This new feature introduces you to people, often behind the scenes, shaping Joplin’s future, including Paul Bloomberg, responsible for Joplin Parks and Recreation.
16 FULL STEAM AHEAD
We have an update on the Schroeder Family Exploreum, a science center that could open in downtown Joplin later this summer.
20 CRITTER COMFORT
What to do with those loved ones that have fur, fins and even scales when they need a little help?
32 CONVERSATIONS
Editor Andy Ostmeyer talks with Mike Bezemek, author of “Paddling the Ozarks” about the best options for summer on the river.
38 DO YOU KNOW JOPLIN?
A new feature tests your knowledge of your hometown
In this Issue: 6 editor’s note 8 faces & places
12 good reads 22 arts and culture 24 in the garden 26 table talk
ON THE COVER
Grady Bayless, 8, gets an early opportunity to experiment with some of what will be in the Schroeder Family Exploreum. Photo/Roger Nomer
Editor's Note
In just a moment, I’m going to let you in on a summer secret guaranteed to make you the hero of any summer outing, reunion, family picnic, vacation or gathering.
But first, let me tell you what we have in store in Joplin Living, a magazine transformed for your reading pleasure.
EDITOR
Andy Ostmeyer
New features include a summer reading list, a section titled “I am Joplin” about the men and women who are working to make your community thrive, puzzles, and an expanded look at people and places.
You also will find many of your favorites, including columns by Wally Kennedy, Marta Churchwell, Sandy Parill and Debby Woodin.
As always, we welcome your suggestions and thoughts, at aostmeyer@joplinglobe.com.
Now, that summer secret.
Possumberry ice cream.
Possumberry is the name I conjured up a few years back to disguise the ice cream I was making for a family competition. Everyone who entered anted up $25, and before long, we had a tidy pot of money for the winner. Everyone had their secret weapon. Mine was possumberries.
What’s a possumberry? Here's a hint: Possum grapes are wild grapes found in the Ozarks. Possumberries are just that — wild berries, in this case blackberries, freshly picked.
My recipe actually came from "Cooking Wild in Missouri," a Missouri Department of Conservation cookbook.
Start with a pound of wild blackberries — about 2 cups, and 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar, and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. The recipe also calls for 1/2 cup of water, but I leave that out because you don't want that in the recipe if you later freeze the leftover ice cream.
Mix the blackberries and sugar in a food processor and then strain for seeds. I usually strain at least twice. Whip the cream until it is about the thickness of buttermilk. The recipe says you can also use yogurt or low-fat or whole milk. I can only vouch for the cream. Once you stir it in, taste it and tweak it if needed with a bit more sugar. Set it in the refrigerator for at least an hour to chill it.
In our case, the grandchildren and Mom and Dad served as judges.
Unfortunately, possumberry came in second. My sister and her husband used bacon in their ice cream and won, but just by a single vote. It’s hard to beat bacon in or on anything.
Andy Ostmeyer is the editor of The Joplin Globe. His email address is aostmeyer@joplinglobe.com.
PUBLISHER
Katherine Miller publisher@joplinglobe.com
EDITOR
Andy Ostmeyer
aostmeyer@joplinglobe.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Kimberly Barker
Marta Churchwell
Wally Kennedy
Andy Ostmeyer
Sandy Parill
Debby Woodin
SALES EXECUTIVES
Terry Cox
Linda Gilmore
Shelley Meeds
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Kimberly Barker
Marta Churchwell
Wally Kennedy
Roger Nomer
LAYOUT/DESIGN
Chrystina Hanna
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
Brett Zacarello
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Daniel Kuhns
dkuhns@joplinglobe.com
117 East 4th Street • Joplin, MO 64801 (800) 444-8514 | joplinglobe.com
To Subscribe: 800-444-8514 Press 1 To Advertise: 800-444-8514 EXT. 7239
Joplin Living is a publication of Newspaper Holdings, Inc. and is published bi-monthly. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be produced in whole or in part without the written permission from the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materials.
faces & places
faces & places
To-do lists, bucket lists, grocery lists—they all come with pressure and expectations. But the summer reading list? It’s delightfully carefree. It doesn’t mind if you finish every book or abandon a few halfway through. So go ahead, stack your list high with our suggestions, even if it defies logic. When that slow, sun-drenched July afternoon arrives and you have a world of stories at your fingertips, you’ll be glad you did.
A Walk in the Park
Kevin Fedarko
Selected by Jeana Gockley
Each year, over 6 million people visit Grand Canyon National Park, but most visits are brief. There is a small group of individuals who hike deeper parts of the canyon, but because it can be a grueling experience it is not for everyone.
In 2014, Kevin Fedarko‘s best friend, National Geographic photographer Peter McBride, proposed they hike the entire length of the Grand Canyon, as a sectional traverse. The 100th anniversary of the Grand Canyon was coming up, in 2016, and McBride billed the project as a way of creating the capstone story of the Grand Canyon, in which they would help National Geographic make others aware of the beauty of this
The Hostess Handbook Maria
Zizka
Seleted by Lisa Brown
If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good party, whether it’s a casual gathering at a friend’s home with board games and snacks, a sit-down meal at my house, or wine and charcuterie anywhere. But does the thought of hosting an event intimidate you and send you spiraling with anxiety? Never fear, help is here, found within the pages of “The Hostess Handbook: A Modern Guide to Entertaining” by Maria Zizka.
I loved the “Hosting Checklist.” Ice? Check. Music playlist? Check. I thought the Hostess Bingo was a cute format to preview the coming chapters. I appreciated the “In a pinch” hints. Missing a serving tray? Use a cutting board. Don’t have tiny fancy forks to spear pickles? No problem, grab the toothpicks.
public land and the threats to it. They would need time to chronicle and document, with Fedarko writing and McBride photographing, doing it in sections. The resulting book was ”A Walk in the Park.”
I thought this book did an excellent job describing the canyon and its landscape. I enjoyed reading about the adventure of the two friends and especially enjoyed the many elements covered by the book — various branches of science as it relates to the Grand Canyon (geology, archaeology, biology, botany, etc.), the history of the canyon, how and why Grand Canyon National Park was created, information about the area’s indigenous people, Fedarko’s experience with the Colorado River, the slot canyons, what the Grand Canyon National Park is like today and what the Canyon means to Fedarko.
In fact, the author is so comprehensive in his coverage that it can be hard to describe the book and its premise to others. However, all the detail creates a beautiful portrait of a special place.
Jeana Gockley is the director of the Joplin Public Library.
The recipes really shine here, providing inspiration for a variety of occasions.
Looking for some nibbles for guests to nosh on? There’s a chapter on party snacks. I was intrigued by the salt and vinegar potato peel chips with chive dip. What a genius move, using potato peels. And I usually put out nuts unless someone has an allergy, so the “Choose Your Own Adventure Spiced Nuts” page will come in handy. As previously indicated, cheese boards are a favorite, and “The Hostess Handbook” features one that has roasted winter fruits. There is even a page on how to style a cheese board.
If you need some help coming up with a party theme and food, “The Hostess Handbook” winds down with a section of menus such as Galentine’s Day, Springtime Luncheon or Taco Night. They seem handy.
Part cookbook, part hosting guide, “The Hostess Handbook” was a fun read and has me in the mood to socialize. Now that spring is in the air, grab it off the new nonfiction shelves here at the Joplin Public Library and start planning your next party.
Lisa Brown is the administrative assistant at the Joplin Public Library.
Fable
Adrienne Young
Selected by Sarah Turner-Hill
This book is for any reader who has pretended to be a diver, diving deep into the ocean on the search for treasure while in actuality diving in a swimming pool.
Or for any reader who has pondered how enticing it would be, really, to reject their current life and become a pirate instead.
If you’d rather not get water up your nose or say goodbye to stable income, ”Fable,” by Adrienne Young, can provide similar high-seas adventures from the comfort of your reading chair. Throw in a really cool protagonist, some slow-burn romance, seafaring politics with a little bit of mystery, a ship crew that might have you thinking “squad goals” and some child abandonment, and you have a favorite young adult novel of mine.
This is a book I’ve reread several times and always enjoy. While there are plot points that don’t truly make sense to me — what father dumps his pretty teenage daughter on a dangerous
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Stuart Turton
Selected by Alyssa Berry
Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered at 11 p.m. But our narrator does not know that yet. In fact, he does not know anything, including his own name.
Each time our narrator wakes up, he does so in a new body. He will have the chance to live through this day eight different times, through the eyes of eight different people. At 11 p.m., Hardcastle will be murdered. He will witness her death multiple times, from multiple perspectives.
Our narrator has been placed in a time loop to solve her murder, but he is not the only one — there are two other people trying to find the answer to this mystery, and only one of them will be allowed to leave once it is solved.
“The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” by Stuart Turton is a unique mystery. The narrator has the opportunity to gain first-hand experience
island because he is “scared for her safety” and how exactly does a crew of teenagers seem to defeat every obstacle a hard world throws at them? — I nonetheless
find myself loving this book. It’s an easy, accessible read, with enough plot turns and excitement to keep me hooked.
The descriptions, especially the underwater scenes, are beautiful. Young brings the setting of the Narrows to life, which I always picture to be something like “Pirates of the Caribbean.” “Fable” is an easy book to dive into and devour. The combination of the plot, setting and characters never disappoints me, and I enjoy it every time I pick it up and sail the Unnamed Sea.
Sarah Turner-Hill is the adult program coordinator at the Joplin Public Library.
from eight different witnesses to the crime. He gains more information each time he inhabits someone new, sometimes interacting with himself in a different body.
As he races to solve Hardcastle’s murder, the narrator gains more insight into why he is here in the first place. As the man in the plague doctor mask tells him, this is not the first time he has experienced these eight days. He will keep living this day through these eight people until he — or one of his rivals — solves the murder.
Alyssa Berry is the technical services librarian at the Joplin Public Library.
The following titles are some of the new items now available for checkout at Joplin Public Library.
JUVENILE FICTION
The Knitting Witch - Norma Kassirer
Quantum Interstellar Sports League - J. Scott Savage
Library Girl - Polly Horvath
Answers to Dog - Pete Hautman
Cinderella and the Beast
(or, Beauty and the Glass Slipper) - Kim Bussing
We Still Belong - Christine Day
JUVENILE STORYBOOKS
When We Gather = Ostadahlisiha: A Cherokee Tribal
Feast - Andrea L. Rogers
The Ramadan Drummer - Sahtinay Abaza
The Perfect Place - Matt de la Pena
Lefty: A Story That Is Not All Right - Mo Willems
We Can Get Along: A Child’s Book of Choices
- Lauren Murphy Payne
Elephants Are Not Birds - Ashley St. Clair
ADULT NONFICTION
Before Elvis: The African American Musicians Who Made the King - Preston Lauterbach
One Pot One Portion: 100 Simple Recipes Just for YouEleanor Wilkinson
Manga for Dummies - Kensuke Okabayashi
Black Revolutionaries: A History of the Black Panther Party - Joe Street
A Little Girl in Auschwitz: A Heart-Wrenching True Story of Survival, Hope and Love - Lidia Maksymowicz
Fearless and Free: A Memoir - Josephine Baker
Notes to John - Joan Didion
Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools That Built the Civil Rights Movement - Elaine F. Weiss
222 Cemeteries to See Before You Die - Loren Rhoads
This Beautiful Day: Daily Wisdom from Mister RogersFred Rogers
ADULT FICTION
As We Forgiven Others: A Northern Gothic Mystery
- Shane Peacock
Strangers in Time - David Baldacci
Silent as the Grave - Rhys Bowen
Our Beautiful Boys: A Novel - Sameer Pandya
The World’s Fair Quilt: A Novel - Jennifer Chiaverini
The Third Rule of Time Travel - Philip Fracassi
TEEN FICTION
Chronically Dolores - Maya Van Wagenen
The Scorpion and the Night Blossom - Amelie Wen Zhao
The Vanished Ones - Chad Lucas
One Step Forward - Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Truth, Lies, and the Questions in Between - L.M. Elliott
The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine - Lindsay A. Franklin
A conversation with Paul Bloomberg, director of Joplin Parks and Recreation
Q: Paul, tell us the story of how you ended up in Joplin, how you got started in parks and rec, and what your job is like in Joplin?
A: I have always liked working with people, making people smile! I also love sports, so my first job was as a day camp counselor for a local YMCA. This put me on the path to get my degree in recreation, parks and tourism administration from Western Illinois University. My journey to Joplin started in 1996, when I married my soulmate, Deandra, and also started my first park and recreation job at the Channahon Park District in Illinois. In 1998, we had our first child, and when my wife’s parents retired to Branson, Missouri, we decided to move close to them so they could be close to their granddaughter. I applied and received an interview for the recreation supervisor position for the city of Joplin in 1999. I was so fortunate to be offered the job, and it's history from there, been here ever since, and loving it. My family loves living in Joplin and the people that live here.
I have been fortunate to work my way from being a supervisor to being the director of parks and recreation. I work with the greatest people in the world and love trying to make Joplin a better place to live. Many people don’t realize how much the Parks and Recreation Department oversees and maintains. We have 24 parks, we have two aquatic centers — soon to be three — a golf course, a museum, athletic fields and complex, trails and cemeteries. So, in all, we maintain over 1,000 acres. As I said before, I work with amazing staff, and my main job is to make sure I provide them with guidance and the tools they need to do their job, which in turn makes Joplin better for those who live here.
Q: What is your favorite memory or story about Joplin parks?
A: It's really difficult to pinpoint my favorite memory, there are so many, but I would have to say recovering from the 2011 tornado. Obviously, this may seem a little
weird. How can one of the biggest disasters be the favorite memory? Simple, it proved that I moved my family to the best place to raise a family. It showed how something so tragic could pull our community together so tightly and make it a better place. I tear up every time I think about it.
Q: Tell us what is happening with Joplin parks today, specifically Ewert, Dora and Spiva, and perhaps any other park projects?
A: It’s an exciting time to live in Joplin and work for the Parks and Recreation Department. We are seeing so much growth, it’s crazy. We have so many projects that the citizens will enjoy. We will open our new 96-acre bike park in the spring of 2026. We will renovate historic Ewert Park with new amenities and a huge splash park. We are expecting this to open in late spring to early summer of 2026. We are adding two new trails to our park system, Tin Cup and Grand Falls. With these new trails, we will start connecting our southern portion of Joplin to the northern part. We are updating playgrounds around the city and making a concerted effort in beautification all over Joplin. I could go on and on, it’s a busy and exciting time to live in Joplin.
Q: Pools just opened Friday so tell us about any changes that pool users will need to know about this summer?
A: Yes, pools are open. Cunningham and Schifferdecker Aquatic Centers opened Friday, and we can’t wait to see everyone. We have updated some amenities, including the rock-climbing wall and the water playground at Schifferdecker. Probably the biggest improvement is the number of staff we were able to hire this year. In previous years, we struggled with getting enough staff to be able to open both pools. This year, we have over 130 certified lifeguards and 27 cashiers. We look forward to being open all season. JL
Rilynn Downing, 6, works on a bee hotel at a Creative Learning Alliance event during Third Thursday. Globe | Roger Nomer
FULL
AHEAD
Joplin Exploreum aiming for August opening for Lab 2.0
By Roger Nomer
This summer, the Schroeder Family Exploreum is making plans to welcome the public into its STEAM-dedicated space in downtown Joplin.
Executive Director Neely Myers said the name Exploreum embodies not only the idea of exploration, but also experimentation and exhibits. It represents everything that people can touch, feel and learn at the science center.
The Creative Learning Alliance paid $1 million for the former Joplin public library building in September 2023 and announced a $6.5 million campaign to remodel and furnish the science center at the same time.
This year they’ve been working on getting the building ready for the public by the end of the summer. Myers said that has involved a lot of internal work, such as fixing the heating and air conditioning system and getting the electricity up to code. They’re preparing the foundational things that everything else depends on.
In February, the Creative Learning Alliance announced that a $500,000 matching
challenge launched in December 2024 had been met by two donors contributing $250,000 each to repair the heating and air conditioning system in the 36,000-square-foot building.
During the announcement, Myers said the $1 million now brings the alliance to 40% of its capital campaign goal of $6.5 million.
“As a non-profit, we are grateful and thankful to our donors who allow us to continue projects like this,” Myers said.
Lab 2.0
can experiment and play with bubbles, provided by a donation from Missouri American Water Co. Myers noted there’s more new exhibits to come as well.
“What that means is that we’ll be able to have some programming in the building at the end of August,” Myers said. “It won’t be a full opening of the building, but at the very least we’ll be able to have kids engaging with our exhibits, have families learning inside the building without having to rely on the weather for activities.”
Around the late August opening date for Lab 2.0, Myers said they have all sorts of activities planned. Their summer programming will lead into the opening, with lots of open houses, celebrations and opportunities for groups and families to join them in August.
“It will be an early peek experience to the full experience of when the building is open,” Myers said.
The Exploreum will also have activities throughout the summer. Myers said they’re planning to concentrate on downtown events, where the center is located, 300 S. Main St. This includes activities and events like Third Thursdays. While there are some offsite events planned, too, they are mostly focusing on their August grand opening.
It’s a place where a kid comes in not understanding something and leaves saying, 'I’m going to grow up to be an astronaut, or a fiber artist, or an engineer,' because of something they saw here.
Once Lab 2.0 is open, the Exploreum will host smaller field trips and have regular hours for visitors. They are also planning for memberships and the grand opening of the rest of the building. Myers said as the Exploreum opens, they’ll be looking for people who love science and volunteering to help with regular shifts in the building. There’s a need for these volunteers to help the Exploreum. People interested in volunteering can reach out to Myers at the Exploreum.
Since the alliance purchased the building, they’ve been slowly preparing the north end of it for an exhibit space called Lab 2.0. This space will be available to the public first while construction continues on the south end of the building.
Slated to open in late August, Lab 2.0 will feature an expanded version of their previous location on Main Street with all the same exhibits they’ve had, plus a few more manufactured exhibits.
Those include a Bubble Monster, a room where visitors
Myers said she hopes the space becomes a hub of activity, a hub of education, and a hub of excitement for learning about our world and how things work.
“I hope it’s a place for finding passion for things like biology, math or a particular graphic arts,” Myers said. “It’s a place where a kid comes in not understanding something and leaves saying, 'I’m going to grow up to be an astronaut, or a fiber artist, or an engineer,' because of something they saw here. Something went straight to their core and they discovered they could do something.”
JL
Schroeder Family Exploreum Executive Director Neely Myers part of the science museum could open as early as August.
Photo/Roger Nomer
Tabitha Bailey-Wilson at Little Critters in Joplin doesn't discriminate. Whether your pet has scales, shells, feathers or fur, she'll take them into her business with open arms.
Little Critters, 2106 S. Main St. in Joplin offers daycare, boarding, dog training/bathroom training, nail cutting and grooming services. The shop accepts pets of all kinds — cats, dogs, rabbits, turtles, snakes, birds — you name it. One of the residents inside Little Critters is an Amazon parrot rescue named Harley, who likes to greet visitors with a human-like “hello” as they walk in the front door.
Bailey-Wilson opened her business more than 15 years ago, going above and beyond to keep her clients and their pets happy. She said her goal is to serve and give back to the community where she was born and raised.
“My clients and I are real tight,” she said. “I love them. If
Kimberly Barker
the Best! the Best!
Little Critters in Joplin shows love to both clients and their pets
Dawn Robinson is her co-worker at Little Critters. The by
elderly clients need me to come pick up their dog, I don’t charge them.”
Beverly Isbell has been taking her mother’s dogs to Little Critters since the shop first opened. She brought in a fouryear-old Shih Tzu, Harper, in early May for a groom, bath and nail trim.
“She’s friendly and really easy to work with,” Isbell said about Bailey-Wilson. “She’s a good lady.”
Bailey-Wilson believes in allowing the dogs to be as comfortable as possible and even lets clients hold their animals to keep them calm throughout the process.
“I do handicapped dogs, big dogs and senior dogs,” said Bailey-Wilson. “Our customers are welcome to sit back here with us and help if they want to because it relieves them of stress.”
team doesn’t tie up or muzzle dogs while they’re being groomed and they rely on each other to help make the animals feel relaxed.
Adult and youth volunteers also learn under Bailey-Wilson, a self-taught groomer. Elizabeth Bennett, 13, who’s in seventh grade, said she likes dogs and has volunteered at Little Critters for more than a year.
Bailey-Wilson has been working with animals since she was a young girl and is happy to extend her knowledge to the next generation of groomers. She’s also willing to assist clients who are on fixed-incomes or can’t normally afford grooming services.
“I love animals,” said Bailey-Wilson. “They’re soothing and kind. They have a heart and they need that love. I rescue a lot of animals and send them to a good home. If homeless people in town have dogs, I let them come in here, and I will give them flea baths, cut their toenails and offer them food and popsicles.”
About three years ago, Bailey-Wilson added on the day care extension next door to Little Critters and named it after her late father, Marcus Bailey.
“We call it the ‘Marcus Place’ in his honor,” she said. “He passed away from cancer, and he was my best friend. This was his dream.”
For more information and pricing, call Little Critters at 417-
PLENTY OF ROOM TO RUN!
Owner Tabitha Bailey-Wilson poses with long-time client Stanley, a chocolate Labrador Retriever, and her team, Elizabeth Bennett (center) and Dawn Robinson (right) in front of the Little Critters sign. Joplin Living | Kimberly Barker
Joplin artist casts wide net
BBy Marta Churchwell
renda Sears Hayes has been called a free-range artist. She casts a wide net in the mediums she practices — jewelry, painting, weaving, mosaics, art journals, and upcycled clothes, hats and scarves. Now, she’s trying her hand at stained glass.
“I just want to keep learning,” says the local, award-winning artist. “I wish I could focus on one thing, but I can’t. I want to learn more.”
An administrative assistant in the kinesiology department at Missouri Southern State University, Hayes doesn’t have a for mal education in art. She’s a self-taught artist.
In the beginning, she created upcycled jewelry, deconstructing old jewelry and found objects to create new jewelry. She might attach old beads to a small antique door hinge as a focal piece.
That progressed to upcycled clothing — tearing apart old clothes to create new sweaters, hats and scarves.
She started selling her upcycled work in Joplin art walk about 15 years ago, and she continued to try new mediums — painting, weaving, creating custom art journals. Now, she’s branching into mosaics and stained glass.
Because of her range of mediums, Hayes is as likely to enter a painting as she is a woven piece in area exhibits. Her work has been in group exhibits of Spiva Center for the Arts, ArtCentral at Carthage, the Bourbon County Arts Council at Fort Scott, Kansas, and the Joplin Regional Artists Coalition, of which she’s a former board member. She’s taken honorable mention awards for her work in JRAC shows and she won second place in the fiber division at the Bourbon County Arts Council Fine Arts Exhibit of 2023.
Aside from the pieces she enters in exhibits, Hayes sells her work at regional art festivals and at ArtForms Gallery, in Pittsburg, Kansas, and The Artificers gallery in Fort Scott. She’s also part of a team of women artists, Market Artisans, who sell their work at the Downtown Joplin Alliance’s Empire Market.
In addition to that creative involvement, Hayes also teaches classes in various mediums at ArtForms and Spiva Center for the Arts.
Most recently, she participated with three other artists in painting live as part of the St. Avips Tea, an art auction fundraiser for Spiva Center for the Arts. Painting in the round, she and the other artists would start paintings and pass them from one to another to complete them.
She’s also preparing to lead a community weaving project on May 25 at ArtForms. Art patrons will be able to try weaving on various types of looms and then contribute to a group weaving on a large loom.
Hayes’ work can be viewed on her personal Facebook page.
Marta Churchwell is an arts columnist for The Joplin Globe JL
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Painting is among the range of mediums in which Brenda Sears Hayes works.
Photo courtesy Marta Churchwell
in the garden
"I believe in fireflies, fairies, and other miracles.”
- Sandy Parrill
Mother Nature's firefly light show a summer treat
By Sandy Parrill
SSandy and Jim Parrill garden at Chaos, their acre of the Ozarks in Joplin, Missouri.
Sandy is a lifelong gardener, Missouri Master Gardener and winner of The Missouri Writers Guild 2018 first place award for Best Newspaper Column.
Jim is a former garden center owner and landscaper; both are past members of the Missouri Landscape and Nursery Association. Email them at sandraparrill@sbcglobal.net and follow their Facebook page, A Parrillel Universe of Wonderful Things.
uddenly, it’s summer. It’s a pleasure to relax in balmy evenings, gently rocking on the front porch swing with a cool glass of lemonade, watching the slow unwinding of a summer’s day in lengthening shadows as the glow of the setting sun burnishes trees with flame. Drowsy murmurs of birds settling for the night are punctuated by who-cooks-foryou calls of a barred owl and the silent, dark shadows of hunting bats ghosting across the sky. The silver crescent of the waxing moon casts pale, ghostly light on flitting moths as they follow perfumes of night-scented lilies drifting through the gloam like unseen smoke, and a gentle, cool breeze whispers arcane secrets of the night.
In the woods and across lawns and fields, nature stages a fireworks show as fireflies spark in treetops to greet stars blinking on, one by one against darkening skies; tiny, ethereal fairy lights twinkling through garden beds to the tallest treetops, seemingly thousands more this summer than in recent past years. The mild winter and wet spring were likely catalysts — the damper the soil, the more slugs, pill bugs, worms and snails for predatory firefly larvae to eat. After living in the soil for one to two years, they emerge as adults in late May, early-mid June when they take to the night skies to mate and lay eggs for the next generation. Undisturbed woods soil helps as leaves and other detritus are left to decompose, feeding firefly food sources and providing habitat for the bioluminescent larvae, known as “glowworms."
Neither flies nor bugs, but beetles, fireflies (also known as lightning bugs) are nocturnal members of the Lampyridae family, with hard wing cases that lift like the doors of a Lamborghini to expose membranous wings.
Their glow is triggered by a chemical reaction between luciferin, an organic compound in their abdomens, and air, the flow regulated by the firefly in a pulsating pattern through its abdomen.
Trolling males in the air flash their mating “catcalls” and if a receptive female on the ground is suitably impressed, she’ll flash a single light to follow a male’s pattern. Other flashes warn predators that they taste really bad, due to lucibufagins, a defensive steroid in their blood (except to frogs, which apparently have no such discerning palate and will gorge on fireflies until they have their own inner glow). Some predatory females play deadly games, falsifying flashes of other firefly species to lure those males, and then eat them. Firefly mating can be a risky business.
In recent years, fireflies are disappearing in urban and farm areas due to habitat destruction and over-use of soil and lawn chemicals. As the larvae lives underground, grub control lawn chemicals will kill them as well. When I first moved here, fireflies were in abundance in the woods, until we cleared invasive honeysuckle and euonymous, leaving the soil nearly barren of low vegetation. There were few fireflies that summer. It was several years before they returned in abundance to once again thrill and delight my inner child, their habitat gradually regained as wildflowers covered the ground, composting leaves fed the soil and it was no longer much disturbed.
One more reason to not be a good outdoor “housekeeper’ and keep alive the magic, leaving more time for rocking in the porch swing, believing in fairies and sipping another glass of lemonade. JL
Casa Montez, Joplin's first Mexican restaurant, marks 60th anniversary
by Wally Kennedy
In the spring of 1965, the doors to Joplin's first Mexican restaurant, Casa Montez, opened in a cafe at 17th Street and Range Line Road. At that time, the two-lane road was home to about 15 restaurants.
Now, 60 years later it has reinvented itself in a drive-in on South Main Street that has become a gathering place for local people who still crave the Mexican food they grew up with. Having survived a fire, a tornado and a pandemic, the fact that this restaurant is still in business is a miracle. It's also a testament to the loyalty of its clientele.
David Amayo, who has been associated with Casa Montez since the beginning, gets a bit emotional when he recalls how fans of the restaurant lined up outside for the reopening after a fire in 1996 shut it down for months. The same thing happened when it reopened after the 2011 tornado.
"I tell people it's like that TV show 'Cheers' where everyone knows everybody,'' said Amayo. "When you come here, you will probably see somebody you know.''
His wife, Cynthia, said, "You see people get up from their table and talk to other people on their way out. That happens all of the time.''
When the pandemic hit in 2019, the restaurant was at 2324 S.Range Line Road. It closed. When the Eagle Drive-In, 4224 S.Main St., became available in 2021, the Amayos decided it was time to bring back a smaller version of Casa Montez.
"We only have 32 seats,'' said Amayo. "The kitchen has 240 square feet. Five people work in that space.''
He credits the restaurant's consistent production to Ninfa De La Torre, who has headed up the kitchen for 30 years. Her daughter, Alili Howe, now with a family of her own, became a server when she was 16. Said Howe: "This really is a family restaurant and our customers are like family.''
Amayo, whose father-in-law, George Montez, helped found the restaurant, is still a hands-on owner. He pre-measures in bags the ingredients needed to make sauces.
"I like to taste things after they are made to see if something is missing,'' he said. "You know, sometimes you forget the salt.''
Casa Montez is known for its cheese dip. Amayo recalls how the restaurant produced 40 quarts of cheese dip at $30 per quart in one day. That record was set Dec. 14, 2021.
The restaurant also is known for its soft taco dinner, a house favorite, and its chicken enchiladas. The restaurant, which does not prepare any American food, trimmed its menu to the basics when it reopened. Back by popular demand is the Montez salad.
A secret to the restaurant's success is that its food is served on a hot plate. Sometimes the plates are too hot to touch. Chips for dipping fresh guac or the house salsa are made fresh daily and served warm.
When Casa Montez opened 60 years ago, it featured dining by candlelight. Candles were placed on top of old wine
bottles. The glow of a candlelit dinner created the perfect ambiance for that first date.
"We still have people come in and tell us they had their first date at Casa Montez and then got married,'' said Amayo. "They come back now for their anniversaries.''
Contact Wally Kennedy at wkennedy@joplinglobe.com. JL
Associated with The Joplin Globe for 49 years as a news writer and columnist, Wally Kennedy enjoys the challenge of writing about food and the people who make it.
Alili Howe delivers a cheese enchilada and carne asada street taco dinner to a customer at Casa Montez. Globe | Wally Kennedy
David and Cynthia Mayo, the owners of Casa Montez, pose with their pooch, Dolly Parton. Globe | Wally Kennedy
Diners at Casa Montez, 4224 S. Main St., can eat outdoors if the drive-in is overflowing. The drive-in, constructed in 1964, was home to Burl's Dairy Creme. Globe | Wally Kennedy
Here's a kernel of truth about corn on the cob
by Debby Woodin
There's a song about it being summertime and the living is easy.
So anytime a tasty meal can be made in one skillet on the stove or outside on the griddle, or grill, and involve corn on the cob, that sounds pretty easy to me.
And when you put together fresh corn with chicken, bacon, herbs and seasonings, what you've got my friend, is you've got it going on!
That is the case with these recipes.
All credit for the following recipe goes to Tieghan Girard on her online food blog "Half Baked Harvest." She also has published four cookbooks.
Debby Woodin is a writer and columnist for The Joplin Globe and Joplin Living who enjoys cooking and likes to simplify recipes that will still yield tasty results.
Garlic butter corn and chicken
1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken breasts or thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
Salt and pepper (kosher salt recommended)
1/4 cup flour
4 slices thick bacon, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
4 ears corn, kernels removed
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
1/2 cup heavy cream, or canned coconut milk (full fat), or whole milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
Rub the chicken all over with 1 tablespoon olive oil, thyme, and season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the chicken and toss to coat, adding more flour if needed to cover the chicken.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain onto paper towels.
Add the chicken to the pan and sear on both sides until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the butter, corn, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook another 5 minutes or until the corn is golden.
Reduce the heat to medium low and pour in the wine and 1/2 cup water. Add the chicken back to the skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer the chicken for 10-15 minutes until cooked through. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan, cook another few minutes until warmed through. Remove from the heat and top with bacon.
Serve the dish topped with fresh thyme and basil.
For variations, I would agree with one commenter on the blog who said she used frozen corn. My taste buds tell me frozen corn is better than canned when fresh is not available. Another commenter said she squeezed some fresh lemon juice on the food before serving to get a brighter taste. That's something to consider.
Ree Drummond, known as The Pioneer Woman, also has an ear to the ground for corn on the cob recipes. The following is from her blog:
Grilled corn with garlic-chive butter
8 ears yellow corn, in the husk Kosher salt, for serving
For the garlic-chive butter:
6 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill over high heat of 450 to 500 degrees. For the grilled corn: Pull off all of the layers of the green husk, except for the two layers closest to the kernels. Pull those two layers back without detaching them. Remove all of the thin threads of silk from around the kernels of the corn. Fold the reserved pieces of husk back over the corn kernels, leaving a couple of gaps of open space.
Place the corn on the grill over direct heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Rotate each ear with a quarter turn, cover and continue to cook 5 more minutes. Repeat 1 to 2 more times to cook all sides of the corn, 15 to 20 minutes total. Corn will become bright yellow and caramelized in spots when cooked through. Remove from the heat.
For the garlic-chive butter: In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, chives, paprika and black pepper. Mash and stir with a fork to combine. Remove the charred husks from the corn. Spread the ears with garlic-chive butter, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.
Recipes Recipes
Red Potato Salad
2 pounds clean, scrubbed new red potatoes
6 large eggs
1 pound bacon
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 cups mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
Gather the ingredients. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.
Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove eggs from hot water; cool in ice water. Peel, then chop into small, bite-sized pieces.
Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels, then crumble.
Chop cooled potatoes, leaving skin on. Add to a large bowl, along with eggs, bacon, onion, and celery. Stir in mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.
The Best Lemon Bars
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup white sugar
Filling:
1 ½ cups white sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
2 lemons, juiced
Gather the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
To make the crust: Blend 2 cups flour, softened butter, and 1/2 cup sugar in a medium bowl until well combined.
Press crust into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13-inch pan.
Bake crust in the preheated oven until firm and golden, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour in a medium bowl. Whisk in eggs, then lemon juice until smooth.
Pour filling over the baked crust.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Set the pan aside to cool completely; the bars will firm up as they cool.
When cooled, cut bars into uniform squares.
Buffalo
Chicken Wraps
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bitesize pieces
¼ cup hot sauce
4 (10 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 celery stalk, diced
½ cup blue cheese dressing
Gather all ingredients.
Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts. Add chicken; cook and stir until no
longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Pour hot sauce into the skillet and toss until chicken is coated.
Lay tortillas out on a work surface. Divide sauced chicken evenly among tortillas.
Top the chicken with lettuce and celery, then drizzle blue cheese dressing over top. Fold in tortilla sides and roll around filling. Serve and enjoy!
Rolling on River life in the Ozarks
By Andy Ostmeyer
In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of ... paddling."
Wait a minute, that's not the quote ...
"In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love," Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote in his poem, "Locksley Hall." Whatever.
How about a compromise?
"In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to ... love of paddling."
There, that's better.
I'm not the young man Tennyson had in mind, not even in the middle part of my adventure any longer, but to stick with our theme ... I am on the lower river of my life.
A little slower. A little wider. Not quite as rambunctious as the upper river of my youth.
But still rolling on.
And this spring, my thoughts turn to the many people that I have had a chance to interview about Ozark rivers, and to the
praises they heap on the opportunities in our backyards.
The glass-clear water … dramatic bluffs and springs … generally easy public access … it all adds up to some of the paddling in the country.
Yet I think it's fair to say we have taken our backyard, our rivers, our water for granted, but it doesn't have to be that way. Appreciating them starts with a river trip, perhaps one as close as Shoal Creek or Big Sugar/Elk River. The Kings River and the James are other close-by options.
All are included in Mike Bezemek's guide, “Paddling the Ozarks," which is one of the best guides out there for this part of the country.
Bezemek also was a columnist and writer for the popular “Canoe & Kayak” magazine until it ceased operating a few years ago, and a former raft guide. He is also the author of “Paddling the John Wesley Powell Route,” the latter
tracing the path of Powell’s journey down the Green and Colorado rivers. He knows which end of a paddle is up.
“A lot of people who paddle the Ozarks tend to paddle the same place," he told me, but for him the attraction is the thousands of miles of Ozark river, each different.
Bezemek identifies 40 paddle trips in Missouri and Arkansas, from Big Piney Creek in Arkansas River to Big Piney River in Missouri.
In other words, there's a lot out there. For his guidebook, he wandered deep into the Ozarks and hit a number of rivers, including the Mulberry, a National Wild and Scenic River in Arkansas. It's one of the frothier runs in the western Ozarks; Bryant Creek in Missouri, which he described as a “relatively unknown creek” with a “wild feel, despite primarily private land,” and, of course, the more popular and better known Buffalo and Current rivers, which between draw millions of visitors annually.
He broke his book into a number of categories:
•Best overnight trip: Buffalo River, Ponca to Kyles.
(For my money, it's the lower Buffalo.)
•Best intermediate to advanced whitewater: Richland Creek, also in Arkansas. (Mulberry was second.)
•Best party float: Sorry, Elk River, you came in second, behind the Spring River in Arkansas. (They must put on quite a show!)
“Pretty rowdy,” Bezemek told me.
When I asked where he would go if he had a chance to take someone on just one Ozark river trip in their life, Big Piney Creek and Buffalo River in Arkansas were the two he mentioned first, followed by the Current and the Eleven Point in Missouri.
There is no wrong answer.
Tim Palmer is another paddler extraordinaire who sings praises of our Ozark rivers.
He is the author of more than two dozen books on rivers and river conservation.
He has paddled and floated more than 300 rivers in the United States
and western Canada, and his website notes that he “lived for 22 years as a nomad in his van, traveling throughout the country to do research, writing and photography for his book projects.”
He served on the board of the national advocacy group American Rivers and was the first recipient of that group’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Palmer also was named one of the nation’s “10 greatest river conservationists” and one of the “100 paddlers of the century” by Paddler magazine and was also tabbed at one point as one of the “Seven Interesting People Protecting Rivers for Paddling” by Canoe and Kayak’s website.
So what does he think of Ozark rivers?
River in the United States) and many more.
Well, one of his books, “America’s Great River Journeys," includes two Ozark Rivers: the Buffalo River in Arkansas and the Current River in Missouri.
“The Current,” Palmer wrote, “is arguably the finest Class I extended river journey in the nation.”
Cliff Jacobson is another person I have interviewed. His list of rivers is the envy of anyone who ever picked up a paddle. He has spent hundreds of nights guiding and canoe-camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota. He received the “Legends of Paddling Award” from the American Canoe Association.
Jacobson also is the author of a number of books on canoeing, including one on my shelves, “Canoeing Wild Rivers,” and many of his adventures were told in articles like those in the now defunct “Canoe and Kayak” magazine, which began printing in the 1970s. It’s where I first read him (his books, blog and more can still be found at his website, cliffcanoe.com). He and a handful of other writers, through their expeditions and their articles and books, helped put canoeing on the map and put many exotic rivers on countless bucket lists.
His resume includes trips on the Hood River to the Arctic, the Noatak in Alaska (the longest Wild and Scenic
Listed among Jacobson’s many expeditions, I was surprised to see some locals: the Jack’s Fork and Current in Missouri (Ozark National Scenic Riverways) as well as the Buffalo River, which he described as “one of the finest runs in the U.S.A.”
I asked Jacobson: What is it about Ozark rivers that brings you back?
“These rivers are one of the very few where you can camp and have campfires anywhere along the river. This is very unique among U.S. rivers,” he told me.
His list of reasons for returning includes: “Wonderful water quality — champagne clear water ... water quality is among the best of all the U.S. rivers I’ve paddled. I love the many canoeable rapids. ... I also love the remoteness — no shoreline development.”
He also had this to say: “I’ve also found the local people to be wonderful. They are helpful, friendly and accommodating. There are also good shuttle services which are important to paddlers. It’s also a no-hassle experience, meaning you don’t need permits, payments and whatever.”
Yeah, in spring a young man’s fancy turns to Ozark rivers.
And old man’s, too.
Andy Ostmeyer is the long-time outdoor editor for The Joplin Globe JL
fun & games
CLUES ACROSS
McCarthy acolyte Roy
Ancient Korean chiefdoms
Not soft
Jai , sport
Philosophy
Do what you’re told
Gaffe
Widely known and esteemed
Amusement park attraction
Popular comic strip Viking
Usually has a lid
American sportscaster
Lung fibrosis
General’s assistant (abbr.)
Pouch
Upset
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Astronomy unit of distance
Gradually disappear
Regions
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Expression of disappointment
Popular Dodge truck model
The 17th letter of the Greek alphabet
Soviet Socialist Republic
Songs to a beloved
Custom
Partner to cheese
Plant that originated vegetatively
Irish goddess
Hungarian village
God worshipped in Kanesh
One thousand cubic feet (abbr.)
Semitic
About blood
Benign tumors
Move one’s head
Hours (Spanish)
Hebrew calendar month
Advise someone
Colors clothes
The sun does it
Concealed
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(abbr.)
Fun By The Numbers
Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test!
Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
BETTER GOLF
do you know...
Do You Know Joplin?
Ready to flex those brain muscles? DO YOU KNOW JOPLIN is trivia that has a quirky question or surprising facts.
Whether you’re a walking encyclopedia or just really good at guessing, let’s see who really knows it all—or who just knows a little about a lot! See how well you really know Joplin!
answers for fun & games puzzles
If this jewelry could talk, it would have a lively story to tell.
Bonnie Parker, of Bonnie and Clyde fame, left behind some of her costume jewelry after a shootout in 1933 in Joplin.
Do you know where you can see it in Joplin?
A: The Joplin History Museum in Schifferdecker Park
