Connection August

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Gold medal

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Monett woman looks back on her Olympic experience THE NEED FOR SPEED

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A COMMON RHYTHM

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AUGUST 2012

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AUGUST 2012

CONTENTS

contents CONNECTION MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2012 8 GOLD MEDAL MOMENT Monett woman looks back on her Olympic experience

15 FINDING THEIR PLACE IN THE SON Camp ministers to teens on the shores of Table Rock Lake

20 DESTINATION EUROPE 29 THE BIGGEST PICNIC IN SOUTHWEST MISSOURI Crane Broiler Festival is still going strong after six decades

36 THE NEED FOR SPEED Monett Speedway brings racing action to southwest Missouri

43 ROOKIE RIDER Cassville woman is named the American Quarter Horse Association’s Rookie of the Year

46 A COMMON RHYTHM Drum circles are a monthly event in nearby Eureka Springs

on the cover: Ginny Fuldner displays the gold and bronze medals she won at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.

Photo by Mike Scott AUGUST 2012

46 CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 5

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Connection A magazine dedicated to Southwest Missourians PUBLISHER Ron Kemp GENERAL MANAGER Mike Schlichtman EDITOR Lisa Schlichtman editor@monett-times.com ART DIRECTOR Veronica Zucca connection@monett-times.com ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Karen Waltrip Greg Gilliam Robyn Blankenship Sheila Harris Marion Chrysler GRAPHIC ARTISTS Scott Grissom Richard Reed Joshua Mitchell CONTRIBUTORS Lindsay Reed Murray Bishoff Meagan Ruffing Jo Anne Ellis Nancy Ridgley Lisa Craft Darlene Wierman Sally Reinhardt Melonie Roberts Sheila Harris Susan Funkhouser Anne Angle Heno Head, Jr. Katie Barton Martin Couch PHOTOGRAPHERS Sarah Lee Mike Scott Amanda Solak Chuck Nickle Kerry Hays Patti Richardson Jeff Terry DISTRIBUTION Jim Bower TO ADVERTISE 417-847-2610 - Cassville 417-235-3135 - Monett Send e-mail inquiries to editor@monett-times.com Mailing address: P.O. Box 40, Monett, MO 65708 Connection is published monthly and distributed free in Cassville, Monett, Exeter, Washburn, Pierce City, Mt. Vernon, Aurora, Verona, Roaring River, Eagle Rock, Shell Knob, Purdy, Wheaton, Freistatt, Marionville, Seligman, Golden and other surrounding areas.

417-235-9097 845 Hwy 60, Suite A, Monett, MO 65708 6 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

Connection is a publication of the Cassville Democrat, The Monett Times and Rust Communications.

AUGUST 2012

HAVE ALWAYS been obsessed with the Olympics, and this year’s summer games in London will be no exception. I expect to be glued to the TV every night for the first two weeks of this month watching the world’s best athletes compete for gold.

My first memories of the Olympics revolve around a tiny gymnast from Russia named Olga Korbut. I had just turned 8 years old when Olga won three gold medals and a silver at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. I remember sitting in front of the television set and watching Olga leap, jump, flip and handspring into the hearts of all who watched her history-making performances on the balance beam, the uneven bars and the floor.

During commercials, I would prance around the living room, somersaulting and cartwheeling and then posing with my arms held high and my back arched, pretending I had just won a gold medal. Olga Korbut’s captivating smile and the tears she shed during the competition gave a new face to the sport of gymnastics, inspiring young girls, like myself, to sign up for tumbling classes at their local gyms.

When it comes to coverage of the Olympic games, I love the profiles of the individual athletes. I love learning about their training methods and the obstacles they had to overcome to reach the world’s most elite amateur sports competition.

This month in Connection, you’ll have the opportunity to read about a former Olympian who lives in Monett. Ginny Fuldner graciously agreed to allow me to interview her for this month’s cover story. I spent a delightful two hours talking to Ginny about her experience at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics where she earned gold and bronze medals for the United States in swimming.

Ginny said she remembers her Olympic experience like it was yesterday. Every time she watches the summer games, she’s transported back to when she was a 17-year-old swimmer from New Jersey looking to make her mark on swimming history.

Ginny’s story is inspiring, especially knowing that after reaching the pinnacle of sports achievements she went on to share her passion for swimming and her gift for coaching by founding the highly successful Monett WaterThrashers swim team.

Hundreds of young swimmers have participated in the swim program since its beginnings in 1989, and from Ginny and other coaches, youngsters learn to swim competitively, and maybe more importantly, they are taught the values of hard work, discipline and the importance of setting big goals.

I hope you enjoy reading about our local Olympian and find yourself inspired by her story. And in light of that story’s theme may I suggest two ways to beat the summer heat? Take a dip in your neighborhood pool, swim a few laps and then plan to stay indoors to watch the pageantry of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Keep connecting,

Lisa Schlichtman

AUGUST 2012

EDITOR’SNOTE

I

Send your Connection story ideas to me at editor@monett-times.com.

Story ideas and photo submissions are always welcome.

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CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 7

8 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2012

STORY BY LISA SCHLICHTMAN PHOTOS BY MIKE SCOTT

In 1964

, a young teenager from West Orange, New Jersey, defied expectations and won gold in the 400-meter freestyle at the Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan. Two days after finishing a disappointing third in the 100meter backstroke where she was the event favorite, 17-year-old Virginia “Ginny” Duenkel was able to climb back up on the victory stand, and this time, have a gold medal draped around her neck.

“For me, finishing third in the backstroke was traumatic. I had the world record going into it,” said Virginia, who is now known to area residents as Monett’s own Ginny Fuldner.

“There was only three-10ths of a second between first and third place.

“After the backstroke, I cried on the victory stand, and everyone thought I was crying because I was happy, but I was upset. When I stood on the stand for the 400, I cried again, but this time, it was because I was happy.

I’d won a gold medal.”

Ginny said she was not expected to medal in the 400meter freestyle event but willed herself to win the race after her heartbreaking finish in the 100meter backstroke. It was encouraging words from the Olympic swimming team’s assistant coach that made Ginny believe she still had a chance to achieve her gold medal moment.

“He came to me and said ‘you’re in as good a shape as anyone in the 400 free. There’s

AUGUST 2012

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 9

no reason you can’t win gold,’” explained Ginny. “He convinced me, and I had two days between the end of the backstroke and the free to mentally prepare.”

It was visualization that gave Ginny the winning edge.

“I spent days thinking about the race,” said Ginny, “thinking about where I wanted to be at each turn. I knew how I was going to swim the race in my mind, and on the block, I was amazingly calm. I knew in my head I was going to win the race,

THE EARLY YEARS Ginny’s road to the becoming an Olympic athlete did not begin in typical fashion. She was not a child protege who took to the water like a fish at an early age. In fact, Ginny says she was afraid of the water and did not learn to swim until she was 9 years old. Her introduction to the water came abruptly during a family trip to the pool when Ginny’s father took matters into his own hands and threw his

and I swam the race exactly the way I’d envisioned.

“I finished in first place and shocked everybody. My coach and I were the only ones who weren’t surprised.”

In winning the race, Ginny beat teammate and world record holder Marilyn Remenofsky with a time of 4:43.33 -- an Olympic record.

The fact that Ginny won two medals in Tokyo was even more impressive, because the shorter 100-meter and 400-meter competitions were not her strongest events.

“The 200 backstroke was my best event and the distance freestyle (1,500 meters),” said Ginny. “Unfortunately, when I swam, they didn’t have distance events for women in the Olympics.”

10 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

daughter into the water.

“My mom took me and my brothers to the pool in the summer and I never got in,” shared Ginny. “One day my dad just picked me up and threw me in the pool. I was screaming and yelling, but I was only in water up to my waist. When I realized I could be in the pool and not drown, I liked it.”

After her initial immersion experience, Ginny decided to join some friends on an AAU winter swim team that practiced in a men’s athletic club in Newark, New Jersey. Swimming continued to be more social than serious for Ginny, who admitted to sneaking out of practice to play games in the club’s dressing room.

A CELEBRATED SWIMMER In addition to winning a gold medal and bronze medal in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Ginny Fuldner has received a number of other honors.

Ginny won four national championships in swimming, and traveled to Lima, Peru, in 1965 as an ambassador of United States swimming.

She was also inducted into the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame in 1975, the West Orange, New Jersey, Hall of Fame in 1989, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 and the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, in 1985.

It took a new swim coach to finally harness Ginny’s interest and talents, and at the age of 13, the young swimmer tapped into her potential.

“I had a great coach (Frank Elm) who was a great motivator,” said Ginny. “He helped me set goals. In the beginning, we set simple goals like winning a medal in the next race. Each time, he helped me set a new goal that was accomplishable. I achieved those goals, and this gave me faith in myself.”

After swimming in a few national championships, Ginny’s coach set the bar even higher.

He told Ginny he wanted her to train for a spot on the Olympic team.

“It was a little seed he planted in my head, and it grew, and the more I swam, the better I was getting in the water.”

And swim she did. Summer practice involved three daily training sessions in the morning, afternoon and evening with Ginny swimming up to 13 miles a day.

“My coach was a firm believer in hard work,” said Ginny. “He believed the more laps you swam, the better you would be.”

The time in the pool paid off, and in 1963, Ginny had the opportunity to compete in the Pan-American Games in Sao Paolo, Brazil, where she won a gold medal in the 400-meter medley.

“At that point I was feeling pretty good about myself.”

The Olympic trials were next, and since they were held in New York City that year, a large contingent of Ginny’s family and friends were in attendance to watch her meet her goal of qualifying for the Olympics and

AUGUST 2012

setting a world record in the 100meter backstroke.

“It was very exciting,” said Ginny. “I went right from New York City to California where we spent a month and half training as a team. We got to Tokyo a week before the opening ceremonies.”

A VIVD MEMORY As the Olympic Games open in London, Ginny recalls her experience in Tokyo as if it were yesterday.

“When I watch the Olympics, it takes me right back to when I was there,” said Ginny.

This June, Ginny traveled to Omaha, Nebraska, where she had the opportunity to watch the Olympic swimming trials, and now, she is spending her evenings watching the Summer Games with the intensity reserved for Olympic alumni.

In particular, Ginny said she is anxious to follow the performances of current swimming greats Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte and newcomer Missy Franklin, who is the same age Ginny was when she competed at the Tokyo Olympics over four decades ago.

Winning two Olympic medals was a life-changing experience for Ginny. In the days and months following the 1964 Summer Games, Ginny was a hometown hero. Her arrival back in the states was greeted with a large gathering of fans at the Newark Airport, including the high school band and cheerleaders, followed by a big parade in her honor.

The high school senior also became a star on the local speaking circuit, and a few years after the 1964 Olympics, the community built a new pool and named it the Ginny Duenkel Pool to commemorate her athletic achievement.

Following her graduation from high school, Ginny chose to attend the University of Michigan where she became a member of one of the country’s first women’s swim teams. Since it was the beginning of collegiate sports for women, the team only practiced two nights a week, and Ginny knew she would need to work harder if she wanted to qualify for the next Olympics.

“I asked the boys coach if I could practice with them,” said Ginny. “And I did for awhile, but he put a lot of restrictions on me and I didn’t want to deal with it. I gave up a lot in high school to get where I was, and I was in college now, and I wanted to have fun so I quit the swim team.”

A LASTING LEGACY Although Ginny would not compete in another Olympics, swimming remained a part of her life. After graduating from Michigan, she taught and coached swimming at schools in Seattle, Washington, Fort Meyers, Florida, and Denver, Colorado.

Ginny met her husband, Chris Fuldner, in Denver, and the couple moved to Monett in 1971 when their oldest daughter, Jaime, was an infant. Ginny and Chris had two more children, Kerry and Scott, and Ginny settled into life as a stay-at-home mom.

In 1989, Ginny was approached by her friend Sandy Crinic about starting a swim team in Monett, and the popular WaterThrashers swim program was born.

“It began with my three, Susan’s two and seven other kids,” said Ginny.

Gradually the team grew, and in just a few years, there were 25 WaterThrashers. By the time Ginny retired in 2009 after 20 years of coaching, the team had swelled to 120 swimmers from all across the bi-county area.

The WaterThrashers, competing in the Tri-State League, won their first B Division championship in 1995, and in 2000, the local team won the A Division title for the first time. From that point on, the WaterThrashers were the league

champions year after year.

“WaterThrashers was one of the best things I’ve ever done,” said Ginny. “The kids were fantastic, and the families that go with them are also great.”

In the future, Ginny looks forward to the possibility of the Monett R-1 School District adding boys and girls swimming as a MSHSAA-sanctioned sport.

A part of making that dream a reality will involve completion of the new Monett YMCA recreational center, which is currently under construction. The new facility will include a large indoor aquatic center, featuring an eight-lane, 25-yard competition pool with electronic touch pads, a digital scoreboard and seating for 600 spectators.

The Ginny and Chris Fuldner Family made a generous $3 million gift to the Monett Area YMCA in support of the project -- $2 million was earmarked for construction and $1 million will be used to establish an endowment fund to support the operation of the indoor aquatic center.

“This community has done a lot for me and for my husband,” said Ginny. “We’re lucky we can give back in this way.”

Ginny is also grateful for the joy, self-confidence and fitness the sport of swimming has brought to her life.

“Swimming is something I’ll be able to do until the day I die. It’s a lifetime sport.”

GINNY’S ADVICE FOR OLYMPIANS IN TRAINING O Find a good coach who you trust and respect and who knows what he or she is doing.

O Select one sport and pursue it. One of the biggest stumbling blocks to young athletes today, according to Ginny, is that they are involved in too many different sports.

O Go for it. Young athletes need to have the desire and then they must be given the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

O Be determined and work hard. “You need to have a good work ethic,” said Ginny. “I don’t care how talented you are, if you don’t want to work at it, it’s not going to happen.”

AUGUST 2012

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 11

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BY NANCY RIDGLEY

Nancy Ridgley, RD, LD, CDE, is a registered and licensed dietitian, certified diabetes educator, a Mad Dogg-certified spinning instructor and director of community wellness at Cox Monett Hospital. She also holds certifications in adult weight management and childhood and adolescent weight management. The mother of three enjoys spinning, reading, Mizzou football, travel, spending time with children and extended family and having coffee with friends. For more information about wellness and living a healthy lifestyle, check out Cox Monett Hospital’s wellness blog at www.realwellnessforrealpeople.blogspot.com.

For the first time in 22 years, I will not worry about making sure my child has a nutritious packed lunch from home or money for buying a school lunch. The last of my three is starting school at the University of Missouri this month. THEY will be preparing her breakfast, lunch AND dinner! I am so very excited for Chloe, and all that these next four years will hold for her.

1. Let your child choose whether to eat at school or at home. Both can be equally nutritious. Just limit the fried foods at school to monthly.

Encourage the fruits and vegetables offered, whether fresh or canned and take advantage of the salads offered.

However, many of you will be shopping for school clothes, gathering school supplies and loading up the backpacks for another adventuresome year. I will miss this very much, so if you see me, tell me your back-toschool stories. It will help my empty nest syndrome.

Here are just a few tips I give you every year on how to pack a healthy lunch for your child:

2. Don’t forget the milk or yogurt. Low fat is best.

3. If your child does not buy milk at school, stick with water or 100 percent juice.

4. Bringing your lunch from home? Choose whole wheat bread or pita bread. A lean protein like turkey is great but can be salty for young kids. A hardboiled egg (packed on ice), nut butters, low-fat cheese sticks and yogurt are great choices too.

5. Fresh fruit and vegetables should be staples, so let your child pick out what they will like.

May this school year be healthy, happy and a great success. My words of wisdom for this coming school year are very simple; enjoy your children, because they grow up way too fast!

AUGUST 2012

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 13

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AUGUST 2012

“M

Camp ministers to teens on the shores of Table Rock Lake

EDIA IS SENDING our kids a powerful and deadly message,” said Rev. Rick Pearson, founder and president of Camp Table Rock, a Fun in the Son ministry that operates in the Shell Knob area. “The messages in their songs are powerful and impact them in a negative way.

At Camp Table Rock, we challenge youth to re-think sex, drugs, alcohol, violence and suicide.”

Camp Table Rock offers missions training, a reality check camp, discipleship and evangelism.

“The core ministry is our missions training,” Pearson said. “I have learned in 28 years the one thing

AUGUST 2012

BY MELONIE ROBERTS

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 15

that stunts spirituality is the media.”

The camp has been a dream of Pearson’s for 28 years. It was while Pearson was leading a small camp at a resort on Table Rock Lake that he was inspired to start his own ministry.

“I was amazed at the way God worked in these kids’ lives,” Pearson said. “I felt God call me to build a youth ministry on Table Rock Lake.”

Pearson and his wife, Ronda, initially held their camps at a resort in Lampe.

“My wife and I located a property and we took our youth campers to the site and we all prayed about it right there,” Pearson said. “It was 17 years later that the prayer was answered, and a generous businessman donated the property and an additional $500,000 we used to begin construction on the campground.”

The donor’s willingness to give stemmed from the fact that the Pearsons had worked with his son and turned him away from a dark, trouble-filled path at a previous Fun in the Son camp event.

“He was so grateful and excited about his son’s conversion, he bought the property and donated it to the ministry,” Pearson said. “In all that time, we never stopped praying to get this place.”

Camp Table Rock is located along the lake shore at 2079 Peninsula Drive in Shell Knob in an area northeast of the Central Crossing Bridge.

“My wife and I knew God was working, and we resigned our church and came down here,” Pearson said. “No salaries, no idea how we were going to do this. But it has worked out.”

Although the camp is primarily open to youth through the summer, the facility is available all year for youth retreats, family camps and other events taking place in the area.

Church groups and members are required to provide their own nurse while they are attending the camp.

“We also rely heavily on adult leadership from the church to follow up with kids after they return home,” Pearson said. “It’s harder for the kids who come here without a Christian background to go home and live out their faith.

That’s where the adult leadership comes into play locally, but we also stay in contact with our kids all through the year. We send out mass e-mails, newsletters or text messages just to stay in touch.”

Students will also e-mail Pearson about personal issues they are facing.

“I try to answer every one,” Pearson said. “This ministry doesn’t last just one week a year; we care all year long.

“Statistics show that 80 percent of Christian adults accepted Christ before the age of 18,” Pearson said. “About 70 percent of them accepted Christ at a youth camp. That tells you what a tremendous life-changing experience camp can be.”

Camp Table Rock is not all about religious training. There are other elements of fun that bring youth together, encouraging them to form new friendships and support networks.

There are recreational activities that include an obstacle course, a four-square court, tetherball, basketball, sand volleyball, horseshoes,

16 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

“The knowledge we have of God may be intellectual, but we follow it with our hearts.”

Rev. Rick Pearson

FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF CAMP TABLE ROCK

ping-pong and foosball. There are also a number of water sports offered.

“We have kayaking, paddle board, water trampoline, a swim deck, tubing, jet ski rides, cliff jumping and kneeboarding,” Pearson said. “The kids love it.”

After their daily studies and activities, campers enjoy an evening worship service and devotion.

“We set out with a very definite purpose in mind,” Pearson said. “Our goal is to grow the kingdom of God by reaching out to young people.

We are very organized. There is no unstructured time while the kids are here. The program really seems to work.”

So far, about 1,500 kids have benefitted from Camp Table Rock.

“The majority of our youth

AUGUST 2012

are already Christians who are in great need of discipleship,” Pearson said. “They need to grow in their faith and know what it means to serve Christ.

“Some of our campers have not known Christ but received the opportunity to accept him at one of our camps,” he continued. “It’s heartbreaking when they don’t.”

Teens at camp participate in exciting, vibrant worship services.

“We have lost a lot of positive characteristics in our culture,” Pearson said. “We train our students to be young men and women of integrity, respect and honor. We encourage students to develop an intimate,

AUGUST 2012

loving relationship with their Savior.”

Pearson said he hopes youth apply the things they learn at camp to their lives at home and school.

“The knowledge we have of God may be intellectual, but we follow it with our hearts,” Pearson said. “We assign accountability partners at camp.

Christian accountability is very important.”

Reaching this new generation of Christians is an

important goal for Camp Table Rock.

“We live in a generation of entitlement,” Pearson said. “The clothes, phones and cars don’t make up the person. Our hope is through the power of God’s word, these kids find a better way to live -- temporary versus eternal.”

Living this high energy lifestyle for weeks on end can be exhausting, but Pearson doesn’t seem to mind.

“Tired? Yes,” he said.

“Burned out? No. I’m growing and seeking like everyone else.

“In the end, only two things matter,” Pearson continued. “That you know Christ as Lord and the things you did in life to help others know Christ. When I draw my last breath, I want to know I made a difference for God.” For more information about Camp Table Rock and Fun in the Son Ministries, call 417-858-9222 or visit www.camptablerock.com.

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 17

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CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 19

Destination Eu

BY SUSAN FUNKHOUSER

American author Henry Miller once observed that, “One’s destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things.”

After a long year of planning, fundraising and dreaming, a group of 18 Purdy High School students and sponsors departed the school parking lot in the wee hours of the morning on June 10 for a whirlwind tour of Europe that would provide exciting experiences, treasured memories, new friends, strengthened relationships and a new perspective on themselves and their world to which Henry Miller referred.

Jessica Ball, Jake Beaty, Devon Bennett, Alex Mareth, Chelsea

Mareth, Kelton Mattingly, Taylor Reynolds, Megan Schilly, Bailey Spears, Jacey Staponski, Cameron Terry, David Thomas and Keevin Walker, accompanied by chaperones David Mareth, Adam Wilhite, Gary West, Shelli Bennett and Robert Jackson, visited six countries in 21 days. They soaked up the sights and sounds of Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Germany.

Although I wasn’t able to talk with all trip participants, those I did reach were eager to share their experiences and gave me a virtual tour of Europe through their eyes. Read on, and they’ll do the same for you. As Alex Mareth noted, the trip, “showed me there was a lot more out there than Barry County.”

Destination Great Britain Bailey Spears celebrated her 18th birthday in London with a ride on the London Eye, the world’s largest ferris wheel.

“We got a great view of the city,” Bailey reported.

Jacey noted that the food in London was interesting. “It

Megan Schilly and Jessica Ball at the Tower Bridge in London.

The group’s journey began in London, where they toured well-known attractions such as the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the London Bridge, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey and St. James Cathedral.

Destination France

The next leg of the trip took the group to Paris, France, where they took in sights such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre museum, the Cathedral at Notre Dame and the

Champs-Elysees. They also found photo opportunities at the I Love You Wall and the Lock Bridge. As Jessica explained, “The I Love You Wall is a huge wall that has ‘I love you’ written on it in over 300 languages.” Members of the group pointed to the English version while having their photos taken.

Megan and her boyfriend, Cameron, participated in the lock ceremony at the Lock

20 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

Bridge, or Pont des Artes.

They personalized a padlock and attached it to the bridge.

Then they threw the key in the river below them. “It means forever together,” Megan said. “It was really awesome to get to do with Cam. Seeing Europe with him was amazing. We had a lot of fun together.”

Jacey found the food offerings in Paris enjoyable, munching on a variety of

was really weird how we had Middle Eastern food two out of three meals.” She tried hummus, which she gave a decided thumbs-down.

While in London, the tour group was joined by a school group from Nebraska and a family from Washington. The Purdy students became good friends with several of the Nebraska students and are now keeping in touch via Facebook.

Jessica noted, “I already miss them.”

Taylor Reynolds, Jessica Ball, Bailey Spears and Jacey Staponski stand in front of the Eiffel Tower.

AUGUST 2012

rope French sandwiches. Kelton also observed, “The pastries in France were amazing. They know how to make some of the best desserts.”

While many people only dream of losing themselves in Paris, a few of the Purdy students and their chaperone experienced it firsthand when they missed the final subway back to their hotel. Mr. Wilhite, Jacey, Taylor, Megan, Jessica and Kelton spent the entire night seeking a different route back to dreamland. After failing to find a taxi to hold six people and riding the wrong bus for a time, they finally arrived back at their hotel at 4:46 a.m., just in time to start a new day.

“Some of us can say, ‘Yes, I have been lost in Paris,’” joked Jessica.

Without exception, the students with whom I spoke related a special excitement in visiting the Eiffel Tower.

“It’s much bigger and cooler in person,” said Jake. “I will definitely go back to it so that I can climb up it.”

“The thing that I will remember the most from this trip is the Eiffel Tower,” added Kelton. “To see it lit up at night, there are no words that can describe it. I had goose bumps from the light show; that’s how spectacular it was. Watching the light show is when it really set in that I was in Europe and what an awesome experience I was given that many people will never get.”

AUGUST 2012

The entire group, including members from Nebraska and Washington, in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Destination Switzerland

Many of the students reported that Switzerland was their favorite stop on the trip.

The small town crew found the peaceful countryside refreshing after touring the major metropolitan areas of London and Paris.

“Switzerland was my favorite place,” said Cameron.

“Our hotel was up in the mountains, and it was much calmer than all the cities. The day we got there it was raining, and we actually got to see a full rainbow.”

Jake also enjoyed the beauty of Switzerland, where he took a refreshing dip in Lake Lucerne. “The water was a

greenish blue color and very clear. It was also very cold.”

Kelton reminisced about a boat ride in Switzerland.

“A few of us rented a pontoon boat. For about two hours, we cruised on Lake Lucerne with the Swiss Alps in the distance. It gave us time to just relax with friends.”

Bailey related a very different experience in Switzerland -- visiting a doctor.

Suffering from a nagging sore

throat since the beginning of the trip, she finally sought out medical help.

“Going to the doctor was different, trying to understand them,” said Bailey. “They could only speak a little bit of English, so it was a little weird. I’ve had the same doctor since I was a baby, so it was different.”

However, the Swiss doctor fixed her up with some throat spray and pain medications, and Bailey was good to go.

Jacey Staponski, Megan Schilly, Jessica Ball, Taylor Reynolds and Kelton Mattingly are pictured at the Louvre museum in Paris.

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 21

Megan explained that the group relied on their teachers and tour director to conquer the different languages spoken and for help in ordering off foreign restaurant menus.

“There was a lot of pointing and hand gesturing.” Jacey also noted the challenge of the language barrier. “It gave me a whole new appreciation for people who speak different languages at home.”

Kelton Mattingly, Bailey Spears, Taylor Reynolds, Jessica Ball and Jacey Staponski are pictured in front of the carousel in Florence, Italy.

Destination Italy

After leaving behind the restful scenery of Switzerland, the group headed to Italy. En route to Florence, they stopped in Meranello, the home of the Ferrari, where Mr. Wilhite took a spin in one of the famous sports cars. “He loved it,”

reported Jessica.

Taylor Reynolds celebrated her birthday during the group’s time in Florence. She and two of the students from Nebraska who shared the same birthday enjoyed a birthday serenade and extra cake at dinner in Italy. Later, the birthday girl rode a beautiful carousel and ate gelato, or Italian ice cream, which she says was “delicious.”

After celebrating with Taylor in Florence, the group headed to Rome. Then they were off to Venice, where they experienced a gondola ride. Jessica was less than excited. “I didn’t really like it, but then again I can’t swim, so thinking of the gondola flipping was just not good.”

Kelton was more impressed with the Venetian ride. “It gave us a different view of the city and how they built it on water.”

Another exciting water adventure awaited the students at the Venetian beach.

“All of us boys had agreed to wear Speedos to the beach,” said Jake. “We did it, and it was

pretty funny.” Jake reported that the male chaperones did not participate in the Speedo adventure.

The group unanimously agreed that their time in Rome was the highlight of the Italian portion of their journey. The students toured Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum and many other famous sites.

Jessica recalled that, “even though it was miserably hot the day we visited the Colosseum, it was amazing. It was one of my favorite things.” Kelton viewed the ruins from a historical standpoint. “It was so cool to think that I was standing where ancient Romans once stood.”

Many of the students spoke fondly of tossing a Euro in the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

Remarking on his own coin toss, Kelton noted wistfully, “They say that if you throw a coin over your shoulder in the fountain you will return to Rome someday. I sure hope the legend is true.”

Destination Germany

After a quick, one-night stay in Innsbruck, Austria, the group reached the final stop on their European adventure -Munich, Germany. They toured many attractions, including the stadium from the 1972

Olympics. Jacey got to sample wiener schnitzel, of which she gave a mediocre review. “It was okay, almost like chicken-fried steak from home.”

The tour took on a somber note as students explored Dachau, the first concentration camp opened by the Nazis in Germany in 1933.

As the group walked the path a new detainee would have taken, their thoughts turned toward the blessings of living in the United States.

22 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

“It was very sad to see everything and actually stand in the crematorium and walk through the buildings where the Jews slept,” Jessica said.

Kelton noted that, “it put into perspective how lucky we are to live in a great country.

It’s a country where we know that nothing that horrible could take place without it being stopped in an instant. It gave me a greater love for the USA.”

AUGUST 2012

Destination Home

Without exception, all of the students were happy to return home to Purdy, but they all agreed they would travel back to Europe in a heartbeat. Most indicated they would make a few minor modifications to their next tour, including bringing along family, not staying quite so long and focusing on fewer areas. Taylor plans to pack lighter next time.

Upon arriving home, the students had time to reflect on their journey, the memories they made and the changes that took place within themselves in the process.

“I’m really glad I went on this trip to Europe,” summarized Jessica. “It’s amazing to look back and say, ‘Yeah, I was there with my best friends.’

This was one experience that truly made learning fun.”

Jake pointed out the difference the trip made among the group.

“I became better friends with people on the trip just by being with them for 21 days. I had a great time on this trip and can’t wait to go back one day.”

Chelsea was equally thrilled with her European vacation.

“Europe was an experience

that I will always remember,” said Chelsea. “Most of the places we visited were made before America was even a country. I am very grateful for the opportunity to go.”

Kelton observed, “There were so many nationalities in the bigger cities that we visited.

People of so many different types. I liked how people could come from all around the world, but yet have so much in common. It showed me how

Kelton Mattingly at the “I Love You” Wall in Paris.

And now, a word from our sponsor “My favorite part of the trip wasn’t the sights we saw, but getting to spend time with those kids in Europe,” said Adam Wilhite, history teacher at Purdy and planner of this year’s tour of Europe. “I got to watch them experience something they’ll remember for the rest of their lives. Education is not just assigning letter grades, giving tests or saying ‘hi’ in the halls. It’s getting to know students in a way other than what the grade book says about them.”

Mr. Wilhite was exceedingly pleased at the success of this year’s tour and is busy planning another trip to Europe in 2013. He intends to open up the tour to other area school groups. For more information, contact Mr. Wilhite at awilhite@purdy.k12.mo.us. Mr. Wilhite will expound upon the 2013 tour in an upcoming Connection magazine article. Stay tuned for more information!

AUGUST 2012

they interact and how you can find a friend in someone you least expect.”

Taylor’s summary of her Europe adventure encompassed the feelings of the entire group.

Her words echoed Henry Miller’s, “One’s destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things,” but I think Taylor said it best. “This trip has shown me that there is so much more to the world, and I want to see it.”

To view more photos of Destination Europe’s trip, check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/des tination.europe.7.

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 23

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BOOKREVIEW

Turn of Mind

REVIEWED BY JO ANNE ELLIS

In a masterful debut novel, “Turn of Mind,” Alice LaPlante centers a murder mystery around a well-regarded surgeon who now faces what for most readers is a fate worse than death: Alzheimer’s-related dementia.

Dr. Jennifer White, a 64-year-old successful orthopedic surgeon with a specialty in hands, has left her practice because she is progressively getting worse.

LaPlante artfully helps us feel Jennifer’s frustrations by letting her tell her own confused story from her point of view.

Jennifer often forgets even the people closest to her, or where she is. To record the memories that are slipping away, Jennifer keeps a notebook of each day’s details with notes added by Magdalena, her caretaker, and Fiona and Mark, her adult children.

But the story becomes a psychological thriller, when Jennifer’s best friend Amanda is found dead. The unusual twist is that four of Amanda’s fingers were surgically removed after she died, making Jennifer the most likely suspect. She, too, wonders if she could have done it, and why would she want Amanda dead?

This is more than a murder mystery, as we learn much more about the bestfriend relationship. Amanda, older and wiser, was more outspoken and judgmental than Jennifer, but a wise counselor.

Jennifer named her the godmother of her daughter, Fiona, a rebellious youngster who is now a professor.

Magdalena reveals that she heard Jennifer and Amanda arguing the night of the murder. Jennifer tries desperately to recall anything about it. Later, in a

by Alice LaPlante

conversation with the police detective, Jennifer obligingly opens her piano bench, digs around and comes up with her own scalpel, one that is used for amputating fingers.

We are in Jennifer’s mind, in a streamof-consciousness style, although LaPlante makes it somewhat easier by using plain text for Jennifer’s thoughts and speech and italics for those of the people she encounters.

We learn of other conflicts in her life.

Her deceased husband, James, the love of her life, has needed her forgiveness for his romantic interests and dishonesty over the years. Even Jennifer has secrets of her own, and her son, Mark, an attorney, has been troubled by money problems and resents Fiona for now handling their mom’s finances.

The reader can’t help cheering Jennifer on, when, in a more lucid moment, she manages to escape her care facility and has several adventures, ending up in a hospital where she dons a white coat and sees patients before she is caught.

This book keeps us in suspense and wanting more; it fills us in on how dementia affects the patient and everyone around her. Jennifer is “racing against an unknown foe -- Jennifer’s antagonist is her mental deterioration.” And, yes, we do get some clear answers finally; even though we may all soon forget them, heaven forbid!

About the author: Alice LaPlante lives in northern California and teaches writing at Stanford and San Francisco State Universities. “Turn of Mind” has just become the first work of fiction to win the Wellcome Trust prize for medical writing. LaPlante explains how, after numerous failed attempts to write about her mother’s illness, she landed on the idea of a murder mystery. The problem with her first attempt, she says, was that it didn’t come from an “urgent place.” “Turn of Mind,” which drew from her own experience of her mother’s Alzheimer’s, did; the text just flowed out of her, LaPlante said.

Jo Anne Ellis lives in Cassville and is a member of the Crowe’s Cronies book club. She is a retired English teacher and a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. In addition to being an avid reader, Jo Anne loves to travel and spend time with her grandchildren.

AUGUST 2012

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 25

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We invite you to share a photo of your child to be featured in Connection’s very own proud parent cutest kid contest. Email your child’s photo to editor@monett-times.com. Photos should be sent in the original JPG format at the highest resolution possible. Remember to include your child’s name, parent’s name, age, city and your contact information. The contest is open to children ages 10 and under. The photos submitted will be used for the sole purpose of this contest.

AUGUST 2012

AUGUST’S CUTEST! CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 27

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is still going strong

AFTER SIX DECADES

T

HE picturesque small town of Crane in Stone County may no longer hold the title of “Broiler Capital of Missouri,” but The Crane Broiler Festival lives on.

Marking its 61st anniversary this month, the Crane Broiler Festival is truly a community event in the strictest definition

AUGUST 2012

of the word -- a tradition kept alive by the sheer determination of this city of only 1,500 or so residents. Well known by

people from as far away as Joplin and Springfield, the Broiler Festival annually draws over 20,000 visitors who

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 29

gather for a delicious meal featuring a grilled broiler-half (otherwise known as chicken) and lots of wholesome family entertainment.

What began in 1951 as the Stone County Centennial, then later called the Crane Picnic, the Crane Broiler Festival adopted its current name in the early 1950s after members of the Southwest Missouri Broiler Growers Association began

donating chickens and volunteering labor to establish an annual community picnic featuring their product.

The Association consisted of some 60 members who raised chickens for meat in northern Stone County and were contracted with Swift and Co. in Crane. Although the festival was popular from its beginning, the event has steadily increased in attendance over the years and is now a favorite August attraction for

residents and visitors alike.

In order to facilitate organization for the growing festival, a 10-member, nonprofit Crane Broiler Festival Association was formed and incorporated by Crane resident Judge Bob Wiley in 1969. Each member of the Association is in charge of a different aspect of the now huge festival, making it possible to utilize both funds and volunteer labor in the most

30 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

efficient manner possible.

Local resident Nathan Quick has been appointed overall chairman for the Association, a position most people would not envy.

“Once you’re the chairman, you’ve got the job for life,” laughed Judge Wiley.

Nathan, however, tells a different story.

“I love this job,” he said. “I get to meet and interact with so many people during the organization of the festival, that it’s a real treat.”

Chris Hammen, local Shelter Insurance agent, serves as food purchaser for the festival, a position he’s held for about 12 years.

According to Chris, due to changes in circumstances over the years, chicken is no longer donated but is purchased from George’s, Inc. in Butterfield.

“We bought 6,400 split fryers last year” said Chris, “That probably equaled close to 8,000 pounds of chicken. That’s a lot of chicken served at a small-town festival. We also bought 1,500 pounds each of potato salad and baked beans and burned 5,600 pounds of charcoal.”

Although the Association does not keep a head count of the number of people who attend the festival, Nathan said a fair estimate would be around 10,000 on Friday nights and up to 15,000 on Saturday nights for the last several years.

The specially built, six-footwide by 50-foot-long barbecue pit is fired up at 8 a.m. both Friday and Saturday mornings during the festival, and the chicken, sprayed with a special marinade and sprinkled with

spices, is cooked and served throughout the day as long as supplies last.

“We slow cook the chicken on the grill for approximately an hour and a half to ensure that it reaches the proper internal temperature,” said Nathan, “and USDA is onsite to monitor the process. We want folks to know we serve both a delicious and a safe product.”

T. John Fortney, who is in charge of cooking, has several different crews of 15 to 20 volunteers who work in shifts.

On Friday afternoons, the Crane High School FFA Chapter, along with their advisor, shows up to take a turn.

“Several of the kids who volunteer continue coming back after they’ve graduated from high school to help us out,” said Nathan. “It kind of shows the level of community involvement the Broiler Fest inspires.”

AUGUST 2012

Good food is far from the only pleasure offered at the Crane Broiler Festival.

“For the die-hard bingo fans, we have the Bingo Tent,” said Nathan. “We also hire a carnival to come in, so we have rides for all of the kids and the kids-at-heart.”

The carnival begins on Wednesday and continues through Saturday night. On “Armband Nights,” people will be able to purchase an armband that allows them to ride all of the rides they want for one price.

“We also have vendor booth space available for three categories: arts and crafts, nonprofit and commercial vendors,” Nathan stated.

Nathan’s wife Tracey, who fields questions about booth space, said there were about 70 to 80 vendors in attendance last year, with a total of about 120 spaces available.

“Last year, we had all kinds of crafts from homemade soaps to leather goods, and everything in between,” said Tracey. “Under the commercial category, we had home improvement and lawn and

garden services offered, to name a few, and the non-profit group included local sheriff and police department booths offering free finger-printing of children, if parents desired it.”

Applications for a booth may be found online at cranebroilerfestival.org.

Applications are accepted right up until the day before the festival.

Another major attraction of the festival is the music. The Gospel Tent is always popular and will feature various gospel music performers throughout the day on Friday and Saturday.

For a little alternative fare, a dance floor is situated at the west end of the park, and dance bands will be featured both Friday and Saturday nights

Want to Go? The Crane Broiler Festival begins on Wednesday, August 22 with a carnival.

Activities continue over a four-day period, ending Saturday, August 25.

Armbands will be available for purchase both Wednesday and Thursday nights, which will provide unlimited carnival rides for one price.

The Broiler Festival proper begins Friday, August 24 and continues throughout Saturday, August 25. Grills will be fired up at 8 a.m. each day, and chicken dinners will be served as long as supplies last. Cost is $9 per plate, which consists of grilled fryer-half, potato salad, baked beans, a slice of bread and a soft drink.

AUGUST 2012

from 8 to 10 p.m.

And, of course, no festival would be complete without a parade and a beauty contest.

According to committee person Angie Evans, the parade is rather low key, but a lot of fun for participants and viewers alike. It will begin at 10 a.m.

Saturday morning and travel down Crane’s Main Street. Last year’s parade attracted about 25 entrants with trophies awarded to first, second and third place float winners.

The Broiler Festival’s “Miss

Slick Chick” pageant begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 24 at the Crane Christian Church Community and Youth Center.

There are five different age categories for girls from birth through 16 years of age.

Applications and contest rules may also be found at cranebroilerfestival.org.

Crane, nestled in the valley along Crane Creek where one of the nation’s few pure strains of McCloud Trout make their home, is located on Highway 413, 10 miles south of Billings.

39 265

37

60 MONETT

AURORA CRANE

The Gospel Tent will be 39 248 open Thursday through 37 Saturday with local groups 173 performing, as well as a bingo tent Friday and CAPE FAIR Saturday.

248 The “Miss Slick Chick” Pageant will take place at 6 CASSVILLE p.m. on Friday, August 24 at the Crane Christian Church 76 39 Community and Youth Center.

There will be a parade Saturday morning down Crane's Main Street beginning at 10 a.m. night’s band is Sassafras from Joplin. It is From 8 until 10 p.m. on Friday and strongly suggested that people bring their own Saturday nights, dance bands will be featured. lawn chairs, as seating is limited.

Saturday night will have Cold Creek, a band For more information, visit the festival’s from Nixa, on tap playing “new country.” Friday website at www.cranebroilerfestival.org.

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 31

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AUGUST 2012

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BY KATIE BARTON

Frosty treats

Katie Barton is a freelance writer from Springfield.

She’s the editor of Springfield Lifestyle and the I’m an ice cream addict. I love ice cream in a cone, on a pie, from a pint or covered in associate editor of The Lawyer’s Logbook.

She graduated from College of the chocolate. The frozen treat is one of the best things about summer, so I put together this list Ozarks in May 2011 with a bachelor of my favorite frosty treats to help you endure the super high temperatures that will likely of arts in journalism. Barton is stick around for at least another month. originally from Berryville, Ark.

5. Dairy Queen Dilly Bars

4. Sonic’s Blue Coconut Cream Slush

I like chocolate, but cherry dilly bars are my favorite.

Flavored coating on a stick of vanilla ice cream is a classic summer treat, but the cherry makes it more fun and exciting.

3. Pineapple Whip Pineapple Whip is a tart and fruity, creamy snow cone cousin. It’s not quite a snow cone, but it’s not quite ice cream either. I don’t think it’s possible to fully understand it until you’ve tried it. But once you have, I think you’ll be a fan.

This creamy drink is essentially summer in a cup. It’s a coconut slush that’s been dyed blue, blended with ice cream and topped with whipped cream. All that’s missing to make summer complete is a beach towel and some sunscreen.

2. Graeter’s Ice Cream For a small ice cream shop in Cincinnati, Graeter’s ice cream has an impressive resume. It has been one of Oprah’s favorite things, and it has been raved about in numerous publications. The recognition is well deserved. Graeter’s is made with top-notch ingredients, two gallons at a time. In southern Missouri, Graeter’s is available at three Dillon’s grocery stores in Springfield.

1. Andy’s Frozen Custard The best thing about Andy’s Frozen Custard is that it’s completely customizable. Sometimes I’m feeling simple, so I get a vanilla cone.

Sometimes, I want a really decadent, rich dessert, so I get a James Brown Funky Jackhammer. Both ways are equally delicious.

AUGUST 2012

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 33

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AUGUST 2012

The winner of each month’s Connection’s Cutest Pet contest receives a $25 gift certificate from Preferred Pet Supply in Monett. Submit your entries for next month’s contest to editor@monett-times.com.

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The runner-up Riley is a 3-month-old farm cat owned by Willow Welters.

He was one month-old when the photo was taken.

AUGUST 2012

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 35

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Connec on’s pet contest Cutestwinner

SP

The need Monett Speedway brings racing action to southwest Missouri 36 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2012

PEED

d for

Story and photos by Martin Couch

Through the tall reeds on the grassy bank of turns three and four of Monett Speedway, dirt pellets and pebbles bullet through the hot sultry night air and scare a momma skunk and her IT’S NOT JUST FOR MEN babies bedded up in the brush that and a third place finish in the Among the men racing at main Pure Stock races and has Monett on a recent Sunday hides the driveway into the pits.

Just above their heads, a battle ensues every Sunday night like it has for the past 43 years. Late Models, A-Modifieds, B-Modifieds, Midwest Modifieds, Pure Stocks and Factory Stock racers arm themselves with self-built, sweat-wrenched, torqued engines to see who’s the fastest to win the coveted purse on the legendary quartermile track.

The races are fierce. From the drop of the green flag, a low roar grows to deafening decibels by turn one. Cars slide on three wheels all around the high dirt bank, testing the boundaries of the speedy machines while bumping each other, slamming sheet-metal and -- more times than not -going over the edge.

Professional drivers Bill

AUGUST 2012

Frye, Kenny Schrader, Billy Moyer, Kenny Wallace, Jeff Purvis and Larry Phillips have often said how much they liked racing Monett.

“It’s short-track racing, grass-roots style,” said 33-year track owner Randy Mooneyham.

Before taking over as track promoter in 1979, Mooneyham raced and won in the Hobby Stock division at Monett and knows first-hand what it’s like to have a white-knuckle grip on a steering wheel while stomping the gas pedal full throttle.

“This is a good race track,” he said. “And people like to race it. There’s a lot of tradition here. Purvis won a 100-lapper out here once, and Ken Essary, who’s a local and is in the National Dirt Racing Hall of Fame, was a regular.”

evening, there stands a lone woman -- Casey Marshall Willson, of Farmington, Ark. Willson started in the Pure Stock division in 2008 and moved to the Factory Stock, which she says, has more horsepower.

“Racing is an addiction,” Willson said. "It’s dirt track; you love it or you hate it. I had been around it with my husband, Jimmy, and wanted to drive. When he hurt his neck, he put a car together for me.

He told me before I got in it that I would either love it or hate, and I would decide in the first minute.

“I couldn’t stop smiling when we stopped,” she continued. “I kept asking him when we could go again.”

Willson has a second place

won three heat finals. She was third in the points her rookie season and fourth overall her second year behind the wheel.

Wilson was voted Sportsman of the Year twice at Monett.

“The guys respect her,” her husband, Jimmy, said. “She listens and drives them clean.”

Patience is the key for Willson when she’s driving on the dirt. She says sometimes she waits around toward the back of the group to see if those ahead of her wreck.

When that happens, Willson takes advantage of the situation to move herself in position for her first victory.

“I can't describe the intensity,” she said. “It takes focus and concentration. It’s such an adrenaline rush. It’s only 20 laps, but it takes your breath.”

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 37

Danny Boyd

SINGLE FATHER RACER Danny Boyd is a Purdy police officer who reduces his stress by racing in the BModified series at Monett Speedway on Sunday nights.

“I enjoy it,” said Boyd, who has been racing six years. “This is my third season in this class, and I can’t tell you how awesome it is.”

Boyd has won four times and taken several second and third places in the B-Modified division. And back in his earlier years, he won the old Bomber

Division championship.

“Of all the tracks in the four-state area, winning here is the most fun,” Boyd said. “It’s the fastest. If you can win here, you can win anywhere.”

Boyd is a single parent and involves his three children, Rion, 14, Colby, 11, and Rylee, 9, in his racing life as much as he can.

“It’s really a family deal for me,” he said. “It’s a great feeling to have them helping me get the car ready and watching me race. I couldn’t be prouder.”

MONETT ORIGINAL

Chad and Luke Summerford

ARKANSAS CONNECTION Chad Summerford, of Bentonville, Ark., has been racing in the B-Modified series at Monett Speedway off and on since 1995.

Depending on the economy, his love of racing has ironically been the driving force that keeps him coming back to the race track.

“I love it,” Summerford said. “I started going to the track with my dad in 1987, and

I fell in love with it. Now I own a car.”

Summerford bought his first race car in 1995 -- a modified he built in his Bentonville shop. He races a DLS chassis and is sponsored

by Credit Cars of NWA, his family-owned business.

“I race here, because it’s close and convenient,” Summerford said. “I love this track. There is a really good

38 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

group of guys who race here.”

In 2000, Summerford was the Monett track champion.

Nowadays, he has another driver who spells him from time to time, Brandon Wilson, who ran third in the B-Modified series the first time he drove Summerford’s car.

“He did pretty good,” Summerford said. “This is a fun sport, and I do it for fun.”

One of the original owners of the Speedway was Bob Schofield in 1970. Nine years later, Mooneyham took over management at Monett.

“Our best years were when Ronald Reagan was in office,” Mooneyham said. “We kicked butt and filled the stands every weekend.”

In the mid-1980s, Mooneyham described crowds as large as 400 to 500 in the infield alone, not to mention the thousands sitting in the wooden bleacher stands and standing along the fenced railings.

Times were good, the competition was tough and the money flowed. Like all businesses, there are ups and downs with the economy, and in 2011, the Monett Speedway experienced its worst season.

“The economy was bad, and people had to make a living,” he said. “Coming to the track wasn’t an option and it was hard, but it’s just now

AUGUST 2012

coming back and we’ve got good crowds again.”

The rewards of owning a speedway have far outweighed the frustrations for Mooneyham.

“There’s maybe 1 percent that give you headaches, but 99 percent are good people and they support it,” he said.

“It can get under your skin.

Some of the drivers can have big egos. Running a race track is like refereeing an NBA game. It’s a tough deal.

Sometimes you get respect,

and sometimes you don’t.”

Mooneyham has also promoted tracks at Bolivar and the Lebanon I-44 Speedway, and he owns the MARS Late Model series that travels around the country to venues in Kentucky, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa.

“Hopefully in 10 years, I’ll be retired,” he said. “I’ve been doing this too damn long, but who knows. I hope this place stays a race track.”

WANT TO GO? Casey Willson in her Factory Stock race car

AUGUST 2012

The Monett Speedway is located at 685 Chapell Drive in Monett. Gates open at 5 p.m. each Sunday night with hot laps at 7 p.m. and races starting at 7:30 p.m.

The season runs from April through the first of September. For ticket information and race results, visit www.monettspeedway.net.

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 39

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AUGUST 2012

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BY SALLY REINHARDT

Living the good life in the Ozarks hasn’t diminished since we moved here 13 years ago from the big city of St. Louis.

Along with the slower pace and opportunity to explore the area, there are unexpected pleasures around the next curve.

Such an event happened recently on a 90-minute return trip home from Eureka Springs, Ark. Adding to the landscape, there were friendly waves from strangers I passed, and even the cattle interrupted their grazing to look my way with a welcoming glance. It was a pleasant experience driving through the forest and down the less traveled roads to home, without one stop sign or stop light to slow the trip.

Compared to the pilgrimage undertaken by Stan Nowak and his family to settle in this area, my recent experience exploring new horizons can almost be classified as trivial. In 1941, soldiers came to the Nowak family’s Polish village in the middle of the night to transport them as laborers in Germany. At the time, Stan was age 6, his sister was age 2 and his brother was just 3 months old. They lived out

after 55

World War II in a castle-like setting, surrounded by a confining water moat.

A few months after the war, the Red Cross came into their area in an effort to help people relocate back to their home countries or to choose another country where there was an opportunity for freedom and a new beginning. Stan’s family chose the United States. The family needed to have a sponsor from another country to make the move, and until arrangements were made the Nowaks, were based at a former army camp.

The Catholic Church guided the sponsorship effort for the Nowaks, and the family arrived in the United States in 1950 after sailing for 16 days by ship and reaching New Orleans. Their journey then took them to Springfield by train and a final destination of Monett. A family in Monett learned of the Nowak’s arrival and befriended them. Eager to make contact with someone who spoke their language, the Nowaks discovered a Polish community in Pulaskifield where they eventually settled and have remained.

Prior to retirement in 1998, Stan owned and

operated a refrigeration business and also worked as a press operator for The Monett Times for 13 years. His hobby, woodworking, now occupies his time.

“If you want to stay out of your wife’s way in retirement, it is best to take up a hobby,” he advises.

At age 89, Margie Ridenour lives in Eureka Springs, Ark., after driving her 20foot RV from Texas. While only touching on one of her many varied activities, displayed on her license plate was the fact that she was a professional clown. With a definite move-ahead outlook, I, for one, wanted to be just like her when I grew up.

Margie celebrated her 98th birthday by fulfilling a long-time desire -- taking her first ride on the back seat of a Harley Davidson. She loved life and shared her zest with all who met her.

Learning about old or new friends can be compared to storing up gold and diamonds. Don’t forget the gold, because it takes a base of gold to hold a diamond in place. Consolidate the gems in your life, inspecting the shine they add to your spirit.

See ya down the road. I

Sally Reinhardt is a transplant from the big city of St. Louis. She and her husband moved to Monett nine years ago. Sally said it was strictly by accident or fate that she ended up living in Monett. “I never imagined I would one day be living in the Ozarks, much less enjoy the opportunity to share my writings,” said Sally. “This, of course, just proves it is best to keep life’s options open. I have found here an entirely new outlook and a new set of sights, sounds and friendships.”

AUGUST 2012

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 41

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AUGUST 2012

Rookie rider CASSVILLE WOMAN IS NAMED THE AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION’S ROOKIE OF THE YE AR

Story by Lisa Schlichtman

M MAKING THE SWITCH from cowgirl to competitive western pleasure rider is no easy task, but in less than a year, Cassville’s De McGruder changed her riding style and captured the attention of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA).

This past year, De was named Missouri’s 2011 Rookie of the Year by the AQHA. “I was used to riding cowboy style . . . gathering cows and trail riding,” says De, who explains that there’s a big difference between spurring ranch horses and riding a horse in a show arena.

AUGUST 2012

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 43

“Western pleasure is different. It’s like you’re riding your horse and not doing anything. At first I was doing too much,” says De. “This style of riding (western pleasure) is very gentle. You use word commands and leg squeezes.”

Western pleasure is one of the most popular events at AQHA shows. In this class, riders compete simultaneously, traveling the perimeter of the arena. At the discretion of the judge, contestants are asked to walk, jog, lope and reverse the direction of their horse.

To win Rookie of the Year honors, De and her horse accumulated the most points among all rookies competing in Missouri at AQHA-approved shows.

“It was my first year of competing, and I had no idea I had all those points,” says De, who shares her success fully with her registered quarter horse, Amovinmachine, nicknamed Benny, and Arkansas-based trainers Murray and Robin Griggs.

“He’s absolutely gorgeous,” says De when talking about her beloved Benny. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. He’s just amazing -- he listens.”

De said she has a strong connection with Benny that works well in the show arena. The relationship is so close that De describes her horse using human attributes.

“He’s a big kid, always chewing on his reins,” says De. “He’s easygoing . . . always happy.”

De was introduced to the world of horse shows and competitive riding when she began accompanying her friend and fellow rider, Becky Hodge, to area horse shows.

“Becky got me started,” explains De. “I’d go with her to shows, and I’ve always loved being around horses.”

After sitting on the sidelines, De finally decided to buy her own horse and begin competing in western pleasure. De purchased Benny from a horse breeder in Texas, and then proceeded to secure a spot with the Griggses.

“They have a very impressive arena and barn, and I board Benny there,” says De. “They are very selective about who

44 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

De McGruder and her horse Benny.

Allie Coones

they train. Murray’s the one who’s taken us places and taught me to ride.”

De tries to ride Benny at least once a week for an hour to two hours and says she misses Benny if the time between training sessions extends beyond seven days. At horse shows, De gets up early at 6:30 a.m. in the morning to practice with Benny before she competes later that day.

Last year, the pair traveled to Las Vegas, Denver, Scottsdale, Arizona, San Angelo, Texas, and The Congress in Columbus, Ohio.

“Murray picks the shows we go to,”

AUGUST 2012

said De. “Right now, he’s training my horse to do trail.”

The trail class tests the maneuverability of a horse through an obstacle course.

Mandatory obstacles include one in which the rider will open, pass through and close a gate. Other tests include a backing obstacle and riding over logs.

“Murray wants me to compete in that, and I’m working up to it,” adds De. “It’s my next big challenge.”

An unexpected benefit of competing in the 2011 AQHA horse show circuit was the interest in riding it inspired in De’s 9year-old granddaughter Allie Coones.

When De began traveling to various horse shows, Allie often accompanied her.

The more Allie watched her grandmother compete, the more she yearned to get in the saddle herself.

“She asked me if she could start showing, and so Becky started Allie on her horse, Nelson,” said De. “Then Murray and Robin saw Allie on Nelson, and they really liked what they saw, so they started helping train her.”

Allie was a natural, placing very well in her first few horse shows where she competed in the 10-and-under “walk, trot” events. At a horse show in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Allie talked De into letting her compete in the lope, which usually attracts riders ages 14 to 18.

Allie was the youngest in her division,

grows up.”

As De talks about her love of riding, her mind drifts back to the trips she took out West with her late husband, Ken McGruder.

With horse trailer in tow, De and Ken traveled to New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado and Idaho where they enjoyed camping and trail riding.

“We had a big trailer with a little living quarters in front,” recalls De. “We’d find a place to camp and go on day rides. One trip we were gone 28 days at one time, and on another ride in Colorado, we met some people and moved cattle with them for 26 miles. We had a lot of fun.”

Allie Coones and her horse Nelson.

De’s grandchildren and friends riding at her Cassville ranch.

AUGUST 2012

which included 14 teenage riders. At the end of her time in the arena, Allie had earned second and fifth place rankings from the judges.

“I’d never seen my trainer smile so big,” said De. “He said, ‘if she gets six more inches on those legs, she will be able to do anything.’”

And competing is not Allie’s only interest. At horse shows, it is Allie who wakes early in the morning to feed, brush and water the horses.

“She does everything,” says De. “She says she wants to be a trainer when she

It’s memories like the ones she made with Ken that De hopes to create as she and Allie make plans to travel together to more horse shows in the coming year.

“I love the people at the shows,” says De. “They’re happy people. They help you.

It’s like one big family.”

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 45

drum circles are a mont N EUREKA SPRINGS, Arkansas, a small city with cosmopolitan flair and oldworld charm, cultural diversity is a given. Even so, visitors to the area are often surprised and intrigued when they happen upon the community Drum Circle, an event that happens the first Saturday night of every month in Basin Springs Park.

For Fayetteville (Ark.) resident Kouakou “Angelo” Yao, a native of Africa’s Ivory Coast who initiated the Drum Circle four years ago, it is not only a way of sharing his African culture but also a means of uniting the community through rhythm.

Although the rhythm of the drums is a constant thread woven through West African life, drum circles are not necessarily of African origin. Rather, they are somewhat of a Western phenomenon, which have been increasing in popularity throughout the United States over the last few years, primarily on college campuses and in urban areas.

Although drums are a fundamental musical instrument in most cultures, types of drums vary widely, and each is uniquely suited to the rhythmic style of each ethnic group. For the same reason, drum circles themselves can represent different segments of the cultural music spectrum; however, they all have one thing in common -- a spirit of

i

a comm camaraderie that invites audience participation.

A master drummer and dancer in the African tradition, Angelo Yao has always made the drums an integral part of his life.

In 1992, at age 14, he began performing with Ballet Koteba, the premiere dance and theater

46 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

company of the Ivory Coast, and toured with them for five years.

In 1997, he was invited to the United States by choreographer Ralph Lemon to participate in the creation of “Geography,” a special production, which included traditional African dance.

After touring the U.S. with the show, Angelo settled in Burlington, Vermont, and formed his own drum and dance troupe, Afrique Aya, which performed and taught workshops at various colleges and schools throughout New England. After marrying Jennifer Clay, also a member of

AUGUST 2012

thly event in nearby eureka springs

mon rhythm STORY BY SHEILA HARRIS

Afrique Aya, the couple moved to Jenny’s native Arkansas in 2002, first to Eureka Springs, then to Fayetteville. Afrique Aya now performs and teaches in northwest Arkansas and the MidSouth.

“The purpose of Afrique Aya,” said Angelo, “is not only to

AUGUST 2012

educate the public about African music and dance, but also to encourage self-expression.

“Drumming is therapeutic,” continued Angelo. “It’s an outlet for stress. Plus, the rhythm of the drums brings people together.

With Afrique Aya, we teach people how to participate in

PHOTOS BY SARAH LEE

that sense of community. Both children and adults love it.”

It’s that sense of community that makes the monthly Drum Circle in Eureka Springs so refreshing. Drum circles are often described as not so much a performance event where the drummers play and the audience

watches, but rather an opportunity for everyone to become involved through participation, whether it be by dancing, playing an instrument or simply clapping.

The drum circles in Eureka Springs usually draw a crowd of several hundred people. At the

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 47

last gathering, 48 people played a variety of instruments, with the African drum ensemble, played by members of Afrique Aya, forming the core percussion group.

Angelo’s instrument of choice is his djembe drum, a classic among African percussion instruments, which he makes resonate in a way only a master drummer can. It’s ringing tones, along with those of the accompanying dunduns, can be heard from blocks away as one approaches Basin Springs Park and is irresistibly drawn into the circle.

As Credence Clearwater Revival so aptly sang, “Down on the corner, hear the happy noise….”

contagious, and the other drummers and participants quickly follow his lead.

Any type of instrument can

the rhythm of the drums brings people together. with afrique aya, we teach people how to participate in that sense of community. both children and adults love it.

“

KOUAKOU “ANGELO” YAO

There is definitely an undisguised sense of joy expressed by Angelo as he plays the djembe drum. That joy is

48 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

”

be played, from drums to maracas to a plastic bucket, and the lilting melody of a flute is often heard skipping hauntingly

above the drum beats.

It is impossible to keep from moving in rhythm to the music, and those who dance do so uninhibitedly. Age barriers evaporate as those not ashamed to be called “old hippies” drum and dance alongside teenagers.

A young mother can be seen dancing joyfully with her beautiful blonde-haired toddler, and young children dancing with hula hoops add a touch of whimsy to what is rapidly becoming a new slice of Americana.

AUGUST 2012

Due to word of mouth, visitors from out of town are now making their way to Eureka Springs on drum circle nights, both to observe and to participate.

A mother and daughter from Van Buren, Arkansas, who were in town for the weekend, made a special point to drop in for the drum circle.

And Penny from Atlanta, Georgia, visiting her cousin in Eureka Springs, brought her drum along so she could join in the drum circle, the first that she’d ever participated in.

Said Rick, an area glass artist who brings his drum to every gathering, “This drum circle is one of the best things going on in Eureka Springs, because it unites people and keeps them connected.”

Angelo not only performs with Afrique Aya and facilitates the monthly drum circle but also teaches weekly drum and dance classes on Tuesday nights in Eureka Springs and Thursday nights in Fayetteville.

During the first weekend in May of every year in Eureka Springs, Angelo brings together a group of world-class African drummers and dancers for a festival of African culture, culminating in a theatrical stage performance called Africa in the Ozarks.

The monthly drum circle in Eureka Springs is held from 6 to 8 p.m. on the first Saturday of every month weather permitting.

For more information or to schedule a drum circle in your own community, please visit www.afriqueaya.org.

AUGUST 2012

african drums WHILE THERE ARE many types of African drums, the most well known in the United States is undoubtedly the djembe (pronounced jim-bay), an African word, which when translated, means “gather in peace.”

Shaped like a large goblet, the djembe is carved from a solid piece of wood and covered with a goatskin held taut and tuned by ropes along the sides. With its amazing resonance and capacity for a wide range of tones, the djembe is the most versatile of drums and is always played with the hands. A skilled master drummer can sometimes elicit up to 25 different tones from a djembe but only after years of training.

The djembe is traditionally accompanied in a drum ensemble by the dunun (or dundun), typically consisting of drums of varying sizes. The largest, known as the dundunba is a cylindrical drum, covered with cowhide, and is always played with a stick.

The dundunba, with a diameter wider than the djembe, has a deep base pitch. The sangban, smaller in diameter, plays a higher pitch.

An African drum made popular in Western culture through television and movies is the talking drum, which produces

varying pitches mimicking human speech.

Historically, talking drums were widely used for communication between African villages in times of trouble, or when special announcements needed to be made. Smaller in size and shaped like an hourglass, talking drums can be held under the arm when played.

Synthetic variations of African drums are now manufactured, but for the master drummer, the only true drum is the one created in the traditional manner made from wood.

“The type of wood and the quality of the internal carving provide the clarity of the tone,” said Angelo Yao. “When you have a good drum, you never give it up; you only replace the rawhide cover.”

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 49

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DINING DIRECTORY ACAMBARO 505 Plaza Drive MONETT 417-354-8408

not just a memory.

Mon-Thu 11am-9pm and Fri-Sun 6am-10pm

BAYOU 864 US Highway 60 MONETT 417-235-7800 Mon-Thu 11am-8pm and Fri-Sat 11am-9pm

FREE LOCAL PICK-UP AND DELIVERY

BLACK BIRD BAR & GRILL 1321 S. Elliott Ave. AURORA 417-678-2100

DENALI DREAMS 316 Broadway MONETT 417-772-7092

417-235-6311 1304 E. BOND ST. MONETT, MO 65708 www.dougsprolube.com Your Children Have Everything They Could Ask For. Does That Include Life Insurance?

Mon 6-9pm, Tue-Thu 7am-9pm, Fri 7am-10pm and Sat 8am-10pm

MOCHA JO'S 404 Broadway MONETT 417-635-1107

One of the most important things you can give your children is a life insurance policy for yourself. At Edward Jones, we meet with you face to face, so we can get to know you and your entire financial picture.

That way, we can help find the life insurance policy that best suits your family’s unique needs.

M, T, Th 7am-9am, W 7am-3pm, F 7am-10pm and Sat 9:30am-3pm

MONETT FAMILY RESTAURANT

Because all the toys in the world aren’t worth as much to your children as ensuring you’ll always be there for them.

608 E. Broadway MONETT 417-235-3772

To learn about the wide range of life insurance products we offer, contact your local Edward Jones financial advisor.

Open 7 days 6am-9pm

RICHARD’S HAWGWILD BBQ Downtown AURORA 417-678-4294 Call for hours

CALL TODAY TO START TAKING STEPS TOWARD YOUR FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE. Jim Haston

Shane Boyd

Donald E Weber

7 East Broadway Monett, MO 65708 417-235-8216

802 West Street Cassville, MO 65625 417-847-5238

100 Chapel Dr Suite B Monett, MO 65708 417-235-7465

Financial Advisor

UTOPIAN BEAN 200 Washington Street PURDY 417-442-3014 Open Tuesday through Saturday 9:00am - 8:00pm

50 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisor

www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC AUGUST 2012

Peanut Buster Parfait

1 15-oz. pkg. Oreo cookies 1/2 cup butter 1/2 gal. softened vanilla ice cream 1 cup peanuts 2 cups powdered sugar 1-1/2 cups evaporated milk 1 tsp. vanilla 2-2/3 cups chocolate chips 1/2 cup butter

from the RECIPES COLLECTED

In a large mixing bowl, crush Oreo cookies into fine crumbs. Melt butter and mix well with crushed cookies. Press mixture into a greased 9x13 inch pan.

Cut 1/2 gallon of ice cream into layers and layer on top of crushed cookies. Sprinkle peanuts on top of ice cream.

Set in freezer before continuing.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate chips. Add evaporated milk and vanilla. Bring to a boil and let it boil for 8 minutes.

Add powdered sugar. Cool completely before spreading over the ice cream. Freeze well. Cut into squares to serve.

FROM

FA M I LY A N D F R I E N D S

Homemade Ice Cream 3 boxes instant white chocolate pudding mix (any flavor works just as well) 1-1/2 pints heavy whipping cream 1 pint Half & Half 2 eggs Combine all ingredients except milk. Pour into a six quart 2 cups sugar ice cream freezer. Add milk to fill line. Fill the ice bucket 1 tsp. salt with ice and rock salt and turn freezer until it stops. milk

Candy Bar Freezer Dessert

2 cups crushed graham crackers (about 16 squares) 1 cup crushed saltines (about 30 crackers) 1/2 cup butter, melted 2 cups cold milk 2 pkgs. (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix 1 quart butter pecan ice cream softened 1 carton (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed 1 Butterfinger candy bar (2.1 ounces) chopped In a large bowl, combine the cracker crumbs and butter. Pat three-fourths of the mixture into a greased 13 inch x 9 inch x 2 inch dish. Refrigerate. In a bowl, whisk the milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Stir in ice cream until blended. Spread over crust. Spoon whipped topping over pudding layer; spread evenly over top. Combine the chopped candy bar and the remaining crumb mixture and sprinkle it over the whipped topping. Cover and freeze for at least 2 hours. Serves 12 to 15.

AUGUST 2012

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 51

RECIPES

Do you have a recipe you’d like to share?

Send it to Darlene Wierman at darlene@cassville-democrat.com

www.monett-times.com

Connection is now

online!

With just a click of your mouse, you can read the newest issue of the area’s most talked about publication.

Exceptional people.

Exciting places.

Interesting things.

We’d love to hear about it!

Email your story ideas to editor@monett-times.com

Log on to www.monetttimes.com today!

You will also see local news updated daily, popular poll questions, local sports, and so much more!

RF

edefine ormal

W

ear

FR EE A mag azin e ded icat ed to Sou thw est Miss our ians

hS oWm e EET hom e

pierc e city native histo ric frisco resto res home on stree t in mone tt

The hum as a canvasan body

MONETT MOULAG HAVE MASTERED E ARTISTS THEIR CRAFT

Unexpe treasurected s

GOLDEN PIONEER MUSEUM SHOWCASES A VARIETY OF COLLECTI ONS

APRI L 2011

52 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

CASSVILLE MO • 417-847-2195 AUGUST 2012

connection My Connection� photos should be e-mailed to editor@monett-times.com.

Photos should be sent in the original JPG format at the highest resolution possible.

A short explanation of who is in the photo and where Bob and Deb Berger, Hannah Rawlings, Kristy Berger and DJ and Cindy (Berger) Murphy recently took Connection magazine along to Quetico National Park, Canada, where they canoed and portaged through several lakes and enjoyed wilderness camping and superb fishing.

the photo was taken should also be included.

Mark Mathews, TJ Mathews, Aaron Jamieson and Terry Jamieson recently climbed to the peak of one of Colorado’s famed 14ers ( a mountain that exceeds 14,000 feet in elevation). This photograph with Connection was taken at the summit of Mt. Bierstadt.

Twins Cole and Cale Jackson, age 11, of Cassville, recently traveled to Gulf Shores, Alabama, and brought along the May and June editions of Connection.

AUGUST 2012

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 53

MYCONNECTION

y M

y M

connection Members of the Crowe’s Cronies book club gathered at the Washburn home of Sarah Pursell in June and displayed various issues of Connection.

Jo Anne Ellis, who is one of Connection’s book reviewers and a member of the book club, is pictured in the front. Other club members pictured include Rowena Hutchens, Pat Jines, Carolyn Stacy, Mary Cupps, Laura Reavis, Sarah Purcell, Sue Mitchell, Jan Johnson, Barb White and Sandy Cullers.

Lindy and Debbie Lombard, of Wheaton, pose in front of Old Faithful with the February and June editions of Connection magazine during a visit to Yellowstone National Park in June.

A group of students from Purdy High School enjoyed a tour of Europe in June that included visits to six countries in 21 days.

Jessica Ball, Jake Beaty, Devon Bennett, Alex Mareth, Chelsea Mareth, Kelton Mattingly, Taylor Reynolds, Megan Schilly, Bailey Spears, Jacey Staponski, Cameron Terry, David Thomas and Keevin Walker, along with chaperones David Mareth, Adam Wilhite, Gary West, Shelli Bennett and Robert Jackson, are pictured with a copy of Connection in front of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy.

54 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2012

MYCONNECTION

Mike Schlichtman, of Cassville, recently took a week-long fishing trip with two college friends and their sons to Quetico National Park in Ontario, Canada. He is pictured above with Chris and Pete Boessen, of Columbia, and Steve, Grant and Luke Burger, of California, Missouri.

Dr. David and Alice Cupps, of Cassville, took a Connection magazine with them to Portugal. The couple are pictured above at the Pena National Castle. While in Portugal, Dr. Cupps gave a presentation at the World Buiatrics (cow veterinarians) Congress. The Cuppses also traveled to London and Paris.

AUGUST 2012

Pastor Walter and Karen Hamer, of Monett, took the May issue of Connection with them on their SCUBA diving trip to Bimini Island in the Bahamas. The Hamers enjoyed four days of diving while staying at the Big Game Resort.

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 55

Classes Begin August 20th

FREE ADMISSION

NOW OPEN TUESDAY - SATURDAY

56 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

Golden Museum 417-271-3300 Hwy 86-J Golden • MO 65658

AUGUST 2012

AUGUST 2012

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 57

COMMUNITYCONNECTION

Community Connection

www.kenscollisioncenter.com

MON 8am 8pm

TUE 8am 8pm

WED 8am 3pm

THU 8am 8pm

FRI SAT 8am Closed 10pm

SUN Closed

404 Broadway • Monett

635-1107

The

Strength of our

Shield!

Not only do our equipment, warranties and services exceed industry standards,

so do we.

With over 60 years of combined experience, our

Chris Hammen, Agent 106 Cortney Lane, Ste. A, Crane, MO

ShelterInsurance.com/ Chris Hammen 417-723-5394

reputation speaks for itself. Our technicians receive the highest level of training to provide you with the quality service you deserve. We use the best computer technology to secure and better serve our customers by providing better information, faster service and more consistant quality.

s ’ n Ke

Collision Center The Area’s Finest Collision Repair Facility

712 W. 10th St. Cassville, MO 65625 417-847-1200 • 800-900-1593 Cell: 417-846-5252 Fax 417-847-1600 58 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2012

AUGUST 2012

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 59

COMMUNITYCONNECTION

Community Connection

WIRE ROAD REBUILDERS • COMPLETE COLLISION REPAIR • Rebuilt Cars • Used Autos • Salvage

417-723-8965 23 Old Wire Road, Crane, MO Chad Vaught, Owner

rebuilders.multiply.com • “Home of the Zebra”

Nu-2-You

Consignment 9-5 Monday To Saturday

847-0422 Furniture, Clothing, Appliances, Flea Market and more!

SINCE 1887

oldest 1887 businesses in One of theSINCE

One of the oldest business in the Cassville community. the Cassville community.

125th ANNIVERSARY

Willis Insurance, Inc. 100 W. 7th Street, Cassville 417-847-2179 | 417-847-3300 www.willisinsured.com

60 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2012

AUGUST 2012

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 61

COMMUNITYCONNECTION

Community Connection

LUBE | OIL | FILTER CHANGE

BUY 1 FOR

$

21-point vehicle inspection FREE with oil change

.95

39

DIESEL $149.95 | NORMALLY $49.95 each

A/C SERVICE A/C COMPONENT INSPECTION AND LEAK CHECK INCLUDES FREON *EXCLUDES R12 VEHICLES

TIRE ROTATION BALANCE | ALIGNMENT TRANSMISSION FLUSH We pick up and return your vehicle in the Cassville area.

Hwy 37 South | Cassville | 417.847.2137

w w w.g ocou ntr ydo d ge. c o m 62 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2012

AUGUST 2012

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 63

COMMUNITYCONNECTION

Community Connection

you ask . . . we deliver.

That’s right!

MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

Connection can now be delivered right to your mail box. It’s as simple as 1. . . 2 . . . 3!

1. Fill out the attached subscription form.

2. Place the form along with a check, money order for $40 or your credit card information in an envelope addressed to P.O. Box 40, Monett, MO 65708.

3. Drop it in the mail!

Connection magazine will continue to be offered free to anyone in our distribution area.

Connection P.O. Box 40 • Monett, MO 65708 Toll Free: 877.403.6397 Toll Free: 877.752.9275

Name ________________________________________ Address ______________________________________ _____________________________________________ City_____________________ State _____ Zip _______ Phone _______________________________________ I have enclosed $40 by check (check number _____ ) for a one-year subscription to Connection magazine.

I have enclosed $40 by money order for a oneyear subscription to Connection magazine.

I have enclosed credit card information to be billed $40 for a one-year subscription to Connection magazine.

Card # _________________________________ Exp. Date _____________ Make checks payable to The Monett Times or the Cassville Democrat

64 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2012

SeptemberVENTS S TAY C O N N E C T E D

SEPTEMBER EVENTS The Stella Senior Citizens Center and the Aurora Senior Citizens Center hold weekly dances. The Stella dance is held every Friday night from 7 to 10 p.m. with music by the McDonald County Playboys and Frosty Garland and the Road Hogs on alternate Fridays. The Aurora dance is held the second, third and fourth Saturdays of the month from 7 to 10 p.m. featuring the Funtimers Band.

Happy Harvest Day in Pierce City will be held either in September or October. This is a new event and dates have not been set. For more information, e-mail prideofpiercecity@att.net.

SEPTEMBER 1 A dance will be held at the Cassville Senior Citizens Center at 1111 Fair St. from 7 to 10 p.m.

The dance features the Roaring River Sound Band. There is a $4 cover charge with all proceeds benefitting the center.

SEPTEMBER 3 The monthly dance at the Monett Senior Citizens Center will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. at the senior center on Dairy Street.

Admission is $3, and snack foods are welcome.

SEPTEMBER 6 The Seligman Lions Club is hosting a community dance at the Seligman Community Center from 7 to 10 p.m. Frosty Garland and the Road Hogs is the

AUGUST 2012

featured band. There is a $4 cover charge with all proceeds benefitting the Seligman Lions Club.

SEPTEMBER 7 The Cassville Chamber of Commerce will hold its First Friday Coffee from 8 to 8:45 a.m. at Presto Espresso, located at 5604 Main. For more information, call the chamber at 417-847-2814.

SEPTEMBER 7 AND 8 The Cassville Fall Sidewalk Sale will be held both days with local merchants offering special promotions and discounts. For more information, call the Cassville Chamber of Commerce office at 417-847-2814.

SEPTEMBER 15 Mt. Vernon will host its annual city-wide garage sale. Maps will be available at Casey’s, McDonald’s and the Mt. Vernon Chamber of Commerce office on the day of the sale. For more information, call 417-466-7654 or e-mail mtvernonchamber.com.

A senior rock-a-thon will be held at the Shell Knob Senior Citizens Center. For more information, call 417-858-6952.

SEPTEMBER 18 The Southern Beekeepers of Missouri will meet at 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Monett. Anyone interested in bees is welcome to attend. For more information, call Leon Riggs at 417-235-5053 or Kevin Young at 417-847-5464.

SEPTEMBER 21-23 Marionville will host its annual Applefest with activities planned all three days. For more information, call 417-830-7784.

SEPTEMBER 22 The Shell Knob Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Shakin’ In The Shell festival with live music, food, crafts and children’s games. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

For more information, call 417858-3300.

The Seligman Chamber of Commerce will host a 4x4 Mud Days at Ruby’s Event Park on Highway 37, south of Seligman.

The American Legion in Cassville will host a truck and tractor pull at the American Legion grounds in Cassville.

SEPTEMBER 24 The Pierce City Senior Citizens will host a dance from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Pierce City Senior Center.

If you have an event you would like featured in our monthly events listing, please email the event information to Lisa Craft at community@monetttimes.com.

CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 65

ADVERTISINGINDEX

Aaron’s F-5 Storm Shelters Acambaro Mexican Restaurant Barry Electric Cooperative Baywash Car Wash Bennett-Wormington Funeral Home Brownsberger’s Carolyn Hunter, DMD, PC Community National Bank Country Dodge CoxHealth Crane Area Chamber of Commerce Crane Family Dentistry Denali Dreams Diet Center Double Eagle Tire & Equipment Doug’s Pro Lube Drury University Eastside Church of Christ Ed’s Flea Market Edward Jones First State Bank Fohn Funeral Home Forced Air Mechanical Four Seasons Realty Freedom Bank Golden Museum Gussied Up Boutique Hospice Compassus

14 26 7 40 18 40 34 12 62 68 28 6 26 42 19 50 56 42 24 50 19 24 32 12 28 56 14 6

Ila Bohm’s Home Décor Indian Hills Resort Ken’s Collision Lackey Body Works Les Jacobs Ford Lowe’s Auto Glass Making Memories Tours Mercy Mick Epperly Missouri Loan Center Mocha Jo’s Coffee Café Monett Rental and Sales Morton Buildings Neill’s Home Store Nu-2-U Ozark Healthy Herb Shop Peppers and Company Perfect Images Pine Mountain Theater Preferred Pet Supply Race Brothers Sater/Old Town Pharmacy Security Bank Shelter Insurance Smile Designers Dentistry Southwest Area Career Center Spiritual Streams Fellowship Starla K Fashion Jewelry

12 56 64 56 58 26 14 2 18 26 58 4 42 19 60 24 3 28 14 35 66 32 32 58 3 4 34 34

St. Lawrence Catholic School Swartz Tractor Sycamore Valley Golf Range The Trunk Tomblin’s Jewelry & Gifts Trogdon Agency, Inc. UMB Uncle Doc’s Flea Market US Bank Vacation Rentals Walmart Pharmacy Whitley Pharmacy Willis Insurance, Inc. Wire Road Rebuilders

18 28 3 4 52 3 52 4 3 4 40 32 60 60

Robyn Blankenship 417.342.3168 sales@cassville-democrat.com Greg Gilliam 417.489.1718 777caregiver@sbcglobal.net Sheila Harris 417.669.3667 mocassadv@gmail.com Marion Chrysler 479.244.7082 mchrysler@cassville-democrat.com

AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER

FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971

Race Brothers carries a complete line of farm and home supplies including clothing, lawn and garden, outdoor power equipment, pet supplies, tack and livestock supplies and much more!

You will find our service outstanding whether your needs are for home or acreage in the country.

235-7739 862-4378 358-3592 210 S Hwy 37 Monett

66 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE

2310 W Kearny Springfield

2309 Fairlawn Dr. Carthage

AUGUST 2012

PARTINGSHOT

This photo of a whitetail buck in full velvet was taken near McDowell. As fall approaches, the velvet begins to dry out, and the buck will find small trees to rub against to remove the velvet. It’s these rubs that hunters look for during the fall firearms season.

PHOTO BY JEFF TERRY

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CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 67