Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. – John 3:17
Your source for local news and entertainment
January 31, 2025 • Volume 6, Issue #4
INSIDE: • Around Town.... 12A • Churches.......... 11A • Classifieds......... 10B • Education........... 8A • Fun & Games.... 12B • Pets for Adoption �� 3A • Obituaries........ 10A • Food.................. 8B • Weather........... 10A
PLUS:
Neighbor helping neighbor in Hollister Branson Home Show is on its way! – SEE SPECIAL SECTION
Time to plant God’s Word– SEE PAGE 1B.
Young neighbors help others after the recent snowfall (Photo submitted by Steve and Rowena Drake) BY CYNTHIA J. THOMAS, Staff Writer Following the recent heavy snowfall in southwest Missouri, a few social media posts and comments criticized today’s youth for not getting out to help others and earn spending money by shoveling driveways and sidewalks. People making those comments, however, clearly hadn’t visited Hollister, where the spirit of neighbors helping neighbors is alive and well! One Hollister couple recently called the Globe office to share how they and others received some great help from young neighbors. Steve and Rowena Drake moved to the area upon retire-
ment in 1996, and worked for several years at Silver Dollar City and Kanakuk. Now in their 80s, they live just off St. Hwy. BB near the Hollister schools. Working to clear their driveway on a day following the snowstorm, they were pleasantly surprised when a young neighbor carrying a shovel showed up to help finish the job. That young man was Emery Little, age 9, who lives down the street with his brothers Stetson, 10, and Barrett, 6, and their parents, Jon and Brittany. After Barrett joined Emery to help with the Drakes’ driveway, the brothers moved on to other neighboring driveways and kept working.
The boys grew tired before they made it around the cul-de-sac, pausing for a rest break by stretching out on a big pile of snow left by the plows going through. By that time, though, the whole family was involved, with Stetson, Jon and Brittany joining in for a family project. “Several of the other neighbors are older people, like us,” explained Rowena Drake. “Another is a widowed single mom. It was a real blessing.” As for the Littles, they considered the shoveling an opportunity to encourage their sons to be kind and hardworking. They had planted some seeds with the boys, suggesting as the
snow was piling up that it might be nice to think about their neighbors, but Brittany said Emery was the one who took initiative by actually picking up a shovel and heading to the Drakes’ house. Brittany was raised on a farm, where she was “always outside doing something,” and Jon is an Eagle Scout, trained since his own younger years to look for ways to serve others. Their sons attend Hollister schools and are currently involved in Cub Scouts Pack 546. “We just want them to be good people and learn to work hard,” said Brittany. Emery said it was “kind of fun” to see the neighbors’
reactions. Most were indoors while the boys worked, and were thrilled when they happened to look outside. Those who work full time were surprised to find clear driveways when they arrived home that day. Brittany said those who did see the kids working, like the Drakes, were very appreciative, with some giving the kids a little cash and plenty of positive feedback like, “Wow, you’re a hard worker!” The Globe staff want to join the Drakes and other neighbors in thanking these thoughtful young men and their parents for a great example of what it means to be a good neighbor, and we wish them well!
Branson’s Comprehensive Plan needs public participation BY GARY J. GROMAN, Independent Journalist The City of Branson is beginning the process of revising and developing its Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan “is the City’s principal guide for use in the daily planning decisions regarding growth, development and regulation of current and future development within city limits. It will provide the city with a blueprint, vision and deci-
sion-making guide to help it to be proactive in developing a shared vision for the future of Branson over the next 10 to 15 years. Mark Colussy, Branson’s Strategic Initiatives Coordinator, said that for the plan to be all it can be, it will involve input from the whole community. The following interview, in Q & A format explains what the Plan is and how the input from Branson’s residents,
businesses and visitors is central to the Plan’s vision and effectiveness. Colussy’s response (MC) to the questions by the Branson Globe (BG) follow below: BG: What is a Comprehensive Plan? MC: The city’s Comprehensive Plan is a guide into the future to start thinking about where we want to be 10 to 15 years from now so that we can start to plan ahead for the desired fu-
ture that the public decides that it would like to see. It’s really a snapshot into the future which will allow us to develop a game plan for how we’re going to get there. It will look at all the different city services, and investigate transportation, housing, land use, utilities, public services, etc. and start thinking about doing all those services to meet the needs that the people would like to see in Branson over
3609 W. 76 Country Blvd., Branson, MO 65616 • 417-332-1499
the next 10 to 15 years. BG: How are we going to do that? MC: By using a multiple-step process involving a lot of different members from the community. The first thing that the city had done was to develop a Comprehensive Planning Committee. It’s comprised of many key stakeholders within our community who know their field, their
Kids 5 & under FREE! • Passes good all day • Open Mon. - Sat., 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. • worldslargesttoymuseum.com
SEE PLAN, PAGE 10A