FREE

SEPTEMBER 2019

Coaching Legend

Honored

FORGE

Monett Metals shares in making of National 9/11 Memorial

Richardson brought out the best

Star School

One-room of past lessons

Dressed with Care

Charity group provides dresses to meet need

A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO SOUTHWEST MISSOURIANS Connection Magazine | 1

2 | September 2019

Connection Magazine | 3

STAFF EDITORIAL

Learning to Listen

ndependence can be a wonderful thing for a person to experience. You should know how to care for yourself, pay your own bills, do your own laundry, make rational decisions, have fun on your own, and just mainly be the leader of your own pack. But, when that independence is suddenly taken away in a second, and you have to completely depend on someone to do everything for you, it is a hard pill to swallow and to be gracious about it. I have been an independent person for quite some time and have worked most of my life. I have raised three children and enjoyed life to the fullest. In April I had an accident that took away my independence and put me in the position to be dependent totally on my husband and family. This was hard for me as I was usually the doer. I could not shower myself, feed myself, dress myself, brush my hair, take medicine, get a drink. There were so many things I could not do. I had no use of my arms at all, something that of course I always took for granted. I went through all of the emotions in the beginning, depression, crying over the littlest things, anger over the situation, nervousness over being secluded, and then I faintly heard my dearly departed stepmother’s voice tell me that I have had enough time on my pity pot. I had every right to be on it for a while but enough was enough. And she was right. I believe that every hard situation that we endure has a silver lining with blessings if we only recognize them. My accident could have been a lot worse, as hard as I fell. I thank God for my husband and my family for their awesome care so I did not have to go into to a rehab care facility. I’m thankful for prayers and friends for their visits and the many dishes brought thinking that my husband may not want to cook. But to my surprise, he has turned out to be quite the cook! And the whole situation has made me a bit more humble as my independence has had to take a back seat, and I’ve learned to be quiet. Healing is going well after a lot of ups and downs, but during those times in our lives, I feel that if we are quiet and listen we will always learn something new about ourselves or others—I know I have. During the time I have had recuperating I have opened my eyes to many things in many ways and I am thankful for that. Our world around us gets spinning so out of control at times that we don’t take the time to listen and learn. I just hope that when I don’t take the time for something I actually realize it and don’t have to endure a fall again. So, I will listen and learn. Again, I thank all of my friends, family, staff of The Monett Times, Cassville Democrat, and Connection Magazine—and I am certainly glad to be back!

Lisa Craft

General Manager, Connection Magazine Lisa Craft is General Manager of Connection Magazine, The Monett Times and Cassville Democrat. She can be reached at monettcommunity@gmail.com or connection@monett-times.com

4 | September 2019

A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO SOUTHWEST MISSOURIANS

GENERAL MANAGER Lisa Craft monettcommunity@gmail.com EDITOR Kyle Troutman editor@cassville-democrat.com ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES James Craig Marion Chrysler CONTRIBUTORS Murray Bishoff Meagan Ruffing Lisa Ramirez Darlene Wierman Melonie Roberts Susan Funkhouser Pam Wormington Jared Lankford Jordan Privett Dionne Zebert Jane Severson Verna Fry Christa Stout Cheryl Williams Sierra Gunter PHOTOGRAPHERS Chuck Nickle Jamie Brownlee Amy Sampson DISTRIBUTION Greg Gilliam Kevin Funcannon TO ADVERTISE 417-847-2610 - Cassville 417-235-3135 - Monett Send email inquiries to connection@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. Connection is a publication of the Cassville Democrat, The Monett Times and Rust Communications.

Connection Magazine | 5

6 | September 2019

FEATURES 10 | HONORED BY THE MELTING POT Monett Metals takes part in fashioning National September 11 Memorial for recovery workers

Features

17 | LIVING WITH GREATNESS The life portrait of Kenley Richardson, a coaching legend of varsity football and basketball in southwest Missouri

30 | LESSONS PAST Barry Countyâ€™s Star School exemplifies high standards of teaching in the one-room school

35 | COVERED WITH LOVE Dress A Girl Southwest Missouri chapter stitches fresh dresses for girls in need of protection

44 | PEACH PERFECT PHOTOGRAPHY Cassville photographer captures joy of smalltown life

47 | VERONA PICNIC The celebration returns to Verona Sept. 6-7 after a 10-year absence

S E P T E M B E R 2019 Connection Magazine | 7

FREE

SEPTEMBER 2019

Coaching Legend

Honored

FORGE

Monett Metals shares in making of National 9/11 Memorial

Richardson brought out the best

Star School

One-room of past lessons

Dressed with Care

Charity group provides dresses to meet need

A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO SOUTHWEST MISSOURIANS Connection Magazine | 1

ON THE COVER: Melting steel at Monett Metals from the World Trade Center for the new memorial at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

CONTENTS 27 Healthy Connection: Weight Loss Myths

29 Parenting Column: September Lunch Box Ideas 34 Cutest Kid 40 Cutest Pet

41 Rescued, My Favorite Breed 49 Community Calendar

50 Connection on the Go 53 Familiar Faces 58 Parting Shot

Have an idea for a story you would like to see in Connection Magazine? Email it to connection@monett-times.com

Facebook.com/MyConnectionMo Twitter.com/MyConnection_Mo

8 | September 2019

Connection Magazine | 9

Unloading the completed granite slabs for placement at the Memorial Glade for the National September 11 Memorial and Museum 10 | September 2019

Leaving footprints on American sacred ground Monett Metals contributes to addition at National September 11 Memorial

ne day last year the foundry at Monett Metals received an unusual request from a contractor. Mike Renfrow, president of Monett Metals, fields a number of non-traditional inquiries. Because of the foundry’s techniques to make precision products, many unconventional sources come knocking for help with art projects. This one had special meaning. Fast forward to last spring, after arrangements had been made and materials to complete the job had been delivered to the foundry. “Once the material arrived, the magnitude of the project began to sink in,” Renfrow recalled. “As we opened the crate, we saw the twisted steel that was recovered from the fallen towers.” This was metal from the World Trade Center in New York City, destroyed in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. To many, this site is sacred ground, where 2,606 people died in the building, not counting those in the two jet liners that crashed into the 110-story buildings and the 343 firefighters and 72 law enforcement officers killed while trying to rescue those trapped inside before the towers fell.

Story by Murray Bishoff

The memorials to the recovery workers were built at an angle like the original ramp, shown here in November 2007, used to haul recovered debris and rebuilding materials into the deep subterranean foundation of the Twin Towers, now housing the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Connection Magazine | 11

But those weren’t the only victims. It took another 100 days to put out the fires. Then workers began excavating the rubble, removing the bodies and whatever human remains could be identified, and hauling away mountains of debris. For nine months these people sifted through debris containing more than 2,500 contaminants, some known carcinogens.

Visitors at the dedication ceremony for the memorial to recovery workers at the Twin Towers, holding photos of lost loved ones. According to a BBC report, some 18,000 people reported contracting illness from contact with toxic dust. Rescue workers in particular developed lung problems that would not improve in 30 to 40 percent of those affected, the New York Times reported in 2006. Many other ailments and cancers surfaced later among the recovery workers. To honor them, many of whom later perished from complications, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum announced plans in May 2018 to build a memorial in recognition of their sacrifice. Plans called for placing six stone planks in the Memorial Glade outside the museum at Ground Zero, elevated at an angle to represent the ramp constructed to bring material — and the dead — out of the deep foundation of the Twin Towers. The stones, said Michael Arad, who helped design the Memorial Glade, were made “rough and worn,” representing “firmness, stabili12 | September 2019

The memorial to recovery workers, with the strap forged at Monett Metals at left, decorated on the dedication day.

ty and faithfulness through adversity, pointing skyward, referencing how the recovery cleared the way for rebuilding and renewal.” The stones were to be set at an angle to suggest “a forceful resistance, an answer to the violence that brought them forth.”

The pathway through the planks would lead to the Survivor Tree in the glade, the improbable survivor of the attacks. Each equally shaped granite slab, quarried in Vermont, would include metal from the building itself. That’s where Monett Metals came in.

“Each of the stone monoliths incorporates metal straps that bind the stones together,” Renfrow said. “While the binding is only symbolic, the artist intended to illustrate human resilience through this element of the monuments. Each metal strap was unique and fitted together to complement the stonework. The straps were cast from structural steel recovered from the Twin Towers. We were tasked with melting the Twin Towers steel and casting the metal pieces per the artist’s design.” Fast forward to last spring at Monett Metals, with the large packed box from New York in front of Renfrow and his team. “[Opening the crate] was a very somber and awe inspiring moment,”

Renfrow recalled. “As we prepared to melt the material, I gathered the crew onto the melt deck. Since some of the guys were in their early twenties and had no personal memory of the attack, I explained where I was on September 11th and the gravity of what we were about to do. My melt manager, John Hammond, likewise recounted his memory of that day as we tried to instill a sense of reverence before we began. Finally, before we started the melt, we removed our hard hats and I led the team in prayer. “This job had considerable risk since each piece was unique and there were no potential replacements. We couldn’t have any fallout and every piece had to be right.”

The crew on the melt deck at Monett Metals that created the ropes for the granite slabs in the new addition to the Sept. 11 memorial to recovery workers.

Steel scraps from the World Trade Center debris sent to Monett Metals for incorporation into the new memorial.

Connection Magazine | 13

In all, local workers created 300 straps using wax impressions provided by the contractor.

The tree-shaped models created for the molten metal pour

The wax molds made from the models to hold the metal from the World Trade Center repoured for the new memorial.

14 | September 2019

Monett Metals had acquired a reputation for handling unique projects within the art community, leading to this moment to touch history. “Monett Metals is somewhat of a unique foundry because we utilize two different molding processes,” Renfrow said. “The first process is sand molding, which creates chemically bonded sand molds that the molten material is poured into. The second process is called investment or lost wax. This process uses wax impressions around which a ceramic shell is built. After the shell is complete, the wax is evacuated and molten metal can be poured into the empty shell. This investment method was used to cast the memorial material. After receiving the wax impressions, we created investment trees and prepared them for the pouring operation. At that point we were ready for the metal.” Then the men went to work, melting, pouring in a shower of fire bright molten steel into the molds. In all, local workers created 300 straps using wax impressions provided by the contractor. “Fortunately, every tree poured off

without issue and we shipped the order early,” Renfrow said. On May 30, the 17th anniversary of the conclusion of the recovery effort, the formal dedication ceremony was held in the southwest area of the Memorial Glade, next to the south pool. Jon Stewart, the former “Daily Show” host, a frequent vocal advocate for benefits to help the affected recovery workers, who headed fundraising efforts for the additional memorial, was on hand. Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, chairman of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, provided some of the remarks. “For some, the end of the recovery was the beginning of a more difficult journey, of sickness and disease,” Bloomberg said. “They showed what is possible when people work together for a common purpose. Their selfless acts provided light. They truly are heroes.” New York firefighter Ray Pfeifer spent nine months digging in the recovery effort and gave emotional testimony to Congress advocating the restoration of benefits to recovery workers weeks before his death from

Visitors approach the granite slab memorials to the recovery workers following dedication services on May 30.

cancer linked to his time spent at the site. Pfeifer’s widow, Caryn, also spoke at the dedication. The ceremony closed in song by the Stuyvesant High School choruses. Many of the visitors that day left flowers and funeral cards on the six stones. An inscription placed at the ends of the memorial area states, “This Memorial Glade is dedicated to those whose actions in our time of need led to their injury, sickness, and death — Responders and recovery workers, survivors and community members, suffering long after September 11, 2001, from exposure to hazards and toxins that hung heavy in the air here and beyond this site known as Ground Zero and at the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.” “While I don’t actually know how a small foundry in Missouri was picked for this job, I’m definitely grateful for the opportunity we were afforded,” Renfrow added. n Connection Magazine | 15

16 | September 2019

The mark of a giant

ow does a man become a legend? It’s a simple question, loaded with circumstances, talent, opportunity, and more than just the man himself. Decades after his death, Kenley J. Richardson lives on in the hearts of townspeople. He is honored this fall by the dedication of Richardson Field, the play arena at Burl Fowler Stadium, for it was that sport, and many others, where Richardson forged lives, created winners and showed the enduring value of sports in shaping what comes after the game. Richardson’s own circumstances were modest. While in high school, his mother accidentally burned down the family home. The year he reached college, his father was killed in a gunshot accident while serving as marshal for the Lawrence County community of Forest Park, before it became incorporated into Monett. His mother had to go to work in Monett’s stores to support the family. Even so, by that time, Richardson had found a path to success, a path he would share with others the rest of his life. He found his footing as an athlete. He tasted victory playing for Monett. He nursed that fire and strove through season after season to recreate its magic.

Story by Murray Bishoff

Already in the decade when Richardson reached high school, Monett had become a football powerhouse. The 1920 team, under Coach Finis Engleman, was the first to play in the Big 10. That year’s team went undefeated and even hit the unheard of mark of excellence by defeating the Columbus, Kansas, team by a score of 100-0 on the road. Richardson joined the team in 1925. He was on the squad that defeated Miller 118-0, a high water mark in points that should never have been topped in this area. In his senior year, Richardson threw the pass that led to the 7-6 win over Springfield.

Kenley Richardson, honored with the dedication of Richardson Field this month, leaves on lasting legacy on Monett

Connection Magazine | 17

Kenley Richardson, #33, at center, playing in 1932 at Drury College in Springfield. He went on to Drury College in 1929, where he played football in 1929, 1931 and 1932, as guard, center and tackle. In the missing year, he was back home in Monett. In 1930, he played halfback, center and tackle on the Monett Junior College team. At Drury as a senior he was the first player named to the all-conference team of the Missouri College Athletic Union. He played on Drury’s last football team and earned all-conference honors. He tried his luck at professional football, at 175 pounds, of average height, and spent the 1934 season with the Louisville Bourbons, a minor league football team on the old American Association. He also played basketball for Drury for three years. Though he got a bachelor of science degree in economics, Richardson’s heart never left the field. He began coaching. A product of small towns, he went back to small towns. He coached in Diamond (1935-1939), Clever (1939-1942, where the 1941-1942 teams went 60-8 and won two league championships) and Strafford (19421944), mostly in basketball. In the 18 | September 2019

middle of World War II, when teaching talent became rare, Monett found itself in a tight spot when its very successful coach, Russ Kaminsky, was hired away by the Joplin school district. Then it was time for Kenley Richardson to come home. Richardson was hired, practically out of necessity, to coach all Monett’s sports—football, basketball, track and golf—and did so alone from 1944 through 1956. His 1944 football squad had 55 turn out to play, the largest number in school history. His players acquired the proud moniker of Richardson’s Men—no boys in this lot. The 1956 homecoming section in The Monett Times, which was dedicated to Richardson, put it this way: “Coach Richardson has been up many more years than he has been down. He’s had his small coterie of critics who believe that he should win every game every year. When the going gets tough, he digs in all the harder, and his determination becomes infectious with his players. He’s had both top and mediocre material, and has done his best to produce winners each year.”

In victory, he could be generous. On the opening of the 1955 season, Monett downed Stockton 32-0. As if he remembered the monstrous blow-outs of the past, Richardson, The Monett Times reported, “substituted freely throughout the game with the second and third stringers seeing the greatest share of the action in the third and fourth quarters. It’s anyone’s guess what the score might have been had he played his first stringers throughout.” One student at Monett High School described Richardson as “very unassuming, very quiet. If you saw him in a store, he wouldn’t be the first one to offer greeting. If you didn’t know he was the center of attention, you’d never guess it.” And yet...his football teams were undefeated and untied in 1944, 1946 and 1950, the latter team widely regarded as the best in the state, before there was a state playoff system. His basketball teams won 324 games. A separate basketball coach did not come along until 1954. An innovator, Richardson introduced the Bears “T” offensive formation

Kenley Richardson

The Legend

1920s

(above) Kenley playing basketball for MHS in the mid-1920s.

ALL-STAR TEAM

(below) Kenley Richardsonâ€™s 1945 MHS football team, finishing the season with a record of 7-1-1 and second in the Big 8.

Kenley on the 1926 MHS football team as a sophomore, lower left.

Connection Magazine | 19

to high school football in southwest Missouri, modeled after the Chicago Bears. He introduced helmets with face guards in 1956, an improvement over even the hardened versions that replaced the old leather helmets he had worn. One player, Mike Garrett, said that equipment “saved my life” in one player pile-up. In 1947, he introduced playing music in the dressing room to inspire his players, which helped the team break a three-game losing streak and earned notoriety through a piece in the St. Louis Star and Times. Richardson introduced flag football for young players after retiring from coaching the high school football squad, nurturing an up-and-coming group that would feed the varsity program. He coached the American Legion baseball teams in the 1940s and 1950s, again growing talent, shaping boys. He had track athletes qualify for state in 1951 and 1952. As athletic director, he introduced the golf, wrestling and girls basketball programs. The 1958 golf team, which he coached, won the Big 8 conference championship, and his 1971 golf team placed third in state. His players began thinking of their sport year round, wanting to be ready when the test came on the field. His players never wanted to let Coach Richardson down. His football teams won 63 percent of their games over 13 years. In 1956, Richardson’s football team had a 1-9 record, an injury-wracked season, but one that Monett Times publisher Ken Meuser called “Monett’s most disastrous one since the kids started chasing the pigskin here years and years ago.” Monett lost 40-0 to Mt. Vernon and 60-0 in Aurora, the latter loss one took especially personally, since that was Monett’s longtime rival and regular opponent for the Thanksgiving Day game. The only bright spot was Monett’s 13-12 win over Cassville. 20 | September 2019

At that point he decided to step down as Monett’s gridiron general. By then his assistant coach in 1951 and 1952, Ralph Scott, became available and was hired to take over the program. School leaders, particularly Superintendent E.E. Camp, knew a lot had been on Richardson’s shoulders and would not let go. Richardson became the school district’s first athletic director, a job he would keep until he retired in 1974. In 1957, he started the seventh and eighth grade football and basketball programs. These middle school teams shared the conference championship in football in 1961, and the basketball conference titles in 1962 and 1963, a first since Richardson stepped aside at the high school level. The junior high programs would set the foundation for Monett’s state football championships in 1971 and 1977. Richardson, Camp and MHS Principal David Sippy went to Seneca to recruit Burl Fowler to come lead Monett’s football program in 1967. With Fowler came Coach Benny Lawson, who headed the team that won the 1977 title. These are the facts, but not the key to the legend. That lies deeper. “I was just a wet-eared kid who’d coached for one year in Arkansas when I came here (in 1951),” said Ralph Scott. “I was the first official assistant coach he’d had, the first one who knew football, Kenley never tried to boss me or tell me what to do. I went to him and asked to coach the freshmen. I’d make suggestions of what to do, what drills to run in practice. He’d say, ‘That’s fine.’ “Kenley was a quiet man. We taught together, and I never recall him saying anything about anyone else, or a complaining word about another teacher. That was pretty easy to do. I rode a lot of miles with him on a school bus to out-of-town games. I always sat by

“He was so even keeled.” him. I never heard him be critical of wannabe ball players. He was just not that kind of guy. I never heard him complain about Mr. Camp or [longtime MHS principal] Mr. [Wayne] Wright, ever. When I became superintendent—that’s a sizable leap going from rookie assistant and coach to being superintendent—it never once appeared to phase him one way or another. He was so even keeled. He could shift from football to basketball without even a ruffle.” Even so, according to his players, Richardson was more vocal on the field, shouting his marching orders. His words were still few, but it was very clear what he wanted. Jack Kelley was on Richardson’s 1949 football team. He returned from military service in World War II with a year of high school sports eligibility

left. A tall kid, Kelley recalled wanting to play basketball and going to talk to Richardson, offering to play football as well. Richardson said, “Fine,” and gave him gear before his first practice, then went out to deal with the rest of the team. Kelley hadn’t played football before, but he learned quickly that night, as Richardson ran play after play right at him. “I don’t know if he said a word to me the whole practice,” Kelley recalled. “I figured he was trying to get rid of me the first night. I decided I was going to stay, and I did.” Kelley said without any coaching assistants, Richardson had to be everywhere at once. He would spend time with one group or another, demonstrating the plays he wanted them to master, leaving some players on their own to practice what he’d shown them while he worked elsewhere. Kelley recalled one offensive play Richardson gave his line, stating they should score “every time” with that one. They tried, and failed. Richardson made them run the play again, and again. Kelley felt they were getting pulverized in the process. He pulled the linemen together, and said, “Boys, this isn’t working. You, get that guy, and you, get that guy.” The squad tried again, and scored. They learned the play, but Kelley felt they learned it the hard way. “He was a really strict coach,” Kelley said. “He had to be, by himself. It was almost more than he could handle. Before the season started, he had some old players come out and help us prepare. He knew what he was talking about when he was coaching. He made us a lot better players than we were.” There were about 30 players out that year, not a huge number. Strategies were simple, with no special teams, a basic 5-6-7-man defense. Richardson

did not micro-manage his offense. He had a proxy on the field, who in Kelley’s time was Jack Fox, on the 1947 to 1950 teams who played full back, graduating in 1951. Fox spent hours in the old school dressing room as Richardson detailed the wide range of plays he would run, and the different situations he would run them in, on a small blackboard, about one-and-a-half by two feet, shaped like a football field. Fox, then, called the plays in the huddle, based on input from the linemen on the strength of their opponents and the defensive formation he saw developing. That strategy continued after Fox graduated. It was the personal touch, beyond the game, that helped leave a lasting impression on the players. Kelley recalled on Thursday night, before Friday’s game, a number of the players would spend their evening at the pool hall at Fourth and Broadway. About 9 p.m., they’d all head for home. As they left, Kelley recalled they’d see Richardson, standing there on Fourth Street, watching. Kelley said there wasn’t any question about staying later, nor did any of them consider what Richardson might do if they hadn’t headed home. “You didn’t pull anything over on him,” Kelley recalled. “We were winning, and we kind of enjoyed the winning part, so we listened to what he was saying.” There were stories that Richardson would throw pebbles at players in practice to get their attention, and that he would stick little notes on lockers with motivational comments. His work ethic was evident “I suspect [Richardson] was a lot smarter than he’d let on,” Scott said. “He never said an unkind or critical word about students to others. They accepted him, and he accepted them, even a room of high school students,

which can be trying at times. People said a lot of critical things in superintendent’s meetings, but Kenley didn’t. He was as solid as a rock. You knew where he was coming from and where he was going. He was committed to do what he said he would do. “As a superintendent, I never had to be concerned about Kenley. What he was doing today was what he was doing tomorrow. There was nothing underhanded or going on behind your back. He wanted to win. He wanted to do a good job. He never hinted another coach was taking advantage of him or doing someone shady, as coaches often do. He could be firm when he wanted to do so-and-so in practice. I never heard him raise his voice to a particular kid, or say, ‘I wish Bobby would carry the ball better.’ He wanted a kid to be a good athlete.” Those expectations continued into his family life. “His wife, Bobbie, was a good mamma,” Scott said. “His two boys, Bill and John, were courteous, worked hard and were good students. They knew their parents expected them to be good students, good people, and good citizens, and they were, and are.” Years later, one player recalled hiding a cigarette when Richardson passed in front of the barber shop, not wanting to show what might disappoint his old coach. Richardson took the entire football team for years to Fayetteville to watch one game played by the University of Arkansas. Later he took groups to Columbia to watch Mizzou play. That was a big deal to small-town kids. When Fox graduated, Richardson, on his own time and expense, took Fox to colleges where he had a chance to earn a full scholarship as a standout athlete. Fox, who described himself as “a poor farm kid,” hesitated after his father suffered a major injury, thinking Connection Magazine | 21

Kenley and his wife, Bobbi, later in life. he needed to stay and take care of the farm. Richardson encouraged him to grasp the opportunity, which he did, becoming a standout athlete at Mizzou while matters at home worked themselves out. “He was my first teacher of how to take care of your body,” Fox said. “He said, ‘Don’t drink Cokes, avoid sugar, don’t smoke, don’t drink.’ He had an abundance of time for anyone who he thought had a chance of playing. He spent hours hauling me around the country. I’m sure he’d do that for others.” Richardson was known to have reset some dislocated shoulders with a quick jerk. He personally took players with injuries to the hospital and spent evenings treating injuries. Fox recalled Richardson fashioning Monett’s first helmet with a face mask after Fox suffered a broken nose to put a strap over the injury. As circumstances had it, an opponent hit Fox in a way that penetrated that guard, banging his broken nose back in the other direction, practically straightening it out again. Richardson’s son, John, recalled his father missed many family dinners, 22 | September 2019

Connection Magazine | 23

24 | September 2019

A legend leaves a mark, seen or unseen. often returning home from practice after his sons had gone to bed. “Dad never really stopped coaching,” son John said. “We would sit and watch football games on TV or occasionally at Fayetteville, Columbia or Springfield, and he was constantly running color analysis of the game. It was just about as entertaining to watch and listen to him as the game. My brother tells a story of them at a game in Columbia. Mizzou came up to the line of scrimmage and my dad tapped

“He thought about my personal wellbeing.” my brother and said, ‘Watch the wide receiver, they are playing too loose on him.’ Pass completed to the wide receiver for a Mizzou touchdown. “Dad also had a fantastic memory of the games he coached. He could literally tell you quarter by quarter scoring and defense of all of his 100+ games.” According to Scott, it was unlikely that one could have found anyone in town who disliked Richardson. He recalled students would make comments about Richardson’s mumbling in class, and sometimes students would say they couldn’t figure out what he was saying on any given day in world history class, but that didn’t diminish their respect for him. When students thought he wasn’t paying attention, Richardson would be watching them closely over the top of his glasses. The day Richardson retired, he walked into Scott’s office dragging a bag of golf clubs.

“He said, ‘Here, I want to give these to you. You need to get out of this office and play some golf,’” Scott recalled. “He thought about my personal well being. I never used them, but I remember what he said.” A legend leaves a mark, seen or unseen. Richardson did that for decades of Monett athletes. He inspired players in Fox’s junior year to give him a gift of thanks, and they pooled their money to buy him a cushy lounge chair that years later was still in the family home. At the October 3, 1997, home football game, the family gave Monett High School a painting of Richardson in his sweats, as he was seen by his players in practice. That painting remains in the display case at MHS, which has been the only visible reminder his contribution until the dedication of the field at Burl Fowler Stadium in his name this month. Now a plaque offering a sketch of his career, hangs at the stadium as well. Richardson remains a vivid memory to his players. They may credit their success in life in part to crossing his path. Scott, who attends a monthly breakfast with retired school superintendents in Joplin, regularly sees Fred Daugherty, the Monett assistant football coach at the end of Richardson’s tenure as head coach, who went on to coach in Diamond and later to serve as superintendent in Webb City. Daugherty regularly brings up Richardson, wanting to see the yearbooks from those days to relive the memories. That’s what happens when walking in the footsteps of giants. Kenley Richardson was one of those giants, for in spite of his modesty and quiet manner, he made a mark honored by fellow Monettans to this day. n Connection Magazine | 25

26 | September 2019

HEALTHY CONNECTION

Weight Loss Myths What are some common misconceptions around weight loss? This month’s Healthy Connection will hopefully answer some of your questions and provide some valuable insight into the research around losing weight.

Myth:

Foods labeled “low-fat” or “reduced-fat” are the healthiest choices for weight loss.

Truth:

Foods that are labeled this way tend to be higher in sugar than the whole-fat versions of these foods. Removing fat from foods can make them taste bland. In order to get around this problem, food manufactures will add more sugar or salt to make these foods more appealing to consumers.

Myth: Carbohydrates are the

cause of weight gain.

Truth: When eaten in the right

quantities, and as part of a balanced diet, carbohydrates will not make you gain weight. It is when carbohydrates are eaten in excess, or any nutrient eaten in excess, that will start to influence weight gain. All carbohydrates are not the same either. Simple carbohydrates such as sugar, white potatoes, and white rice are digested more rapidly than complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, sweet potatoes, and fibrous fruits and vegetables.

Myth:

A calorie is a calorie, no matter what foods you are eating.

Truth:

All calories are not created equal! Foods that contain protein, fat, or fiber are more likely to help keep you feeling full longer than foods that contain simple carbohydrates.

A good way to picture this is to think about 100 calories from candy, compared to 100 calories from vegetables. It takes a lot more vegetables to get to 100 calories than it does candy, and the vegetables have fiber which will help keep you full longer, not to mention all of the vitamins and minerals that come with them as well.

Myth:

Extremely low calorie diets are the best way to lose weight.

Truth:

Eating an extreme caloric deficit (<1200 calories/day) over an extended period of time can actually reduce your metabolic rate, causing your body to think it’s in a famine state. This leads to the body holding on to any available energy stores for the future. Eating a healthy amount of calories based on your weight/height and increasing physical activity can increase metabolic rates, which can help with energy levels and with weight loss.

Myth:

Eating a healthy diet is too expensive.

Truth:

Although buying fresh fruits and vegetables can be expensive sometimes, there are healthy and less expensive options available. The nutrient content of frozen fruits and vegetables is comparable to fresh, and in some cases can even be higher than fresh. Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked at the peak of freshness and preserved in that condition until you are ready to eat them. Canned fruits and vegetables is another great option to save money. Make sure to drain and rinse canned produce because canning liquids can be extremely high in sugar and salt. The last tip to save money when trying to eat healthy is only buy fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season. If strawberries do not grow during the winter where you live, then odds are they are shipped in from another country which will increase their price.

SHAUN HAWKINS is a graduate student studying nutrition diagnostics at Cox College while completing his dietetic internship. He is originally from San Diego, Calif., and enjoys cooking, working out, spending time with his dog, and being outdoors.

Connection Magazine | 27

28 | September 2019

PARENTING COLUMN

September Lunch Box Ideas

BY MEGAN RUFFING

It’s September, which means we’re officially one month into the school year and creative lunch box ideas are already slowing down. I’m sure you started out the year like I did with lunch box notes and stickers. Maybe you even cut out heart shapes and triangles to separate your daughter’s cheese from her ham. Kudos to you if you’re still doing it!

If not, no worries, I’ve got you covered. Here is a month’s worth of lunchbox ideas for your kiddo that are super simple and inexpensive. 1. Make your own “Lunchables”. Whole wheat crackers, sliced cheese, piece of meat.

2. Bagel and cream cheese. 3. Mini pizza English muffin, pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni.

4. Banana slices and peanut butter with a handful of popcorn. 5. Ants on a log – Celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins sprinkled on top.

6. Homemade granola – Mix rolled oats, Chia seeds, Flax seeds, brown sugar and salt.

7. Apple sandwiches – Cut apples into ring slices and spread peanut butter on each slice.

8. Cottage cheese with fruit mixed in. 9. Hot dog cut up in to bitesized pieces.

Side of ketchup to dip it in.

10. Hard boiled eggs.

16. Your child’s favorite kind of soup packed in a small canteen so it stays warm. 17. Salad with all of your child’s favorite fixins’ on top. Put salad dressing in a small container so the lettuce doesn’t get soggy.

18. Fruit kabobs with yogurt dipping sauce (squirt a little lemon juice on fruit so it doesn’t brown).

19. Bologna and cheese sandwich. 20. Peanut butter and fluffernutter (fluff sandwich). 21. Pancakes (put syrup in a separate container). 22. Your child’s favorite muffins packed with fruit.

cheese).

25. Waffles (syrup on side).

12. Mini sliders

27. Yogurt parfait.

13. Hummus and vegetables. 14. Half of a pita pocket stuffed with sliced meat, lettuce and mayonnaise. 15. Chili with cheese sprinkled on top.

I would love to see what you packed! Drop me a picture on Facebook at www. facebook.com/writermeaganruffing and I’ll add it to my recipe box.

24. Breakfast casserole (hash browns, eggs, meat,

26. French toast sticks

(tiny hamburger patties with a slice of cheese on a mini roll).

Feel free to recycle these ideas and add some of your own. Once you have a rotating lunch schedule going, it will be a breeze to get your kids packed and out the door to school.

23. Omelet.

11. Bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. (BLT)

Parenting journalist Meagan Ruffing loves getting her kids excited about going back to school. She likes to spice it up with fun notes and has found that packing creative lunches encourages them to get involved with prepping their meals for the week.

(syrup on side).

28. Smoothie or breakfast shake. 29. Macaroni and cheese. 30. Frozen peas and carrots (they will thaw by lunchtime)

with pasta. Connection Magazine | 29

A coal-fired stove was used in this oneroom schoolhouse, originally located in Barry County, to keep students warm on chilly mornings and snowy days. Now located at College of the Ozarks at Point Lookout, the schoolhouse is one of several campus attractions where students, like Alyssa Garland, a psychology major, can tell visitors its historic highlights.

Stepping back in time

30 | September 2019

Students at Star School used the McGuffey Readers and spelling books. McGuffeyâ€™s Eclectic Readers are considered educational classics, but moreover, they encouraged standards of morality and society throughout the United States for more than a century.

Revisiting Barry County’s Star School

Star School is now located on the grounds of College of the Ozarks at Point Lookout. The first public school in Barry County, it served the community for more than 30 years before closing in 1935.

t was tough being a school teacher at the turn of the century. A teacher had to have a sterling reputation and flawless character traits to be entrusted by parents to teach their youngsters reading, writing and ‘rithmetic. For teachers at Star School District 38, located at the junction of Willow Branch and Flat Creek near McDowell, there were rules to be followed that, by today’s standards, were more than a little confining. Women were expected to: • Not marry during the time of their contract. • Not to keep company with men. • Be at home between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless attending a school function. • Not loiter downtown in any of the ice cream stores. • Not travel beyond the city limits unless they had the permission of the chairman of the board. • Not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless it was her father or brother. • Not smoke cigarettes. • Not dress in bright colors. • Under no circumstances dye their hair. • Wear at least two petticoats. • Wear dresses no shorter than two inches above the ankle. • Keep the school room clean by: sweeping the floor at least once a day; scrubbing the floor at least once a week with hot, soapy water; cleaning the blackboards at least once a day; starting the fire by 7 a.m. so the

Story by Melonie Roberts

room would be warm by 8 a.m. Male teachers were not to patronize barbershops, as they had a reputation for attracting the sort of customer who drank, smoked, played cards and exchanged scandalous tales. Star School was originally a log structure built in 1863, and for the first four years, volunteers taught students the basics of education. Attendance was sporadic in those days, not only because of the Civil War, but

because students were often needed at home to help with the never-ending cycle of work that was the fate of the early farmer. In 1867, tax monies became available, and a clapboard structure replaced the log schoolhouse, and the first paid teacher, Capt. George Stubblefield, who served in many battles during the war, including the Battle at Wilson’s Creek, took up his duties teaching the youngsters in Barry County. Connection Magazine | 31

The school was destroyed by fire at the turn of the century, 1899-1900, and a third building was constructed on the foundation and continued serving the community until 1935. The schoolhouse was donated to College of the Ozarks in 1972, and college employees and students workers carefully dismantled the building and reconstructed it next to Edward’s Mill on the campus property. In 1985, it was relocated adjacent to the Ralph Foster Museum on the campus, where it continues to reside to this day. Students in the late 1800s and early 1900s didn’t have the conveniences of today’s youth, either. There were no hot lunches, no vending machines dispensing icy cold drinks, and no indoor plumbing. There were eight grade levels in the one-room schoolhouse, with different educational materials for each group of students, all taught by one teacher. Most of the materials used were the McGuffey Readers and spelling books, which taught not only the ABCs and reading comprehension, but included moral and ethical lessons as part of the daily lessons and used in educational institutions across the nation until the 1960s. These popular tools taught students patriotism, integrity, honesty, industry, temperance, courage and politeness as part of the fabric of their education. They are a stark reminder of how the grandparents and great-grandparents of today’s youth obtained their educations without the benefit of electronic devices, computers and cell phones. Smaller desks were bolted in the front of the classroom to the floor on either side of a coal burning stove that provided heat on chilly mornings and cold winter days. Larger desks were located at the back of the room. Students would be called to the front of the class by 32 | September 2019

grade level to recite their lessons, while other students would study quietly at their desks. Students not working at the front of the classroom were not allowed to pass notes, whisper, make faces or tease other students. Youngsters were also expected to sit up straight at their desks with their feet on the floor, know their homework and not be late to class. Infractions of those rules could be dealt with strictly, with the offender likely to be held back during recess, have to stand in the corner or be kept after school. In some cases, the teacher would rap the offender’s knuckles with a ruler, or with severe infractions, administer a “whippin’” with a hickory stick. “Going to school was a privilege, and not all students got to finish eighth grade,” said Alyssa Garland, a psychology major and student worker at the old schoolhouse. “Some had to drop out to work on family farms, some as young as the fourth or fifth grade. Classes weren’t held from August to May, like they are now. Sometimes, classes were held in the summertime and students had longer breaks at other times of the year, such as when they had to help tend crops or take in the harvest. Parents wanted to make sure their children had every opportunity to learn everything they could.” Students brought their lunches from home. Typically, lunches consisted of leftovers from the previous evening’s meal, fresh vegetables or fruit when in season, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. With no refrigeration, students drank water with their lunch. With no modern plumbing, relief was sought at the “privy,” located a short distance from the schoolhouse. After lunch, pupils were generally allowed to take recess, playing popular games such as Drop the Hanky, Crack the Whip, Tag, Duck-Duck-Goose or,

Ink wells and feather quills were the writing utensils of the day when Star School, originally housed in Barry County, was first formed.

Who was R.M.? The initials carved into the wooden desktops and seats in the one-room schoolhouse at College of the Ozarks lead guests to wonder where these mischievous students ended up and if they “made their mark” on larger, life-changing issues in life.

School days, school days Dear old Golden Rule days ‘Reading and ‘riting and ‘rithmetic Taught to the tune of the hick’ry stick You were my queen in calico I was your bashful, barefoot beau And you wrote on my slate, “I Love You, Joe” When we were a couple o’ kids from “School Days” By Will Cobb and Gus Edwards

perhaps, a marathon marble match, where the goal was to capture as many of the opponent’s stash as possible, including the highly coveted “shooters.” Star School served the community from 1863 to 1935, with the final class of three students, one of which was the late Sen. Emory Melton of Cassville. The last teacher to close the doors on the quaint little schoolhouse was Leta Thomas, at the end of classes in 1935. The last incarnation of Star School, now 119 years old, remains a testament to the determination of Ozarkian natives to gain an education at end of the Civil War and into the new century and serves as a reminder to guests of their humble heritage, giving life to the stories of yesteryear. The building and its period furnishings are located adjacent to the Ralph Foster Museum on the grounds of College of the Ozarks at Point Lookout. Visitors are welcome to visit the campus and museum between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except holidays. For more information, visit www. rfostermuseum.com. n Connection Magazine | 33

CUTEST KID

Addilene Rose Gonzalez; 3-year-old daugher of Celeste Mejia and Cesar Gonzalez of Monett.

Congratulations

Addilene Email your child’s photo to:

connection@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 younger. The photos submitted will be used for the sole purpose of this contest.

34 | September 2019

DRESSES ‘D R E S S A G I R L A R O U N D T H E W O R L D ’

Hometown chapter forms to meet the need

local woman and her husband spent a summer camping in Texas, and brought something back that would help impact the lives of young girls around the world. Dress a Girl Around the World is a campaign under Hope 4 Women International—a non-denominational independent Christian organization, and has been making dresses since 2006. The dresses are made from donated men’s button-up dress shirts and give girls around the world dignity and the joy of having at least one new dress. Sue Cavness, director of the Dress A Girl Southwest Missouri chapter, said Dress a Girl Around the World is the official title of the organization, but the chapter working here locally is Dress a Girl Southwest Missouri. “It is a funny story how I got into this,” she said, “I don’t sew, but it goes to show you God has a plan and a sense of humor.” Cavness said this is the second year of Dress a Girl in Cassville. “My husband and I spend our winters in south Texas, and in the RV park we stay in, Dress a Girl was one of the projects they were working on,” she said Cavness said it is a very big thing

Story by Jordan Privett

at the park and there were work days that everyone could participate in. “I do not sew, but I attended the work days and was cutting shirts and getting them ready to go to the people who can sew,” she said. “I was there for about four or five days, and when we came home from Texas, I told my husband that we should collect some shirts to take with us the next year.” Cavness said she went to her pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church and asked if she could use the church’s Facebook page to get the word out to the

community. “All I had intended on doing was collect shirts, but God had a bigger plan,” she said. “I started that in May 2018, and when we left in December 2018 to go back to Texas, we brought 350 shirts and 350 dresses already made.” Cavness said the community has really embraced this project. “Our church has embraced it, and it has also spread outside of our community,” she said. “I have a lady that comes from Springfield that comes

Connection Magazine | 35

here for our workdays and a lady from Tulsa that donates shirts and other materials to us.” Cavness said at the RV park in Texas, people come from all over the United States and even from Canada. “They all go home and do collecting and then bring them back. So, it truly has just grown beautifully,” she said. “We actually out grew our RV park in Texas with the project. We ran out of resources and space.” Cavness said Dress a Girl went to a neighboring park in Texas after this last season was finished. “The new park has a craft room and supply buildings,” she said. “I told my husband at that point that we have a choice. We can either go to the other park and continue working there, or we can start our own little chapter in Cassville.” 36 | September 2019

Cavness said she gave her husband another option of just forgetting the whole project. “God wouldn’t let me forget it,” she said. “When I came back, I explained the situation to our pastor again, and he said, ‘What do we need?’” Cavness said her pastor has been so over the moon and involved with this project. “This happened over the spring, so this is really our first year that we are on our own,” she said. “I am all for taking the dresses back to Texas to our RV park to be distributed—that park is very close to Progresso Mexico, which is very poverty stricken.” Cavness said there isn’t a set plan for the dresses yet, because she knows God will know us what to do and lead the dresses in the right direction. “We are putting the dresses together

Beautiful girl in beautiful dresses made by the Dress a Girl Around the World organization.

and waiting for God’s direction,” she said. “When I came back from Texas, they knew I was going to start this up in Cassville, and before things went to the other park, my friend who has started all of this at the RV park told me to take back everything I could.” Cavness said she was traveling in a fifth-wheel camper, so space was kind of limited. “We bought some large storage containers and loaded them with the dress kits ready to be sewn into dresses,” she said. “I came back with about 115 dress kits, a couple tubs of material and some dress shirts.” Cavness said since she came back in

April, she has been busy distributing the dress kits. “People take a few at a time, and churches sometimes take 30 at a time,” she said. “In the last few months we have had 20 dresses made and returned to us and about 80 still out being sewn together.” Cavness said the organization is always collecting men’s dress shirts. “They need to be men’s button-up dress shirts of 100 percent cotton or at least a mostly cotton blend,” she said. “A lot of these dresses are washed in creek or river beds, so they need to be durable.” Cavness said the mission of Dress A Girl is to give dignity back to some of these girls in these terrible conditions. “Anything that is see-through won’t be used as a dress, however, a lot of times those shirts that come in that are too thin or maybe are white, we can use as facing for the dresses,” she said. “Very little is thrown away and not used in these dresses.” Cavness said the buttons are even cut off and saved for sewing kits for Operation Christmas Child boxes. “Men’s dress shirts can be long or short sleeved, any size, but the bigger the shirt the more material there will be, and almost any print,” she said. “We also look for material to be donated, 100 percent cotton material.” Cavness said when it comes to the material, there are some guidelines to follow, especially if the dresses are sent out of the United States. “Americana type material or Halloween and Christmas material won’t be accepted,” she said. “Things that have Disney figures we also cannot use.” Cavness said the Dress a Girl organization collects donations of items like large Ziploc baggies and hangers. “Eventually, we would also like to start making shorts for little boys,” she

Sleeping Beauty, a little girl who just received a new dress takes a well deserved nap after such excitement. Connection Magazine | 37

said. “We have some patterns, but the problem with that is it requires material, and we don’t have enough to get that going and also continue to make the dresses.” Cavness said one of the most important details of the dresses is the small purple Dress a Girl Around the World label that is on the front of every dress. “It is so important—because for the girls that are in some of the scariest places it helps to ward off would-be-predators,” she said. “So many of these dresses are sent to a country where sex trafficking is a terrible reality for young girls, and these predators look at a little girl with these dresses on and see the patch and know that little girl is being watched over by an organization and they tend to stay away. “I look at that little patch as a shield of protection, that isn’t what the original intention was, but that is what we have heard from village pastors.” Cavness said Facebook has been her main means of getting the word out to the community about this organization and she hopes that more people will come forward to help however they can. “We distribute theses dresses wherever there is a need,” she said. “This is Dress a Girl Around the World, and sometimes we can forget that need can also be in our backyard in our own community,” she said. “On the week of July 15, the church sent out 50 dresses to Honduras—this is the first group of dresses that we have sent out.” For more information about how to donate, help sew or any other inquiries, people may contact the Facebook page Dress a Girl Southwest Missouri or Emmanuel Southern Baptist Church in Cassville. To contact Sue Cavness directly people may email suecavness@ gmail.com. n

38 | September 2019

Connection Magazine | 39

CUTEST PET Archie, 4-year-old Boston Terrier. Fur baby of Joe and Diana Nelson of Pierce City.

Archie If you think your furry or feathered friend is the cutest in the area, let us know! We invite you to share a photo of your pet to be featured in Connection’s Cutest Pet contest. Email your pet’s photo to:

connection@monett-times.com 40 | September 2019

Photos should be sent in the original JPG format at the highest resolution possible. Remember to include your pet’s name, city of residence and your contact information.

RESCUED, MY FAVORITE BREED

Planning for beyond, their welfare

BY CHRISTA STOUT

his column is hard to write this month, and it is probably because of several incidents that I became aware of that made me really sad. And the subject is not an easy one—How to make sure your pets are taken care of in case of your illness or death.

At Faithful Friends we have had two dogs during my volunteer time that were heart broken when they came into the shelter because of their owner’s illness or passing. One cat was so upset at her change in surroundings that she would not leave the litter box portion of her cat condo for several months. All of these pets were wonderful companions, loving animals, who couldn’t understand what was happening and why their best friend was no longer there to care for them. Each of these cases was a little different, each animal was eventually adopted, but it was an extremely distressing time for the animals as well as the shelter staff and volunteers. Most dogs adapt to shelter life very well, but there are those few that have a hard time. At Faithful Friends, and most other shelters, we try to find a foster home for these special pets, one that can give them some love, a sense of security, maybe some needed socialization and training, and in some instances another pet to spend some time with. As dog or cat owners, we all hope that this would not have to happen. We are very distressed when welose a pet, but it also works the other way, when the pet is left without its owner. Unfortunately, there is not much information available on how to handle the situation. So, I put my own very short list together:

BIG MAC

was found (you guessed it) at McDonald’s and has been at the shelter ever since. He is an all-around perfect dog who can play fetch with you or become your couch potato, cuddling with you for as long as you like. He is a yellow lab mix of medium size that everyone at the shelter adores.

• Make sure your pet is well socialized, gets along with other people and animals, and is not solely reliant on one person. Well-socialized animals are more adaptable, less subject to stress and therefore will get adopted quicker. • If at all possible, ask someone who knows your pets to take over in case anything should happen to you. The pets and your friend or relative would already be familiar with each other and hopefully this will avoid the stress of the separation. • If there is no one in your circle of family or friends who can take your pets, visit your local shelters to see if one of these would make a good temporary home for your pets. An advance donation might also be helpful, although I know this would not be necessary, just very much appreciated. • Last but not least, you can make provisions for a pet in your will. Discuss this with your attorney.

GABBY

is our Super Mom who has fostered several litters not her own, and still keeps all kittens in line when they are getting a little rambunctious playing outside their condos. She is blind in one eye, but that doesn’t slow her down at all. Gabby is a sweetheart with a great purr who would love to have her own home. Already have kittens? No problem, Gabby will teach them the right way!

Connection Magazine | 41

When training a dog to be happily spoiled... Let’s go to a more pleasant subject. Here’s a question for all of you pet lovers, is this “spoiling” a dog or “training” a dog? My neighbor, through no fault of his own, found himself the owner of three dogs (two adults and one puppy), when another neighbor moved and left these precious dogs behind. He has done wonderfully by them, but he works long hours, so they come over to my fence or gate periodically for a little attention. They also sit in their own yard, watching everything that happens, including when I leave my house. Not sure how they do it, but by the time I get to the gate, there they are. I always have treats in the car and they know that by now. So, they patiently wait while I drive the car outside the gate, then I give them their treat, most of the time a chewy stick (it keeps them occupied longer), and then I tell them to go home. They promptly turn around and head for their side of the street and their yard. I think I have trained them well, while everyone else tells me I have spoiled them. You know what—it doesn’t matter, it keeps us both entertained.

For more information on any of the Faithful Friends animals or to volunteer, go to:

www.FFAANeosho.org, contact us on Facebook, or by calling the adoption center at 417.592.2512. We always need volunteers, and we always have adoptable dogs and cats!

42 | September 2019

Connection Magazine | 43

Local woman builds photography business

More Than Words

aving the eye to see things through a camera lens offers the opportunity to fulfill a life of art, a local woman found herself with this gift and turned it into a work of passion. Samantha Smith, photographer and owner of Peach Perfect Photography, said her journey began more than 11 years ago. “I have been taking photos for a while now, since I was 18 years old,” she said. “I started when I worked at Silver Dollar City.” Smith said her job at the time was to take photos of people as they entered the park. “I ended up being the manager there for photography,” she said. “But, it wasn’t mine... it was just doing photos for somebody else.” Smith said since then she has borrowed a camera many times to take photos for people. “I just recently bought my own camera,” she said. “My roommate Heather and I decided to try and start a photography business because it is something we both like.” Smith said she takes the pictures and Heather works as the prop coordinator or the technical advisor coordinator.”

44 | September 2019

“We capture the sweetest moments one snap at a time.” —Samantha Smith of Peach Perfect Photography

Smith said she grew up in Reeds Spring and moved to Cassville about seven years ago. “I had never before thought about trying to start a business,” she said. “I felt that so many people do photography, but every time I am driving, I see things and think, ‘Man, that would be a beautiful place to take a picture.’” Smith said she couldn’t stop thinking about it, but she decided to get back into it and try to make something out of it. “We just started Peach Perfect Photography about a month ago,” she said. “We have gone out and taken pictures of local places around Cassville.” Smith said she doesn’t just take photos of people because she has a drive to capture everything. “I like to think I have an artistic mind and when something captures me I want to capture it,” she said. Smith said she still works as a waitress in Cassville, but will be leaving soon for a different restaurant in Branson. “We are still going to live here though,” she said. “I love my house and this area and I want to stay here.”

Story by Jordan Privett

Smith said there is nothing else like Cassville. “The way the community gets about sports and other events is beautiful,” she said. “It doesn’t matter who you are here, people are so kind and Cassville feels like stepping into the past.” Smith said people in Cassville are old fashioned, but there are so many different walks of life. “I take photos for so many different things,” she said. “I have done engagement photos and weddings, but I do family and baby photos.”

Smith said at Silver Dollar City she always enjoyed taking photos of children. “Kids are so fun and cute,” she said. “We say on our Facebook page that we capture the sweetest moments one snap at a time.” Smith said she feels that sometimes people don’t get their pictures done because it can be so expensive. “I am not trying to get rich from this at all,” she said. “I would like people who don’t get their pictures taken because of price to reach out to me.” Smith said she loves to take the pictures so it is really more of a passion for her. “I have always been into to drawing and writing poems,” she said. “Creative and interesting art really, so when I realized that I could see amazing things differently through a camera lens, I knew I had to do it.” Smith said photography is her passion and she wants to do it no matter what. For more information or to book an appointment people can visit the Peach Perfect Photography Facebook page. n Connection Magazine | 45

46 | September 2019

Members of the Verona CIVIC Group hosted an Easter Egg Hunt earlier this year in an effort to engage the community and bring city businesses and civic groups together to improve the community. Alderman LaDonna Buzzard said the effort, along with resurrecting the Community Picnic, was one of the things she heard from residents repeatedly throughout her campaign.

Verona Picnic returns

or the first time in nearly a decade, community members of Verona and surrounding areas will have the opportunity to once again celebrate the Verona Picnic, hosted by the Verona CIVIC Group (Verona Citizens Improving, Volunteering, Impacting Community). The event is set to kick off with the National Anthem, performed by Michelle Best, at 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 6, on the Verona School Grounds, at Second and Ellis Streets in Verona. Live entertainment will be provided from 5 to 6:30 p.m. by Justin Colvard, who performs a variety of his own classic country and honky tonk music, followed by Luce Cannons, playing favorites from multiple decades and multiple genres from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday’s events get underway at 10 a.m. with the Old Fashioned Picnic, which lasts until noon, and Cowboy Karaoke, which lasts until 12:30 p.m. Food concessions include cattlemen’s steak sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, tacos, sno cones, crazy corn, funnel cakes and more. A car, truck and bike show will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with

Story by Melonie Roberts

proceeds to benefit the Verona Wildcat Backpack Program. Pre-registration is $20, and registration is $25 the day of the show. For more information, contact Julie Rysted at jarysted@gmail.com. Broken Binding will take the stage from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m., performing a variety of folk, folk rock and Christian folk selections; followed by the Flyin Buzzards, with their selections of gospel, oldies rock and country delivered with a bluegrass flare from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Hailey Jane takes the stage from 3:15 to 4 p.m., performing music with a country vibe, followed by Mandatto Norteño, performing música norteña, a genre of Mexican music from northern Mexico, from 5 to 6:45 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity all day to participate in the games and 50-50 raffle that will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. Some of the prizes include gift certificates for oil changes from Jimmy Michel, Naked Wines, Aurora Family Restaurant, Target, Windmill Ridge Golf, Hair Designers, Glaze Craze, L&M Athletics, Angus Branch

Community celebration revisited following a decade’s absence

Connection Magazine | 47

Steakhouse, Paintball Ridge in Joplin, Jordan Valley Ice park, Healing Path Massage, Indian Point Zipline, Dickerson Park Zoo, Truman Library and Museum, Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium, Laura Ingalls Wilder House and Museum and Therapeutic Massage and Bodyworks. Entertainment and show prizes include Silver Dollar City, Country Jamboree, Great Passion Play, Baldknobbers, illusionist Rick Thomas, Alamo Draft House Theater, Clay Cooper Theater, The Strike Zone, Samson Sight and Sound Theater, Discovery Center and Itty Bitty City. Other prizes include: an overnight stay in Eureka Springs with a tram tour and trolley passes; a one-night stay at River Band Casino; a onenight stay in Kansas City with tickets to the World War I Museum; the Zoo; and four tickets to see the Kansas City Royals. The Mark Chapman Band will close out the evening’s venue from 8 to 10 p.m. “This is the culmination of several community events Verona CIVIC Group has sponsored since last fall,” said LaDonna Buzzard, one of the organizers of the event. “We have come a long way from nothing. We really appreciate the support and sponsorships from our neighboring community of Aurora. They have really helped out in making this event a success.” Buzzard said members of Aurora Fire District and Aurora Rural Fire District were also essential in setting up lighting for the event, as well as Empire District Electric and school officials, for allowing the event to take place on school grounds. “Everyone has been so helpful,” Buzzard said. “We really hope this brings back a sense of community and inspires residents to help improve our town and what it has to offer.” n 48 | September 2019

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER 2019 SEPT. 3

The Seligman Chamber of Commerce will host a dance at the Seligman Chamber Event Center at 7 p.m. Admission is $5 each, and attendees are asked to bring a snack to share. No alcohol or smoking is allowed. For more information, call 417-662-3612.

SEPT. 4 Blood pressure checks will be taken at

the Central Crossing Senior Center in Shell Knob beginning at 10:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

Blood pressure checks will be taken at

the Cassville Senior Center beginning at 10:30 a.m. Cooking Class with Missouri Extension

“Cooking for One” at Cassville Senior

Center, 11 a.m.

SEPT. 5 Benefit counseling by appointment at the Cassville Senior Center. Call 8474510.

SEPT. 6 First Friday Coffee sponsored by the Cassville Chamber of Commerce. Call the Chamber office for location, 8472814.

SEPT. 7 5th Annual Purdy Craft & Vendor Show will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

SEPT. 12 Health education class will be held at the Cassville Senior Center at 11:30 a.m.

SEPT. 13

The annual Shakin’ in the Shell Fest at Shell Knob will be held on Friday and Saturday; 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday at the Chamber Park.

SEPT. 25 WIC at the Central Crossing Senior

Stamping Up—a card making class, will

be held at the Central Crossing Senior Center in Shell at 10 a.m.

Computer class will be held at the Central Crossing Senior Center in Shell Knob at 12:45 p.m.

Crossing Senior Center in Shell Knob. Call for an appointment 417-858-6952.

Crossing Senior Center in Shell Knob, 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Center in Shell Knob. Call 417-2114 for an appointment.

SEPT. 17

Nell’s Nails begins at 9 a.m. Call 8474510 for an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome at the Cassville Senior Center.

SEPT. 18 Aurora Quilt Guild meets at 10 a.m. in

the Aurora Community Center, 40 W. Church St. For more information call 417-498-6789.

Grace Foot Care by appointment at

SEPT. 10

Central Crossing Senior Center in Shell Knob at 12:45 p.m.

SEPT. 16 Notary services available at the Central

Cassville Rotary Club Demolition Derby

Crossing Senior Center in Shell Knob, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Computer class will be held at the

Grace Health Services at the Central

at Shell Knob, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Chamber Park.

Blood pressure checks will be taken at the Cassville Senior Center beginning at 11 a.m.

SEPT. 9 Notary services available at the Central

SEPT. 14 Annual Classic and Custom Car Show

at The Gathering Place in Purdy, 100 Old Bus. 37. Contact Julie Terry at 417 236-4139.

will be held at the Bill Hailey Arena beginning at 7 p.m.

SEPT. 24

Cassville Senior Center. Call 847-4510 for appointment.

Live music by The Shell Knob Strings will be at the Cassville Senior Center during the lunch hour.

Blood pressure checks will be taken at

the Central Crossing Senior Center in Shell Knob beginning at 10:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

SEPT. 19 Paint Class at the Cassville Senior Cen-

ter beginning at 9 a.m.

SEPT. 21 Saturday BBQ dinner at the Central

Crossing Senior Center begins at 4 p.m.

SEPT. 21-22 Marionville Applefest, downtown. SEPT. 23 Notary services available at the Central Crossing Senior Center in Shell Knob, from 9 a.m. till 1:00 p.m.

Blood pressure checks will be taken at

the Central Crossing Senior Center in Shell Knob beginning at 10:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

SEPT. 26 Big Vision Day will be held at the Em-

ory Melton Inn and Conference Center in Roaring River State Park sponsored by the Cassville Chamber of Commerce, beginning at 8 a.m.

Pierce City Senior Center Dance will hold its regular monthly dance.

SEPT. 27 Birthday Lunch will be served at the

Cassville Senior Center beginning from 11 a.m. till 12:30 p.m.

SEPT. 28 Fall Into Health Festival in the Pierce

City South Park, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. featuring food, traditional autumn games, arts and crafts along with the added focus on Health and Wellness for all ages. For more information call Becky Golubski, president (PCAC), 417 4893041.

SEPT. 30 Notary services available at the Central Crossing Senior Center in Shell Knob, 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Nell’s Nails begins at 9 a.m. Call 417-

858-6952 for an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome at the Central Crossing Senior Center in Shell Knob.

Connection Magazine | 49

FREE NOTARY SERVICE Oak Pointe senior living community in Monett offers Free Notary service by appointment. Call 417-235-3500.

CONNECTION ON THE GO

BINGO Every Thursday night BINGO at the smokefree Shell Knob/Viola Community Building on Oak Ridge Drive, 1/2 mile south of the Shell Knob bridge beginning at 6:30 p.m. Come early for the Horse Race, Pull Tabs and good food.

Monett Senior Center

Bingo every day at noon; Exercise every Monday at 9:45 a.m. Pitch every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:30; and Pinochle every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 12:30 p.m.

Cassville Senior Center 1111 Fair St., Cassville, Mo. REGULAR EVENTS: Coffee Bar on Mondays 8-10 a.m. Dominos every Tuesday and Friday at 11:45 a.m.. Exercise class every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10-11 a.m. Call 417847-4510 for more information. Bingo every Thursday at noon.

Central Crossing Senior Center Shell Knob, Mo.

REGULAR EVENTS: Wii Bowling every Wednesday, 12:45 to 3 p.m. New bowlers welcome. Friendsâ€™ Bridge every Friday. Call Quita at 417-271-9803 for details. Cards Galore every Friday with Pitch beginning at 9 a.m. Domino Poker, every day from 12:45. Qigong Exercise every Mon., Wed., and Fri., at 10 a.m. Arthritis Exercise class is held every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. Mah Jongg every Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Line Dancing every Tuesday and Thursday from 9-10:30 a.m. Quilting for Charity every Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Balance and Flexibility class is held every Monday from 9:30 to 10 a.m. Wii Bowling is Wednesday 12:45 p.m.

50 | September 2019

Ted and Fran Bolton of Cassville are pictured in front of Fox Studio holding the Connection Magazine on their Making Memories Tour In New York City On the 4th of July. Pete Landsted of Cassville is pictured on Island Getaway tour with the Making Memories Tours on Mackinac Island, Mich.

Ed and Leona Beezley, of Golden, were with Making Memories Tours at the Bodie Island Lighthouse in North Carolina on the “Island Hopping the Outer Banks” tour. Ed and Leona celebrated their wedding anniversary with Making Memories on the Outer Banks trip.

The Walters family is pictured holding a Connection Magazine at Walters, Okla. Pictured are Kirk, Linda, Tim, Kelsey, Ayden Walters. Mark and Peggy Gentry, of Verona, were with Making Memories Tours at the Bodie Island Lighthouse in North Carolina on the “Island Hopping the Outer Banks” tour.

Ed and Lonna Kay Norman are pictured with the Connection Magazine on their recent trip to Sanibel Island, Florida.

Connection Magazine | 51

52 | September 2019

FAMILIAR FACES

Trinity Lutheran Church in Freistatt hosted its annual community picnic on the grounds of Trinity Lutheran School on July 12.

2 1. Ronnie Wright, Tammie Hilton 2. Marion and Donnie Wright 3. Betty Sawyer, Catherine James 4. Oshawn Obermann, Shirley Obermann 5. Front: Eli Spears, Karsyn Heseman, Carrie and Travis Heseman; Back: Emily Heseman, Justin Yeary 6. Front: Grace and Tyler Stagner Back: Elias and LaDonna Johnson 7. Rhonda, Mike and Isabella Bennett 8. Eva, Elaina, Emily, Madeline and William Kennell 9. Jacob Worm with Lydia, Grason and Layna Worm 10. Daniel Morris, Abbie Hendrick, Donna Morris, Mark Morris

10 Connection Magazine | 53

1 The Monett Artists’ Guild presented Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” July 12-14 at the Monett High School Performing Arts Center.

1. Darla Christensen, Susie Osborn 2. Front: Mikhala, Trevor and Mason Swanson Back: Terri and Paul Swanson 3. Millie Tudor, Diane Dupre, Dreven Tudor, Makenna Baker 4. Emily Schulze, Jacob Maher, Jordan Mouser 5. Chelsi Cargile, Lauren Ruth, Kennedy Rhoades, Brent Olson 6. Theresa Borgmann, Wyatt Howerton, Drew Howerton

Barry Lawrence Regional Library hosted “A Universe of Stories” for its summer reading club this summer. Children met once a week for different activities including a magic show, animals brought from the Dickerson Park Zoo and more. On Thursday July 11, children in the club met at the Cassville FEMA event center to watch a play performed by Opera of the Ozarks called “Monkey see, Monkey do.’

54 | September 2019

3 1. Carol Landstad, Evey Landstad, 4, and Neeley Samuel, 10. 2. Sherry Lewis and Nancy Grace Kirkpatrick. 3. Hale Cox, 8, Megan Cox, Molly Cox, 8. 4. Tracy Buntin, Caleb Buntin, Elizabeth Buntin, 7, and Silas Buntin, 4. 5. Kayla Branstetter, Khylee Jarvis, 11, Berlin Branstetter, 4, and Everett Jarvis, 5.

1. Shala Bass, Emergency Medical Technician with Barry-Lawrence County Ambulance District, cuddled a very special guest, one-month-old Sophia Waltrip. 2. Eddie Gutierrez and Danielle Roetto and their furry friend, Brutus. 3. Tammy and Dennis Pyle 4. Wayne, Larry and Juanita Gold 5. David Robinson holding Auden Robinson, and Santiago Garcia, held by Sally Robinson 6. Front: Emma and Delylah Schroeder Back: Nicole and Les Schroeder 7. Amy Green, Jamie Kauffman 8. Pedro Contreras, Amanda and Amailah Midyett 9. Andrew Welters, Brittany Welters, JosĂŠ F. Cruz, Miguel Cruz

7 The Monett Police Department hosted its annual National Night Out community outreach on Tuesday, Aug. 6, at the Jerry D. Hall Memorial Pavilion in Monett.

8 9

Connection Magazine | 55

For more than 100 years, St. Johnâ€™s Lutheran Church, located northwest of Purdy, has hosted the annual Stones Prairie Picnic on the grounds adjacent to the church. This year, the event took place on Friday, July 19, with plenty of food, games, music and crafts for all.

8 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Ruth Johnson and her buddy, Moose Janan Meier and Sandy Baker Mary Ann Buchanan and K.C. Caldwell Monica Oâ€™Flaherty, Kaitlyn Burke and Hilda Pieschel Connie Jarvis and Betty Brandt

56 | September 2019

9 6. Dawson Abramovitz, Cassie Brewer, MaKenna Orwig 7. Tiffany Mercer and Hadley Nance, 14 months 8. Whitney Delgado and Olive Mae Delgado, 2 9. Sandy Rupp, Meredith Rupp and Beverly Childress 10. James Brannon, 5, and Jay Dene Brannon, 8

1. 2. 3.

Donna Fosh, Janet Hyde Jane Sligar, E.J. Camp, Jeanne Ann Camp Randy Crane, Brian Fogle 4. Charles and Nick Rowell 5. Barb and Dan Redon 6. Arnold and Colleen Evans 7. Brenda Burgherr, Delora Durant 8. Charlotte Brady, Karen and Charles Brady 9. Linda and Jerry Gaines, Delores Thompson 10. Sam Bircenbach, Victor Arnaud

1 2

7 The Waldensian Presbyterian Church held its annual ice cream social on June 27 on the grounds of the church.

9 10

Connection Magazine | 57

Photo by Ruthie Townsend

PARTING SHOT

“Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can’t go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.” — Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad 58 | September 2019

Advertisers’ Index Acambaro Mexican....................................... 24 Advanced Physical Therapy........................ 26 Aire Serv.............................................................6 Barry Lawrence Regional Library..................3 Bill Vance Marine.......................................... 22 Bruner Pharmacy........................................... 38 Carey’s Cassville Florist............................... 48 Coast to Coast............................................... 48 Community National Bank.......................... 46 Cox Medical.................................................... 60 Cubs Café....................................................... 22 Diet Center..................................................... 26 Doug’s Pro Lube............................................ 26 Edgewood Creamery.................................... 28 Edward Jones....................................................5 Exeter Corn Maze......................................... 39 First State Bank of Purdy............................ 28 Fohn Funeral Home...................................... 43 Four Seasons Real Estate............................ 38 Freedom Bank of Southern Missouri........ 16 Friendly Tire.................................................... 48 Guanajuato Mexican ................................... 16 Hutchens Construction..................................9 J&J Floor Covering....................................... 38 Jay Marshall Pump Service......................... 46 Ken’s Collision Center.................................. 24 Kiddie City.........................................................2 Lackey Body Works...................................... 42 Les Jacobs....................................................... 59 Lil Boom Town Event.................................... 22 Mattax Neu Prater Eye Center................... 23 Monett Chamber of Commerce................. 42 Ozark Methodist Manor.............................. 24 Peppers and Co............................................. 24 Purdy Health Clinic....................................... 39 Race Brothers ..................................................9 Riehn, J. Michael; attorney.......................... 43 Rusty Gate Flea Market............................... 28 Scott Regional................................................ 46 Security Bank ................................................ 59 Shelter Insurance................................... 23, 43 The Brown Bag Breakroom......................... 42 The Coffee Café............................................ 28 The Farmer’s Daughter................................ 23 The Jane Store............................................... 48 Trogdon Marshall.......................................... 24 White’s Insurance......................................... 39 Whitley Pharmacy............................................6

Connection Magazine | 59

Connection Magazine

Published on Sep 5, 2019

September Connection 2019

Published on Sep 5, 2019

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