2007. Crashes that resulted in injuries were down 11 percent.
Several tables are still available for GVMH Foundations An Evening to Remember November 15. This black-tie optional dinner event, to be held at the Benson Center, will feature Chef Gourmet Cooking Stations, a fabulous Dessert Bar, entertainment, cash bar and martini slide, and a great array of “have-to-have” silent auction items, including an autographed Jimmie Johnson shirt, MU basketball tickets, golf course passes, Chief’s autographed articles, and a week’s stay at Disney Land.
Valet parking will be provided by Sunrise Optimists and a coat check by the START students. Individual tickets are $125 and may be purchased at Hawthorn Bank, 1st Community Bank, Atchison Monuments, or the Foundation Office at the hospital. Doors open at 5:30, with the cooking stations starting at 6:30 p.m.
For more information, contact Karen Bullock at 660-890-7108.
“Trick or Treat,” those familiar words will be said by many children in the upcoming weeks. Growing up in rural Wisconsin we seldom had a trick-or-treaters come to our home, and if we did it was a close neighbor or cousin. Since moving to Missouri, and now living in town, I have learned so much more about the art of “Trick or Treat” on Halloween and wanted to share a few safety tips with children, parents, and homeowners.
It's hard to think of anything good about cancer. The disease is one of the biggest fears that a lot of us have. On top of the physical ailments, it also costs a lot to combat it, with hospital bills soaring up thousands of dollars. However, these problems can also bring out the best in people.
Rick Settles has been fighting cancer. He has the bills to prove it, but on Friday the community came together for him. A chili supper and concert was held in his behalf at the Benson center in Clinton. people came to help out form all areas of our community and beyond, with some coming from as far Belton.
The Seventh and Eighth grades at Holy Rosary School helped out as well as area businesses like Hawthorn Bank. Entertainment also came from Kansas City- such as the New Haven Baptist Church Worship Team. as well as some Sax playing by Rick himself.
Rick's brother- Kevin said "I'm in Kansas City, and from what I've hearing it's a great response. There are people from all over the community- the farmland and all over the Truman Lake Area. It's just been a blessing. Not only to us, but we thing the whole communities been blessed by it."
Rick's sister Tonya added "There's just too many people to thank. Everybody's just been absolutely wonderful. Overall the atmosphere was actually pretty festive, making you forget the reason that everyone was here together in th first place. It brought out the best in everyone involved. People helping people. The one silver lining.
Have you met your new neighbor? The population of Warsaw just increased by 13! Warsaw Main Street, Inc. is sponsoring the Third Annual Scarecrow Streetscape contest. Businesses in the community are competing for a one of a kind traveling Scarecrow Trophy, a personalized certificate and bragging rights for an entire year.
Last year’s winner, Farmer’s Bank, will be passing the trophy on to some lucky scarecrow. Who is that going to be? That’s up to you! Visit the area businesses listed below and meet the new citizens of Warsaw. Then vote for your favorite. Each person will be allowed to vote once; multiple votes will be disqualified. Children under 18 are encouraged to vote, when accompanied by an adult.
The scarecrow with the most votes wins! Voting begins Friday, October 10 and will end on Friday, October 24 at 3:00 p.m. and the winner will be announced the week of October 27, 2008.
|
"Frenchy" |
Debbie's Diner |
217 W. Main |
|
"Jesse James" |
Hawthorn Bank |
200 W. Main |
|
"SalvatoreThe Cuttin' Kitty" |
The Cool Cat Salon |
329 Seminary |
|
"Scarey Hairy Scissorhands" |
Hair & Co Design Team |
1634 E. Main |
|
"Waterfront Zelda, Twilight Princess" |
Waterfront RV Park |
701 W. Main |
|
"Quilting Bee Bertha" |
Sisters Three Craft & Quilt Shop |
300 E Jackson |
|
“General Ledger” |
Tracey Spry & Associates CPA |
304 W. Main |
|
“Oil Slick Willie” |
First Community Bank |
100 E. Main |
|
“Oil Slick Nillie” |
First Community Bank |
1601 Commercial |
|
“Mr & Mrs Flex” |
Maples Ford Mercury |
900 E. Main |
|
“Herbie” |
University Extension – Master Gardeners |
119 E. Main |
|
“Crowley” |
Shelter Insurance |
101 E. Main |
|
“Ballot Box Billie” |
UMB Bank |
201 W. Main |
Corn mazes have been springing up all over the place around the country for the past few years, and we've had a really nice one right here in the Truman Lakes area. Fun Time Farms is based a little bit outside of Lowry City. While there are a lot of things to do outside of the actual maze itself, the maze is a lot of fun. Definitely a Memorable experience. so what are those other things? A forty foot slide- it's kind of like a waterslide in the fact that it's a tube, but without any water. They've got something known as the hillbilly trampoline (their words, not mine) that all of the kids seem to love; and of course- shooting things with ears of corn. They have this gun that looks vaguely like an M-60 machine gun in its operation. This one only shoots one ear of corn at a time, though.
If you've been to any of the parades over the last summer you might have seen a little cow train with kids riding in it being pulled along- it's there as well.
Most of the families have a tendency to get there in the early afternoon, while the older kids like to be there at night for the haunted maze. If you'd like to see the festivities yourself, maybe to see if you want to travel to it- We've made it easy for you. Just go to watch below and see all the fun. Then take advantage of the mild weather we've been having and have some fun!
Chatting with parents after a recent 4-H meeting the subject quickly turned to homework. I have heard the horror stories of third and fourth grade children coming home with hours of homework.
Although it has been awhile, I can remember back to the days of elementary school and my own homework woes. However, I think that as time has progresses the amount of homework children have to do has increased.
The Scarecrow festival in Appleton City kicked off this year with a surprise- sort of. After changing the size of their fliers to an 11" x 17" tabloid sized flier, there was quite an increase.
""We had a 200% -300% increase this year over last year." said volunteer Joyce Brown. "We have teenagers that are staying here and participating- and you know it has to be interesting to get teenagers to stick around."
"The 11" x 17" fliers were very successful." Ronda Strope, A.C. Chamber President said. "Especially since We're competing with two football games. There were a lot of people here this morning though. It's really a community effort. We have the wall where the scarecrows are decorated, but we also have the businesses and homes competing with their scarecrows.
We don't have the kind of appeal the Mound City, KS has- but most of their vendors are from out of town. We have a few out of town vendors; and we welcome them. But most of our vendors are from the area, and that's a good thing."
According to the Sheriff’s Office, several burglary and stealing reports from the eastern part of Henry County have been investigated within the past couple of weeks. Items taken during these thefts include a small-model John Deere farm tractor, Yahama Raptor 4-wheeled all-terrain vehicle, 20 foot gooseneck flatbed trailer, 18 foot camping trailer, 30 vehicle radiators, 250 gallons of gasoline, as well as an assortment of power tools and chain saws.
As the Sheriff’s Office has increased patrols within these areas, they are asking for your assistance in reporting any suspicious or unfamiliar vehicles that you may witness traveling in your area, to the Henry County Central Communications Center, regardless of the time of day or night that you witness the vehicle. For non-emergencies, call 660-885-5587 or for emergency calls, dial 9-1-1. To leave anonymous information call the TIPS HOTLINE at 1-800-825-8477.
The 10th Annual Scarecrow Festival, sponsored by the A.C. Chamber of Commerce, will be September 27th. The Craft Show is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Strope Studios will be taking Fall Pictures in the Park.
There will be entertainment on stage from 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Other activities for the day include: ladder golf tournament, pedal tractor pull (youth and adult - any one ages 18 and younger will have to have a signed parent release form to participate), watermelon seed spitting contest for all ages, put on your best Scarecrow Outfit and join in the Human Scarecrow Contest, professional entertainment "Rockin' Country", antique tractor and covered wagon hay ride, pie in the face (featuring Steve Beckett and Coach Long), kids games, lots of food, pie eating contest, fall baked goods and recipe contest, Ident-A-Kid, karaoke, scarecrow face painting, decorate a cookie, caramel apples, homemade susie Q's, homemade cinnamon rolls, walking tacos, cake walk, whole pies for sale, ring toss, duck pond, Wildcat Fun inflated bouncers from Willard MO, temporary tattoos, funnel cakes, tenderloins, apple press demo and free cider samples.
Elementary students are working on a Scarecrow Art Contest. Their art will be displayed in the old Yoss Grocery Store windows. For a complete list of activities, times and contest rules, see posters around town, check out at www.appletoncitymo.com or call Ronda at 476-2362 or Rick at 476-2631. Bring your lawn chairs and join the fun. There is something for everyone. Come early, stay late and participate.
One of the enduring traditions of fall is returning to the stage of the Warsaw Community Building Saturday, October 11th. The benefit for the Benton County Hospice begins at 8PM that evening. Jim Hayes’s “Country Music at the Lake” Band will please the crowd with favorite tunes. Jim will keep the laughs coming and is sure to pick a mean banjo. Local special guests include Bob Smith, Joe Scroggins, Jerry Eldridge, Darlene Hayes, Johnny Spaugh and Peggy Scoggins.
On Tuesday, September 9, 2008, as a show of appreciation for the dedication of the Henry County Sheriff’s Office in their drive to keep our county safe, local businesses, Albin Brothers Pallet Company and UMB Bank provided catfish and soft drinks for a fish fry at the Henry County Detention Center. The 30 pounds of catfish fillets were “cooked up” by Detention Center Cook, Phil Voss.
Inmates and staff both enjoyed a lunch meal of fresh fried catfish. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office appreciates Albin Brothers Pallet and UMB Bank for providing a great meal for staff and inmates. “We appreciate all of the organizations that contribute food donations for the Detention Center and a special thanks to Albin Brothers and UMB Bank for this recent treat.
|
|
Henry County Detention Center cook, Phil Voss prepared the catfish for the inmates and staff.
|
L-R Carl Pennington, David Albin, Joe Albin and Sheriff Kent Oberkrom with three of the fish ranging in size from 8 – 32 pounds.
|
I looked down at a paring knife on the table at the B & M Gun and Knife show at the Benson center in Clinton last Saturday. $165. Looking up at the smiling face of Derick Fisher I just had to ask about them. "Are all of these handmade?"
He was ready. "Yes they are." He then started talking a little about the process that was used to create one of these beauties. I was looking down at some of the blades and couldn't help noticing that they had what appeared to be a decorative woodgrain in the metal. I asked about it as well, and he was only too happy to oblige.
"That's from the Damascus metal." He held up some other metal to demonstrate. In essence, it's made from several layers of metal. He talked at length about the details of making Damascus metal, and made it sound fairly fascinating. When he was younger he got training from one of the foremost bladesmiths (as he refers to himself) in the area. He liked it so much that he built himself a shop, and now it's paying off. "I'm going to Silver Dollar City next week. They've hired me on to be their new knife maker."
The sad thing is discovering somebody right before they move on, but it will be nice to know that somebody from our area is considered skilled enough to represent us in Branson.
Taebo Classes on Monday and Thursday mornings at 8:00 am and Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 6:00 pm. Cost is $30.00 for a 12 class punch pass or $3.00 per class.
“What will I wear the first day?” asked my five-year-old daughter as we planned for her first day of kindergarten 15 years ago. I remember we painted her name on the front of a t-shirt and personalized a pair of white canvas shoes with paint and ribbon shoe laces to coordinate her “look.” She was excited as she carefully packed her backpack.
I can still see her standing by the front door with her little outfit, back pack and a big smile. She was excited and ready to go. That was the beginning of her academic adventure; a real milestone in the lives of our children.
JD Collins is shown on the left, shaking the hand of “Doc “ Brown, Commandant of Detachment #1254. Also Welcoming him are Dave Woodfine on Doc’s right and Billy Goodman on Dave’s Right.
JD is the newest member of the Warsaw Leathernecks Marine Corps league which now number fifty five members. “Welcome aboard “ JD.
Pictured above on left is Ed Insell, Senior Vice Commandant receiving the very prestigious award of “Marine Of The Year”. This award was earned by meritorious service, by going above and beyond the normal duties for the last two years. Ed has helped tremendously in helping to form the Warsaw Leathernecks Det #1254. All I would need to do is say “Ed We need this” and without hesitation he would say “OK”.
Ed has helped in all aspects of community work, helping our veterans, and serving at every level of need in our Detachment. The award is being presented by 'Doc' Brown.
It was a busy weekend around the Truman Lakes area. No, not just the traffic out of Kansas City. There were a few parades, some anniversaries... it was a busy few days. Especially for politicians. It seems that all of the parades probably doubled in size thanks to all of the candidates that are in parades during an election cycle.
On Saturday Rodeo Daze was going full swing down in Osceola. A very themed parade, it's probably the only parade around where it actually makes sense to put horses more in the front, since it's actually a celebration of the actual rodeo put on by the saddle club that is going on during the same time. Granted, the horses do what they do in parades no matter where they are put, but it was a nice gesture anyway
.Speaking of the reasons that horses are generally put in the back of parades, another rodeo themed event was put on by the Saint Clair County Senior Citizens group to raise money for it. Loosely based on Bingo, they marked off squares (like Bingo squares) on the grass in a pen. They then let out a cow or steer and waited for it to uhhh... Do things that horses do to get themselves at the back of the parade. It's called Cow Pie Bingo- you figure it out.
Deepwater also had their parade and the Harvest festival this weekend. One of the neat things about it was all of the people that made a homecoming to Deepwater for the parade. We talked to people from both Pennsyvania and Texas that drove to be here for it. To see the Cow Pie Bingo and who was traveling to our fair state here are the links.Henry County Sheriff J. Kent Oberkrom has been appointed to another three-year term by the National Sheriff’s Association to serve on the North Central regions Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Advisory Process. Nationally, there are five working groups with two representatives from each state that meet twice a year to review policy, rules and regulations concerning the operations of the FBI’s computer systems.
When you go to buy anything at Wal-Mart, you may have noticed that there's a lane to check yourself out without any assistance from a cashier. A few years back, this idea was put forth in the form of library books and checkout there. Now the Boonslick library in Warsaw is testing out the latest version of the software and hardware used to run it. It's called Envision, and it's got the employees of the library very excited.
On the afternoon of September 20, 2008, there will be a dedication ceremony at the Southern Memorial recently erected at the Osceola, MO. Cemetery.
This memorial, a joint project of the St. Clair Co. Historical Society and the John T. Coffey Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, has been erected as a memorial to those who sacrificed homes and lives for a cause they believed was just, “That the War was an attack on their personal property, individual Liberty, Constitutional Rights, economic system and way of life"
In September, 1861, the town of Osceola, Mo. was a major port on the Osage River, with many warehouses supplying goods for all of southwest Missouri and the Indian Territory.
On September 22, 1861, James Lane led a group of Kansas renegades to Osceola, the purpose being to loot and destroy this thriving town. After plundering the town, executing after a drum-head court martial, nine citizens who had been guarding the bank, Lane ordered the town burned to the ground. Reports state that over a million dollars of property left with Lane’s men, the remainder being torched.
For 147 years the graves of the men who were executed have lain in unmarked graves in the Osceola Cemetery, with few memories of who they were or where they lay. An Obelisk, surrounded by memorial bricks, remembering those who died has been erected in the area of their graves.
The public is invited to share this time of solemn remembrance and dedication. The Osceola Cemetery is located on WW Hwy in Osceola, MO.
Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Glenn Wright presents to the Warsaw Leathernecks Detachment #1254 of the Marine Corps League a flag and certificate from the Sea Bees Naval Mobile Construction Battalion fifteen.
The Battalion was deployed to Al Anbar Province in Iraq, and worked exclusively with the Marines while there to support our war on terrorism.
The flag was flown on February 19th, 2008 which is the anniversary on the landing on Iwo Jima in World War Two, and on March 5th, 2008 which is the Birthday of the founding of the Sea Bees.
Accepting the flag and certificate from Chief Wright is Doc Brown, Commandant of the Warsaw Leathernecks.
Warsaw Main Street, Inc. is pleased to announce Warsaw’s “At the Harbor Quilt Fest 2009”. This event will be held on Saturday; March 21, 2009 from 9 am to 4 pm and on Sunday; March 22, 2009 from 1 pm to 4 pm. The event will be held in the Warsaw Community Building. It will be open to area quilters both machine and hand. And we are also inviting quilt supply vendors from across the state to participate.
Quilters will be able to enter up to three quilts in the contest for $25. Vendors will be able to rent a 12 x 14 (approximate) booth for $50. Space is limited. Deadline for registration is: August 21, 2008
If you would like more information on how to register for this event, please contact the Warsaw Main Street office at 660 438-6777 or warsawmainstreet@earthlink.net.
“A Community is like a quilt, many pieces/people working together - creating unity and strength.”
For someone who hasn't lived here very long, the fireworks at the Dam in Warsaw can be a bit of a surprise. All of the shows seen here so far have been good, but the sheer amount of people who gathered at the Truman Lake, Lake of the Ozarks border was astonishing. There were people from as far away as Minnesota. (By way of Leavenworth) Cars and cars and cars were there. The observatory was full, all of the marinas, and lots of boats were out on the Northern side of the Dam to see this event. According to the park Rangers, this was one of the biggest coming together of all of the different aspects of the community of public servants all year. Police for directing traffic, firefighters for any mishaps, and of course the Army Corps Rangers, as it was done on the Dam.
The show itself was very good as well. It was easily as good as something in some of the bigger cities out there. (Again complete with the traffic- It was like a Rush concert at Sandstone)
One of the nice things about the summertime is the fact that you can sit outside. This is especially true when it comes to concerts. Several people on the fifth of July agreed with that statement by their actions. Spectators came from as far away as Springfield to attend the first annual Bluegrass festival in Osceola.
There were three bands, the Link family, the Miller family and Bear Creek. There must have been a few hundred spectators there in the square, with lawnchairs and blankets.
When we talked to the mayor about it, he wanted to point out that it was actually sponsored by the city of Osceola, as opposed to a private organization. This came about as the result of a grant that the city had received. It was designated for an artistic purpose, so why not a Bluegrass concert? The Ozarks are famous for their music, and it's cherished. From the smallest Singspiration to the other Bluegrass concerts, including our Clinton festival, the Ozarks are to Bluegrass what Nashville is to country.
The bands performed brilliantly, although it was a bit humiliating seeing fifteen year olds (and younger) playing their instruments so well. Osceola, you need to do this again next year.
A while back we did a story on a man named Garry Randolph, who donated his time and some of his money to the Clinton animal shelter. He's a vary outgoing man- full of energy, but recently he's had an unexpected surprise in his life. His wife, Michelle, was diagnosed with cancer, and it's not treatable.
"We didn't have any life insurance. We aren't that old; you don't expect something like this to happen to you this young." They are in a tough situation that they just didn't expect. "I was buying this car, but I'm going to have to return it. With all of these doctor bills we just can't afford it. It's been kind of rough. I'll be honest, we just need some help. mainly for the final expenses and for a car. Michelle was given anywhere from two weeks to a year to live, and she has good days and bad days." He looked at her. "Today she's having a fairly good one. I tried to take her out the other day, and it just wore her out."
going through something like this will make a man think though. "Recently we've turned our lives over to the Lord. We know that he will take care of us."
To see an interview with Mr. Randolph (we respected his wife's wishes to not be videotaped) click below.Donations may be sent to- Consalus Funeral Home/ 209 s 2nd St/ Clinton, MO 64735/ or- First national Bank of Clinton/ 1303 e Ohio/ Clinton, MO 64735
Lt. Governor Peter Kinder Stopped in Clinton last week to deliver a very special sign. It seems that Clinton was chosen once again as the second starting point for the Tour of Missouri bicycle race that brought so much attention the state last year.
“There was only on other town that compared at all, and that was Lebanon.” Said Kinder “but your energy and local support of the race has made this a starting point once again.” He made it clear that just because Clinton has it last year didn't guarantee a position in the race this year. Granted, there were a few jokes about the infamous armadillo incident, but overall his tone was very upbeat.
The race brings a lot of money and attention to our state, and keeping the enthusiasm up will only keep it here, and with the the Internet keep Clinton and the Truman Lake area on the map for people in China and Sweden.
In larger cities one of the neater things is the fact that you can find a store that specializes in just about anything. Chocolate store? Sure! Old small aplliances from the 1960s and earlier? No problem. But while we don't have that kind of variety in our stores, we do have that variety in our festivals. When I heard that there was an herb festival, it immediately perked my interest, as the concept of an herb festival just sounded interesting.
When we got there- it was held at a place called Evening Shade Farms which is located just off of Highway TT in St. Clair County, we encountered a really nice place. There was a small water flower pool and nicely done cedar branch arbor, as well as other relly nice things to look at. The festival itself, while fairly small, was bustling anyway. This was really amazing since it had rained the night before and the ground was wet. However, you just didn't notice about the ground. The site of the festival itself was well maintained and wherever there was water, straw was thrown down, making a perfect walking area.
It really was a lot of fun, with a nice relaxed atmospere and lots to see and do. Plus, we got a good deal on a strawberry plant!