Missouri Life December/January 2014-2015

[ THE L AUR A INGALLS WILD E R BOOK YOU’VE NEVER READ ]

Water Wonderlands 93 Jolly Festivals A Home with 100 Trees Our Christmas City 12 Days of Missouri Christmas

OUR GUIDE TO NEW YEAR'S EVE:

Tips, Recipes, and Parties

December 2014 | $4.50

Stunning Stained Glass: Explore the Pictures in the Panes ML1214_Cover_AB_1.indd 1

(Display until Jan. 31)

Top 10 WPA Landmarks

www.missourilife.com

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— Christmas on Titanic —

Time to visit Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson “I thought it would be hokey. It wasn’t.” — Murphy Evans Find Out Why 5.5 Million Visitors have seen us since 2006

5

✔ Walk the $1 million exact replica of the Grand Staircase ✔ Touch an Iceberg ✔ Steer the ship ✔ Many interactive exhibits ✔ Over 400 artifacts ✔ Receive a boarding pass

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Contents DECEMBER 2014

[34] STORIES STAINED IN GLASS Uncover the mysteries behind some of the state’s most illuminating art.

featured >

[26] MISSOURI ARTIST Photographer Steven Spencer takes a portrait of Springfield nightlife.

[58] REMARKABLE MISSOURIANS Greater Than Games LLC was founded with one idea in mind: to make amazing board games.

[60] MUSINGS ON MISSOURI Ron Marr reflects on current events and realizes Mark Twain was right all along.

special features >

[31] WINTER WATER PARKS Baby, it’s cold outside, but it’s still perfect weather to frolic and play on a water slide. This winter, make a trip to one of Missouri’s great indoor water parks.

[42] THE TWELVE DAYS OF MISSOURI CHRISTMAS

[68] SHOW-ME FLAVOR Celebrate New Year’s Eve in style. Discover recipes and directions to throw the perfect party.

[74] SHOW-ME HOMES One historic home in Boonville takes decking the halls to another level with a hundred Christmas trees.

From twelve drummers drumming to a Partridge in a pear tree, discover these twelve fun facts, gift ideas, and holiday outings for the yuletide season.

[46] CHRISTMAS IN NOEL COURTESY OF BRUCE MATTHEWS

Christmas cards from around the country go through this tiny Southwest Missouri town just to get stamped there. Meet the diverse group of people who call the Christmas City home, and see how they celebrate the holidays.

[52] WPA LANDMARKS During the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration helped revitalize the country with large-scale construction projects. Visit some of the WPA landmarks still in use today.

special section > [61] HOLIDAY GIFT AND FOOD GUIDE Buying local is one national trend we can get on board with, especially during the holiday season.

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Contents

CONTENT BY LOCATION 16 41 56 44

DECEMBER 2014

55 55 44 16 74 73 456712, 37 31, 38, 67 36 43, 54, 57 45 41 24, 36, 43, 21 19, 67, 70 36, 55 44 21 45, 53, 58, 71, 98 40 33, 71 71, 98 19, 26, 39, 43, 57 22 44 40, 54 41 44 16 33, 45, 71 21 56 46, 98 44

departments > [12] MEMO

chemistry of coffee, find classic toys in

Danita introduces you to the ornament

Cole Camp, discover Crestwood’s jolliest

Missouri will send to the White House

home, and meet a new ukulele club.

Christmas tree, and Greg ponders his

[22] SHOW-ME BOOKS

heritage and recent trip to Ireland.

More than eighty years after it was writ-

[14] LETTERS

ten, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s autobiography

The Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob

is finally being published.

Pipe company responds to Ron Marr, and

[24] SHOW-ME MUSIC

our readers write in.

[16] MADE IN MISSOURI

St. Louis’s Sleepy Kitty isn’t a tired cat but

[79] CALENDAR

one of the hardest working bands out there.

Celebrate the holidays across the state,

Get cracking with nutcrackers in Sarcoxie,

and discover more cool events.

discover your rustic side with SureShot

[67] DINING WORTH THE DRIVE

jewelry, and find your tiny home in Parnell.

Join the club of regulars at Blue Sky in

[98] MISSOURIANA

O’Fallon, make a sweet escape to Joe’s

At this year’s holiday party, entertain

[19] MO MIX

Bakery in Washington, and try the ritziest

friends, family, and coworkers alike with

Speed skate in the capital, learn the

barbecue in Kansas City.

these Show-Me State facts.

– THIS ISSUE –

On the Web

WHAT ST. LOUIS IS THINKING

STAINED GLASS SCAVENGER HUNT

NEW YEAR’S EVE COCKTAILS

St. Louis poet Henry Goldkamp has taken the

See some amazing images from Bruce Mathews’s

Ring in the new year with some fresh cocktail

typewritten thoughts of a city and turned

book Windows of Kansas City, where he captures

recipes from Missouri’s best bars and restau-

them into a book. Read our review.

some of the region’s best stained glass.

rants where you can celebrate the holiday, too.

Holiday Goodies Gift subscriptions, books, T-shirts, hats, and more: you can do all of your Christmas shopping at MissouriLife.com.

on the cover> WATER WONDERLAND When the weather outside is frightful, the water at CoCo Key is so delightful. Go to our website to see a video of staff photographer Harry Katz at the Kansas City water park capturing this holly, jolly photograph of Santa sliding into some unexpected holiday fun.

COURTESY OF HENRY GOLDKAMP AND BRUCE MATTHEWS; HARRY KATZ

Sign up for Missouri Lifelines, our free e-newsletter, and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/MissouriLife or on Twitter @MissouriLife.

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Gary Worth

In the true spirit of the season, the Old Trails Region invites you to share in the wonder of holiday parades, Christmas Home Tours, holiday bazaars and musical events.

Carolers, decorated trees, and visits from Santa are highlights of the holidays throughout the nine counties centered along the Missouri River. For details, call 660259-2230 or view the events calendar and trip planner section at www.oldtrails.net.

Boonslick Tourism Council

Friends of Jim Sharon Hoeflicker

If you are planning a special celebration this winter, the Martin Community Center in Marshall is the perfect venue for your event. Located at 1985 S. Odell, we can accommodate groups from 50-500. We will help you adapt the facility and its furnishings to your needs. Check our reasonable rates for your next trade show, meeting or reception.

To learn more about all our options visit www.nicholasbeazley.org or call 660-886-2630.

With the crops out of the fields and the leaves off the trees, winter is the perfect time to journey through the countryside and view the Barn Quilts of the Boonslick. Spanning Howard, Cooper and Saline counties, the scenic tour provides a glimpse of more than 40 of the colorful quilt patterns that were an important part of pioneer life in this area. To learn more, visit www.boonslick tourism.org or call 660-248-2011.

Visit the Marshall Welcome Center on the northwest corner of the Square!

Plan to stay with us in Marshall: Comfort Inn – Marshall Station 1356 W. College Ave. 660-886-8080 www.comfortinn.com Super 8 of Marshall 1355 W. College Ave. 660-886-3359 www.super8.com Claudia’s B & B 3000 W. Arrow St. 660-886-5285

www.visitmarshallmo.com

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Scan to learn more about Marshall.

Kitty’s Corner Guest Houses 228 E. North St. 660-886-8445 Courthouse Lofts 23 N. Lafayette St. 660-229-5644 Marshall Lodge 1333 W. Vest St. 660-886-2326 www.marshall-lodge.com

The Saline County Farm Toy Show will be held January 11 at the Saline County Fairgrounds on 65 Highway in Marshall. More than 20 vendors will be present to offer a wide range of toys representing all farm equipment brands. There will be toys in all scales. Custom made replicas will be available for the collector looking for something unique. Come browse the tables stacked with toys certain to be the perfect addition to your collection. Show hours are 9am– 3pm and admission is $2.00. To learn more visit www.marshallmochamber.com or call 660-886-3324.

Jene Crook

Plan to attend the Christmas Homes Tour on December 14 to put you in the spirit of the season. Five beautiful homes will be decked out in their best to help welcome the holidays. During your tour, stop by the Marshall Welcome Center on the northwest corner of the Square to learn more about Marshall or to buy tour tickets. Tickets will also be available at each home. Homes will be open from 12pm – 5pm. For additional information visit www.jimthewonderdog.org or call 660-886-8191.

Kathy Borgman

Be sure to visit the picturesque village of Arrow Rock during the holidays. The festive season kicks off with the Hanging of the Greens at 2pm on November 22.

Return on December 7 at 4pm for the Christmas Folk Sing with Cathy Barton and Dave Para in the Federated Church. Then make plans to enjoy a new holiday tradition in Arrow Rock when the Lyceum Theatre presents “A Christmas Carol.” Performance dates are December 12 – 21. For Arrow Rock information visit www.arrowrock.org or call 660-837-3231.

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A heartland has a beat, a sense of identity and a welcome mat big enough to accommodate all.

THE SPIR IT OF DISCOV ERY

The rich history, breathtaking scenery and quaint towns make Pulaski County the perfect setting for a family getaway in the heart of the picturesque Ozarks.

501 High Street, Ste. A, Boonville, MO 65233 660-882-9898 | Info@MissouriLife.com

Publisher Greg Wood Editor in Chief Danita Allen Wood

When planning your trip, visit our website PulaskiCountyUSA.com for info on hotels, restaurants, attractions, festivals and more.

EDITORIAL & ART Creative Director Andrew Barton Art Director Sarah Herrera Managing Editor Jonas Weir Associate Editor David Cawthon Special Projects Editor Evan Wood Associate Art Director Thomas Sullivan Graphic Designer and Staff Photographer Harry Katz Calendar Editor Amy Stapleton Administrative Assistant Karen Cummins Editorial Assistants Taylor Fox, Alex Stewart

- Military Museums - Historic Route 66 - Family Friendly Rivers - Festivals & Events

Pulaski County Tourism Bureau St. Robert, MO

Contributing Writers Sarah Alban, Charles Epting, Chanelle Koehn, Sheree K. Nielsen, Ashley Szatala

Call today to order a FREE Visitor’s Guide

877.858.8687

Columnist Ron W. Marr Contributing Photographers Taylor Blair, Randy Kirby, Marc Henning, Sheree K. Nielsen, Mallory Whiffen, Uno Yi MARKETING •800-492-2593 Sales Manager Mike Kellner, Central and Northeast Advertising & Marketing Consultant Brent Toellner, Kansas City and Western Sales Account Executive Paula Renfrow, Inside Sales Sales Associate Gretchen Fuhrman Advertising Coordinator Jenny Johnson Marketing Assistant Hannah Landolt Circulation Manager Amy Stapleton DIGITAL MEDIA MissouriLife.com, Missouri eLife, Facebook, Twitter Director Jonas Weir Editors David Cawthon, Sarah Herrera, Evan Wood Missouri Lifelines Evan Wood TO SUBSCRIBE OR GIVE A GIFT AND MORE Use your credit card and visit MissouriLife.com or call 800-492-2593, ext. 101 or mail a check for $19.99 (for 6 issues) to: Missouri Life, 501 High Street, Ste. A, Boonville, MO 65233-1211 Change address Visit MissouriLife.com OTHER INFORMATION Custom Publishing For your special publications, call 800-492-2593, ext. 106 or email Greg.Wood@MissouriLife.com.

Back Issues Order from website, call, or send check for $7.50.

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MISSOURI

emo ORNAMENT TO THE WHITE HOUSE

OUR RECENT Missouri Life tour of Ireland—with twelve fellow

FOR THE fourth year, Governor Jay Nixon appointed our friend Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky to create the Missouri holiday ornament for the National Christmas Tree display in Washington, DC. Every year, she works with students who assist her in replicating the original ornament design for the tree, and this year, she will be working with students in the Ferguson School Distrist.

Mike is well-known nationally for her scrimshaw, although she works in many different media. Scrimshaw is a traditional craft that originated with sailors passing time by etching into whale bones, other bones, or ivory. Mike uses environmentally friendly cow bones or recycled ivory piano keys. She has been recognized as one of the few Missouri artists to be included in DANITA ALLEN WOOD, EDITOR Early American Life magazine’s prestigious “Directory of Traditional American Craftsmen.”

I’m lucky to own a pair of scrimshaw earrings and a lapel pin made by Mike.

Mike is a juried member of Best of Missouri Hands, and she’s donated countless hours first as president for three terms and then as the executive director of the organization. Her passion for helping others grow their own art careers has always set her apart, and I’m sure the students learn a lot from her.

This year’s ornament design includes a candlelight lantern, to symbolize that Missouri, represented by the arch, may provide light and shares the hope that the light of truth and justice will shine for all. Red berries and pine boughs drape the top and sides, showcasing nature’s and Missouri’s beauty. The simple colors on the background of swirling white and glittering gold also help our state sparkle!

The lighting of the National Christmas tree is December 4. Thanks, Mike, for making Missouri’s beautiful ornament. To see her scrimshaw and other work or to buy an ornament, visit stonehollowstudio.com.

Missourians—got me wondering more about my ancestry, and that got me wondering about your ancestry, as well. Where do we Missourians come from? Interestingly, a recent study answered that question. It turns out many Missourians claim Irish ancestry, as I do.

While traveling on the tour bus, our Irishborn-and-raised tour director John Fitzgibbon passed around a book that had the primary surnames with Irish ancestry. To my surprise, I found all four of my grandparents’ surnames in there; Wood and Young were listed along with my more Irish-sounding Duley and Collins grandparents. Three of those lineages settled in Gentry County GREG WOOD, PUBLISHER sometime around 1840; the Collins side settled in Georgia. Our Ireland trip got me wondering just how they all got to America and when.

Of course, all Missourians came from somewhere; even Native American Missourians at some point settled here. In 2013, the US Census conducted the American Community Survey to find out more about where we all came from. It turns out that the number one country of origin for Missouri is—you guessed it—Germany with almost 1.5 million of our 6.4 million population claiming German ancestry. Those of Irish heritage number 796,000—more if you add in the 73,000 that claim Scotch-Irish. Scotch alone comes in at 98,000, and English is number three at 541,000. The top ten is rounded out by Italian, French, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, and Norwegian ancestries.

I wanted to personally thank our Missouri Life subscribers who traveled with us to Ireland, as they made our trip even more special by allowing us to experience this special country together. And, as that old Missouri bard and fellow Irish descendent Mark Twain wrote in The Innocents Abroad: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

Check out the details of our next excursion abroad and an opportunity to travel with fellow Missourians to Spain on page 85.

COURTESY OF STONE HOLLOW STUDIO; GREG WOOD

WHERE DO YOU COME FROM?

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Magical

Spend This Holiday Season in St. Louis The holidays are a great time to be in St. Louis.

From great shopping venues, exciting shows, and fun activities like ice skating and viewing holiday lights to the Ameren MO Festival of Lights and Thanksgiving Day Parade, you’ll run out of time before you run out of things to do! Make plans to visit St. Louis and make holiday memories to last a lifetime. www.explorestlouis.com/holidays [13] December 2014

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DECEMBER

LETTERS from all over You write them. We print them.

getting soaked to the point that it PIPE DREAMS was unreadable. After trying to dry Dear Mr. Ron Marr, out the soaked issue with a blow It was with sadness, appreciation, dryer and finding the pages were and concern that we at the Missouri dry but stuck together, I gave up.

Meerschaum Company read your Thank you for the replacement.

“Musings” article in the August 2014 We appreciate the magazine, issue of Missouri Life magazine. The and look forward to each issue. sadness was due to losing a good There is always outstanding writcustomer. The appreciation was ing (I might note that Andrew due to your being a loyal consumer Bridges, who wrote an article in of Missouri Meerschaum corn cob the “rodeo” issue [June 2013], pipes for as long as you were. The graduated high school with my concern was, and is, for your future daughter), fascinating and useful well-being. information, tastes of local flavor It has been well-documented (literally and figuratively), great that smoking a pipe makes a perIn the August 2014 issue, columnist Ron Marr lamented the death of his pipe smoking habit, so the photography, and, of course, the son smarter and can help him or her Missouri Meerschaum Company honored him with a plaque sporting a corn cob pipe. always useful calendar of Mislive longer. Actual examples of this souri events, around which we are Albert Einstein, who lived to be religiously plan day and weekend trips. seventy-six, and Samuel Clemens, who lived to GROOVY PUNS I just sort of consider Missouri Life as the be seventy-five. Since you have quit pipe smokA few weeks ago, my wife came home from the Show-Me Geographic. ing, we expect the quality of your articles will Lake of the Ozarks with the August 2014 issue of diminish, but as a way of thanking you for being Missouri Life. I wanted to send kudos to those re—Martin Tichenor, Napton a customer for so long, we will continue to read sponsible for the magazine cover—replete with them, even in their diminished form.

Beatles puns for article titles.

CORRECTION: As a token of our appreciation for your past Of course, everything inside of the magaThe image on page 102 of the October 2014 issue loyalty and for your kind words in the article, zine was superlative as well, but I really got should have been credited to Tyla Raredon. we have sent you a country gentleman corn a chuckle from the cover, as I imagined the cob pipe on a cedar plaque. Our hope is that good-natured humor with which it was creyou will keep it in a prominent place so you are ated and laid out. occasionally reminded of the pleasure that our I think “The Amish Produce Garden” was my pipes once gave you. favorite word play; it even fits well into the On behalf of all employees of Missouri Meersong!

Email: schaum Company, I wish you continued good Thank you, and keep up the good work!

Fax: health and whiter teeth. Rest assured that if you —Todd Noyes, Arlington, Texas Facebook: ever take up the honorable hobby of smoking a Address: pipe again, we will still be making our authentic, OUT TO DRY Missouri-made, corn cob pipes, just as we have Our mail carrier failed to securely close the door for the past 145 years. on our mailbox on a day when we got two inches of rain, resulting in our October 2014 issue —Phil Morgan, General Manager, Washington

PHIL MORGAN

SEND US A LETTER

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Winter is perfect in Clay County...

Come See. Come Do...there’s something for everyone! Winter is perfect in Clay County...Offering romantic getaways and historic characters, holiday ceremonies and wineries...and so much more!

Winter event listings at VisitClayCountyMo.com.

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS | GLADSTONE | KEARNEY LIBERTY | NORTH KANSAS CITY | SMITHVILLE [15] December 2014 Photo credits: Main photo and Hall of Waters by Kevin Morgan.

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Made IN MISSOURI Parnell

Sarcoxie

The Big Trend of Going Small

Going Nuts

WHEN IT’S TIME to get off the grid, one man is helping people in a big, yet “tiny” way. Johnny Spire, a life-long entrepreneur, has been building tiny houses on his family farm since 2007.

The four models of pint-sized houses Johnny builds range from 150 to 600 square feet. They have all of the amenities of a full-sized home, though areas like the bathrooms and kitchen are miniaturized. It takes

GERALD GARDNER had a tough nut to

Gerald doesn’t employ the hand-held wedge design

crack: how to make the perfect nut cracker. It all started

that often destroys the edible parts inside the nut and

These eco-friendly houses are often built on wheels

when the Sarcoxie resident purchased a twenty-acre

makes a big mess. Instead, Gerald’s nutcracker uses

and can be towed to places the average home can’t

farm in 1967 and began planting black walnut trees after

a spring design that applies pressure from two equi-

go. Owners often place them near mountains, forests,

he learned that he could sell the nuts for thirty cents a

distant points on either side of the shell and crushes

lakes, or in their backyards. Building codes, zoning ordi-

pound. Then, he saw another business opportunity.

the hard exterior but leaves the edible part intact.

nances, and other laws vary from location to location, so

about three months to complete one structure.

After dealing with the imperfections with store-

Gerald says he makes about four-hundred each

bought nutcrackers, he decided to make his own. He

year and that all of his parts—even the nuts, bolts, and

Before 2007, Johnny’s business of razing barns yielded

sold his first in 1990.

woods used for the base—are made in the Show-Me

little return money for the reclaimed wood. However, he

State. His standard model sells for seventy-five dollars.

discovered that tiny houses were growing in popularity.

Since then, the eighty-year-old has made improvements, reinforcing the weak parts until his “Master Nut Cracker” could crack the toughest shells.

For more information call 417-548-7428, or visit masternutcracker.com. —David Cawthon

it’s important to know the details before picking a spot.

Johnny knew the basics of building a house, and for what he didn’t know, he read books and watched instructional videos. So far, he has built eight tiny houses and has sold five that range in price from $29,000 to $35,000.

Treloar

Drawing from his experience, he also teaches peo-

A Sure Shot BULLET

CASINGS,

ple how to build tiny houses.

Additionally, he purchased a trailer park in Ravenwood where he plans to display his tiny houses, so people can

Bachman, and other celebrities.

others deemed unwanted, old, or

see which size would be the best fit for their lifestyle.

Anne says that her parents in-

useless. Reusing old typewriter keys

For more information, call Johnny Spire at 660-254-

a few components of Anne Jansen’s

spired her business. As a child, she

to make a bracelet would form the

7448, and visit morningviewhomesandcabins.com.

SureShot jewelry line, which has

tagged along with her mother to

beginnings of her jewelry company.

—Ashley Szatala

been worn by Tom Cruise, Khloe Kar-

garage sales, antique stores, and flea

That may explain the found items

dashian, professional hunter Melissa

markets where they found treasures

in her jewelry, but the rustic feel comes from weekends fishing and hunting with her father. He also unintentionally named her newest jewelry line when he saw her holding a Daisy BB gun at age eight and called her Annie Oakley, whose nickname was Little Sure Shot on Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show.

Visit sureshotjewelry.com, or call 314-478-6090 for more information.

—Chanelle Koehn

COURTESY OF GERALD GARDNER, ANNE JANSEN, AND JOHNNY SPIRE

fishing lures, and deer antlers are just

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NOW OPEN

UnionStation.org Step into the world of larger-than-life animatronic insects!

Presented by Bank Midwest

Prices as low as $7.5 0 Union Station Kansas City

Holiday Celebrations

Fun for the whole family!

DEC 6

at Union Station Kansas City

Santa in Science City

DEC13

Polar Express Pajama Party

DEC14

Holiday Dance Showcase

KC Southern’s Holiday Express Train!

DEC 18-21

Kansas City Southern’s Holiday Express Train with Santa

DEC 31

2nd Annual Noon Year’s Eve – An afternoon of FUN for the Kids in Science City!

Holiday memories!

Indoor train rides for the kids!

Full schedule at

UnionStation.org

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Behavioral Sciences Biology Chemistry Computer Science Engineering and Physics Family and Consumer Science Health Sciences Kinesiology Mathematics

Improving the quality of life Engineering is an evolving field. In the same way, Harding’s department of engineering and physics changes and adapts to meet the needs of this growing career. With programs in computer, electrical, mechanical and — most recently — biomedical engineering, the department offers state-of-the-art equipment and skilled faculty members to help students prepare for in-demand jobs, which improve the quality of life for individuals and society. Students are given hands-on opportunities to put theory into motion and are equipped with the tools they need for success as Christian professionals after graduation.

Faith, Learning and Living Harding.edu | 800-477-4407 Searcy, Arkansas [18] MissouriLife

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Mo MIX Springfield

Coffee Chemistry FOR ONE Springfield company, coffee isn’t just a part of the morning ritual; it’s a science.

“We love the lab side of things,” says Jonathan Putnam, owner of Brick and Mortar Coffee. “To make good coffee, you have to have all the equipment to test it with, so we thought we would open it up to the public.”

Brick and Mortar, which opened recently just outside of Downtown Springfield, is not a traditional coffee shop. Although customers can buy a cup of coffee there, the space isn’t intended for lounging, Jonathan says. It’s an educational coffee tasting room for those who want to learn more about coffee.

“There’s a lack of education about coffee, and that’s where we come in,” he says. “We want to be educationforward.”

Jefferson City

Need for Speed THEIR skates

glint in the

member of the US speed skating

of us,” he says. “We’re pretty

vide brew guides, and encourage customers to buy their

light as they race around Jeffer-

team, who got her start at this

tight-knit.”

coffees from around the world and try brewing them at

son City’s Washington Park Ice

very rink in the third grade. She

Practices run until March 22

home with the skills they learned at Brick and Mortar.

Arena at breakneck speeds, their

now assists the trio who taught

and are held on Tuesdays from

knees bent and their bodies close

her the sport decades ago.

4:45 pm to 5:45 pm and Sundays

They host coffee tastings every Saturday at 1 pm, pro-

Visitors should try the cold brew coffee—steeped for over twenty-four hours, filtered, and pumped through a

to the ice.

At the end of their hour

from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm. The

“Touch the ice!” booms Kirk

together, the group unwinds

Washington Park Ice Arena is lo-

Brick and Mortar Coffee, at 1666 E. St. Louis Street, is

Bonnot, coach of the Jefferson

with a game of tag on the

cated at 711 Kansas Street in Jef-

open daily from 7 am to 3 pm. For more information, visit

City Speed Skating Club. At his

ice. Kirk and Paul try to tag

ferson City. It costs $110 for an an-

brickandmortarcoffee.com. —Taylor Fox

command, the skaters—some as

the skaters bolting across the

nual Tuesday or Sunday session or

young as five and others in their

length of the rink.

$220 for both days. It’s five bucks

nitrous oxide tap, like Guinness beer.

mid-fifties—bend lower, running

Like a proud dad, Kirk talks

their fingertips along the ice as

about his skaters and other

they skate.

Missouri

“My favorite part of the sport is hearing the wind whistle

speed

skaters

as

though they are his kin.

“There are about seventy

if you’d like to just drop-in.

For more information, visit jcssc.org, or call Paul Rudder at 573-635-7995 or Kirk Bonnot at 573-338-3324.—Alex Stewart

through your helmet,” Kirk says.

COURTESY OF BRICK AND MORTAR COFFEE; HARRY KATZ

The JCSSC, in operation since the 1960s, is one of only four clubs of its kind in Missouri. The club, open to all skill levels, meets twice a week from September to March and participates in several statewide meets.

A member since the late 1970s, Kirk has seen the sport develop and take off in Missouri.

Accompanying him and fellow coaches Paul Rudder and Greg Weaver is Carly Wilson, a former

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Magical Experience, Hometown Traditions We are Clinton, Missouri, where small-town life is still alive and well. We invite you to cruise the shoreline of Truman Lake or pedal your way down the Katy Trail. This Golden Valley in which we live offers a multitude of opportunities to shop, bike, hunt, fish or just relax.

We invite you to come share all the things we love: our events, our square, our nature, and our people. We are Clinton, and we are great people, by nature.

Lighted Christmas Parade: November 28, 6 PM Historic Downtown Christmas Lighting: November 28 - December 31

For more information, visit www.clintonmo.com.

! y a w a t e G r u o Y Pl a n n on! u ch to se e a n d d o in L e ba So m

Lebanon is known by its motto,

“Frien dly people.

Frien dly pla ce.�

These events are only part of the fun we have to offer.

Liquid Nitro Arenacross

Championship Bull Riding

January 30-31 Cowan Civic Center 417-532-2148 www.motorheadevents.com

January 10 Cowan Civic Center 870-224-5774

Mad Dog Demolition Derby Tour

January 16-17 Cowan Civic Center www.motorheadevents.com

www.lebanonmo.org | 1-866-LEBANON

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Mo MIX Sikeston

Crestwood

Ukes of Hazard

Decked Out

IF YOU BUILD IT, they will come. That was the mind-set of Alex Mayes and Devin Scott when they founded their Sikeston-based ukulele club this year. They weren’t sure who would show

Alex Mayes and Devin Scott

up to a ukulele club in Southeast Missouri.

Anyone can join the club on the last

Devin found the instrument thera-

Tuesday of each month. The evening

peutic and decided to teach others

starts at 6 pm with a tune-up. Then,

how to play. “The ukulele is such a fun,

there’s an hour-long basics course,

social instrument that I’m playing every

and the second hour is an open-mic

day,” he says.

night that ends with a jam.

The duo held the first meeting this

Grab a ukulele, and join the club

past summer, and, indeed, the ukulele

at Parengo Coffee at 109 W. Malone

players came.

Avenue in Sikeston.

“The difference in skill level is really

For

more

information,

email

THE CHRISTMAS decorations at Jay and Susan Trevisano’s Crest-

cool because I didn’t realize that there

lastuesdayukulele@gmail.com, or fol-

wood home would put the Griswold’s to shame. There are more than two-hundred

were that many people who knew

low Last Tuesday Ukulele on Facebook

teddy bears, a fifteen-foot-tall wooden castle, dozens of Santas, a seventy-two-

how to play around here,” Alex says.

and Twitter.—David Cawthon

inch wreath fastened to their basketball hoop, life-size reindeer, and thousands of lights and figurines—to name some of the items. Speakers play holiday tunes, and visitors are welcome to walk up to the driveway.

It’s a 250-hour project that Jay and his son, Christopher, assemble before Halloween and then convert into a Christmas-theme in November.

“I bought some bears, a rocking horse, and Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, threw a big

Closet Classics

wreath in the window, and next thing you know, people started showing up,” Jay

BACK IN TIME TOYS brings decades-old toys and games back to

says of the operation when it began twenty-three years ago.

store shelves.

Ever since then, the display has grown to the point where Jay can’t squeeze any COURTESY OF WAMPA-ONE ON FLICKR; MALLORY WHIFFEN AND MIKE KELLNER

Cole Camp

more decorations into windows and onto his lawn—or onto his neighbor’s property.

But it’s not just for show. It’s about giving back to the community.

“People kind of gravitate toward those things because they had them when they were young, or they already collect them,” manager Jessica LaRue says.

The biggest sellers are tractors and Barbie Dolls. The 1948 board game, Sunken

Jay says that his family couldn’t afford much when he was young. So, he would peruse the major department stores in the St. Louis area and gaze at the elaborate

Treasure, is a favorite of Jessica’s. She, like many of her customers, is a collector of old-fashioned games. You won’t find electronics in stock here.

displays. When he got older, he wanted to recreate that atmosphere for other families.

If your younger self

The philanthropic efforts also go deeper than decorations. Out front next to the

yearns for playtime clas-

mailbox is a donation box where visitors can donate to the St. Patrick Center, which

sics, stop by Back in Time

provides housing, employment, and health opportunities for the homeless and for

Toys at 113 E. Main Street

those who are at risk for being homeless. Jay says that the proceeds throughout

in Cole Camp, Monday

the years have helped about a dozen families.

through Saturday from

“To me, that’s priceless,” he says. “The little work that I’m doing is nothing compared to people who don’t have anything.”

10 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm.

On December 13, from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Santa will visit the home at 9211

For more information,

Laurel Hill Drive, and the Trevisanos will serve hot chocolate, cookies, and other

visit backintimetoys.com,

goodies. The neighborhood will also host a parade. The Christmas decorations are

or call 660-668-0033.

up from the day after Thanksgiving through early January.—David Cawthon

—Taylor Fox

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10/29/14 6:40 PM

SHOW-ME

Books

BEHIND THE BOOKS Laura Ingalls Wilder’s autobiography gets a proper release and tells the true stories behind her Little House series.

BY DANITA ALLEN WOOD

Pioneer Girl Laura Ingalls Wilder 472 pages, hardcover, South Dakota Historical Society Press, $39.95 reins, and Pa, who must have swam with the horses, as they both calmly chided the children to stay still in the back of the wagon. As they passed from Bourbon County, Kansas, to Fort Scott, and from there into Vernon County, Missouri, they would have crossed Big Dry Woods Creek and the Little Osage River in Vernon County and the Marais des Cygnes River in Bates County. It is very possible it was one of these rivers that Wilder recalls crossing.

Fans who grew up on Wilder’s later fictional books will appreciate them even more, as they realize how true to history they were and how deeply she drew on her actual childhood.

COURTESY OF SOUTH DAKOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESS

MISSOURIANS ARE justifiably proud of Laura Ingalls Wilder. She lived much of her life and wrote her Little House books here. We’re also home to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum at Mansfield.

However, some of us may forget that few of the tales she told actually occurred here in Missouri, a fact brought home to eager readers who may turn to the “Kansas and Missouri, 1869-1871” section of Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography. You will find a scant twenty-three pages devoted to her childhood here, out of more than four hundred total pages; Missouri didn’t even rate a chapter separate from Kansas.

That said, all serious Laura Ingalls Wilder fans here and elsewhere will be delighted with this book—an autobiography that happens to be the first book Wilder wrote, although this is the first time it has been published. Wilder’s autobiography was intended for adult audiences and had been pitched to several publishers in the early 1930s by her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane. Lane had already developed an established career as a writer, and Wilder herself had published columns in the Missouri Ruralist magazine. But this was Wilder’s first book, nonfiction, and turned down by several different publishers. And yet, it became the wellspring for Wilder’s fictional Little House books, with many of her tales pulled out and embellished from her original autobiography. It even became the springboard for two of her daughter’s best-selling novels.

The insight in the introduction by editor Pamela Smith Hill is by itself fascinating. For example, at one point Wilder and Lane discussed changing Pa and Ma to Father and Mother. Another example: Lane borrowed stories from her mother’s autobiography and turned them into fiction for Let the Hurricane Roar, which Wilder did not learn until after it was published. At first, Laura felt betrayed and expressed her unhappiness.

But clearly, they both moved on and collaborated on their future books, which pulled inspiration from Pioneer Girl.

Fans of Little House will enjoy reading Wilder’s nonfiction memories of her early life, whether in Missouri, Kansas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, or the Dakota Territory. In the Missouri and Kansas chapter alone, there are tales of fearsome Osage visiting the homestead cabin, of a natural prairie fire that passed their log cabin because Pa plowed furrow strips around it, and of how Pa cleverly devised a solution to milk a wild cow that he had obtained from the trail drives that passed nearby.

Wilder tells another story matter-of-factly about what must have been a hair-raising crossing of a flooded river on their journey into Missouri. Wilder conveys the tension of Ma, who had to take the

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Discover the eclectic entertainment that can be found…

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10/27/14 10:44 AM

MISSOURI

Anything BUT SLEEPY Meet the St. Louis rock duo that tops internet cat videos.

BY JONAS WEIR

“It’s bizarre to hear something has alfrom the person I was then, two ready achieved the near impossithousand miles and seventeen ble. In an age when funny feline years ago in Seattle or whatever, videos rule the internet, the St. leaking into the air,” Evan says.

Louis indie rock duo, made up of “I was just at a Cardinals game, drummer Evan Sult and guitarist which is something the twentyand singer Paige Brubeck, has bethree-year-old-me would have come the first Google result and never been at, and they used the first YouTube result when our song as the soundtrack to you search for “sleepy kitty.” the bloopers reel.”

“If our band starts elbowing Despite Sleepy Kitty’s Chiout their cute faces in search recago roots, the band has called sults, I’m okay with that,” says St. Louis home for quite some drummer Evan Sult. “Those kittime now. The two moved into a ties don’t know how good they’ve three-thousand-square-foot livegot it online.” workspace on Cherokee Street On the 2014 release of the album in 2008 when rent prices shot up Projection Room, you can hear why in their Chicago neighborhood.

Sleepy Kitty is beating out adorable Paige, who grew up in Millstadt, kittens for top spots on YouTube.

Illinois, was well aware that St. The album offers melodic songs, Louis is an artist-friendly city. such as “Don’t You Start” and “We looked at that place and “What Are You Gonna Do When Singer and guitarist Paige Brubeck and drummer Evan Sult make up the St. Louis rock duo Sleepy Kitty, realized we could do whatever You Find Bigfoot?” And the band’s and they also were named The Riverfront Times best poster designers in 2011. we wanted to do here,” Paige sound is wholly original, yet rooted says. “It’s been amazing to watch the neighgether, it was kind of just a side project for in inspiration from great alternative rock. borhood grow in the meantime.” fun,” Paige says. “Then, we began working on “I’d say we’re somewhere between Fred Cherokee Street has now been transformed print projects, and we just called everything Astaire, the Velvet Underground, and The into a culturally hip neighborhood—a sharp Sleepy Kitty.”

Fall,” Paige says, referencing show tunes, gritchange from its nearly abandoned state in 2008.

Although Paige was still in college when she ty ’60s art rock, and slick ’80s post-punk all in And over that time, Sleepy Kitty has become much and Evan started creating music and art together, the same breath. more than a college art project. Evan and Paige Evan was already a seasoned rock veteran. At the The band’s name, though, was actually inare some of the most prolific poster designers in time, he was playing drums in the acclaimed inspired by the very same online cat videos they’re St. Louis. They’ve released two full-length aldie rock group Bound Stems. Previously, Evan now topping. After meeting at a party in Chibums, and their music has garnered national atsaw wider commercial success with his band cago, Evan and Paige started playing music totention. Evan and Paige are an industrious duo.

Harvey Danger—a very ’90s alternative rock gether while Paige was working on a class projThey do everything from designing and printing band whose single “Flagpole Sitta,” known by ect at the Art Institute of Chicago. After coming their concert posters to writing and recording the lyrics “I’m not sick, but I’m not well,” made up with the name for the band, the two extended their own music to making their own music vidit onto the Billboard Top 40 and into movies, TV the name to all of their creative endeavors. eos. They are anything but sleepy. shows, and the fabric of American pop culture.

“The first time we started playing music to-

COURTESY OF SHERVIN LAINEZ

SLEEPY KITTY

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Upcoming Events

Mexico is a perfect combination of small-town charm and urban style. Artsy boutiques, jewelry, quilt shops, scrapbooking, antiques, and cultural offerings give Mexico a sophisticated air with a family-friendly attitude. Come visit us today!

December 4-7: Shrek Presser Performing Arts Center 573-581-5592 www.presserpac.com

December 6: Mexico Christmas Parade Downtown Mexico 573-581-2765 www.mexico-chamber.org

December 13: Ballet “Nutcracker” 2nd Act Presser Performing Arts Center 573-581-5592 www.presserpac.com

December 18: 74th Christmas Evensong Missouri Military Academy 573-581-1776 www.missourimilitaryacademy.org

Mexico Area Chamber of Commerce We work hard as a Chamber of Commerce to be the pulse of the community, assisting all to provide services that will nurture and encourage our businesses and strengthen our community.

573-581-2765 | www.mexico-chamber.org

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MISSOURI

OZARKS AFTER DARK Almost sixty years into his life, Steven Spencer has a shot at becoming a true artist. BY JONAS WEIR

During his restless, late-night jaunts with the camera, Steven realized that graphic design wasn’t for him and decided to pursue a degree in Nighthawks make their way to local watering holes. A band starts at The Outfine art. This was the first time Steven began thinking of photography land. The opening bell rings for a boxing match at the Mosque Shrine. And Steven Spencer takes to the streets with his camera. as an artistic medium, though he had been taking “I photograph people dancing, people walking the photos his entire life.

When Steven graduated from high school, he streets, cab drivers, just everything at night, anything that goes on from nine o’clock to four in the morntook a job making cabinets. After he was laid off and ing,” Steven says. the job market looked poor, he joined the navy beNothing is off limits. He’s ventured into the storm cause he was young, adventurous, and yearning for a drains of Springfield to photograph the homeless. chance to see the world outside of Springfield—the He’s photographed burlesque shows. And he likes place where he was born and raised. Unfortunately, taking pictures of “blighted” areas. Steven’s nocturnal he was assigned shore duty in Texas.

“I joined the navy to see the world, but the only subjects came out of necessity at first.

Six years ago, Steven, age fifty-nine, thought the Steven Spencer takes photographs at night with no tripod ship I saw was an oil tanker pulling out of the harbor computer industry was leaving him behind, so he and no flash. “The way I see it, we don’t see in flash,” he says. of Corpus Christi,” he says.

“I wanted my images to look the way that we see.”

Today, though, Steve’s life has changed drastically decided to pursue a graphic design degree at Drury from where it was decades ago or even from where Univesity. Around the same time, he was diagnosed it was just months ago. As of early 2014, he has a cancer-free, clean bill of with stage four prostate cancer. health. He has a bachelor’s of fine art, a bachelor’s of graphic design, and a “Between going to school and doing radiation, I couldn’t sleep at night,” he master’s of fine art. And he’s finally getting a chance to travel the world. says. “So, I took my camera and figured out how to shoot it at night.”

STEVEN SPENCER

WHEN THE SUN goes down over Springfield, the city changes.

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Left: Steven photographed the 3.5 million-square-foot abandoned Packard Automotive Plant in Detroit before demolition started this past October. Right: Ballerina Kristin Parker gracefully does a grand jeté at Dillons grocery store in Springfield.

STEVEN SPENCER

Steven has been traveling to American cities for his art. He’s captured the nightlife in New Orleans and the poverty and urban decay in Detroit.

“Detroit really shocked me,” he says. “I went to places that average folks don’t get to go and met people like Allan Hill, the homeless guy who lives in the Packard plant.”

Detroit isn’t usually topping people’s vacation lists, and poverty isn’t pretty, but for Steven, it’s something he has to do.

“You see things on the news, but you don’t really trust it; you see it for yourself,” he says. “Or at least, I do. I have to go there.”

Not only is Steven traveling around the country, he’s also making trips across the world. He flew to Panama to take photographs in his usual style, but he was also asked to photograph the National Ballet of Panama.

When he returned, he was approached by Meredith Stewart, who works with local dance groups, with the idea for photographing ballet dancers in urban settings.

“I told her, ‘It’s been done all over the world, but it hasn’t been done here, so let’s do it,’ ” he says.

Dancers Victoria Billington, Carla Pellnan Williams, and Lauren Buford pose at night on the Jefferson Avenue Footbridge in Downtown Springfield. One of the country’s longest, this 562foot pedestrian bridge was built in 1902 and crosses over a series of railroad tracks.

Thus began a yearlong project that came to fruition in November 2014.

Steven’s subjects shifted from the blighted to the whimsical. He began photographing more in motion, more in daylight, and more out of his element. It was the first time that he had people actually posing for photos.

“I’ve really dug it,” he says. “I’ve learned a lot more about dancing.”

An arabesque at a record store, a grand jeté in a supermarket, and a ballerina en pointe at the foot of a pinball machine, Steven’s ballet series, which debuted at Springfield Arts & Letter Gallery, contains both comedy and beauty. However enjoyable, these portraits of stunning danseuses in obscure places are merely tangents on Steven’s artistic trajectory. He plans to continue practicing his passion—taking low-light photographs of the shadier side of humanity.

“I’m better at drawing light out of darkness, rather than drawing darkness out of the light,” he says.

He sees himself in the same vein as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec—an eighteenth century French postimpressionist artist. Lautrec is known today for his painting and drawing of the infamous Moulin Rouge club in Paris and for his block-print poster work. In many ways, the two artists are similar. Both struggled with their health, and both used nightlife as their subject.

However, Steven doesn’t study others’ photography much, and he has a reason for that: it influences his style too much. After he began following photographer Vivien Maier, he started seeing her thumbprint in all of his photos.

“It’s kind of like going to the drive-in movie and seeing Bullitt, and then peeling out,” he says. “All of a sudden, you’re a stock car racer.”

But over the past seven years, Steven has really found his own style, even if there are traces of Vivian Maier and Henri de Toulouse Lautrec in his art.

This winter, he plans to return to Panama to photograph in the Darien Gap, which is considered one of the most dangerous regions because its notable absence of law and infrastructure gives way to armed guerillas, drug traffickers, and hostile native people. But it’s a place he needs to photograph.

He needs to see things for himself and share them with the world, which is what makes him a true artist. Steven Spencer, who can see the light in the darkness, photographs to the speed of his own shutter.

“I joke about getting it into museums and stuff like that, but what I’m doing is I’m photographing my footprint,” he says. “If it happens to have a theme, it has theme. The minute I start doing photography for money or anything other than fun, it will cease.”

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This $4-million museum inside a priceless piece of architecture offers a look back at living history.

IMMERSE yourself in the arts and music at Kemper Center for the Arts and Westminster Gallery.

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SMILE at the offbeat collection at Crane’s Museum in Williamsburg, and before you head out, stop by Marlene’s Restaurant. A pulled-pork sandwich and warm slice of pie will leave you grinning.

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REVISIT the 1930s by sharing a shake made with locally made premium ice cream at Sault’s authentic soda fountain.

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[54] MissouriLife MissouriLife [28]

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ADVERTISEMENT Wonderful breakfasts and romantic accommodations await you at Loganberry Inn B&B.

Calendar of Events The Best Christmas Pageant Ever December 4 - 6, 7:30 PM December 7, 2 PM Dulany Auditorium William Woods University In this hilarious Christmas classic, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids-probably the most inventively awful kids in history. You won’t believe the mayhem — and the fun — when the Herdmans collide with the Christmas story head on! This delightful comedy is adapted from the bestselling young adult book, and has become a holiday staple for theatre across the United States! $10 Adults, $5 children 6-12 573-592-4281 joe.potter@williamwoods.edu

Nontombi Naomi Tutu Crane’s 4,000-square-foot museum is a one-of-akind viewing experience featuring rural Missouri history dating back to the 1800s.

Shop for unique gift items at the annual Victorian Christmas sale.

Thursday, January 22, 6PM Cutlip Auditorium In her empowering speech, Naomi Tutu blends her passion for human dignity with humor and personal stories. The daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, she talks about the challenges of growing up in South Africa, which became the foundation of her life as an activist for human rights. Admission is free and open to the public.

Brenda Foster at 573-592-4219 or Brenda.foster@williamwoods.edu

Come tour our seven historic Civil War sites on the Gray Ghosts Trail!

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Christmas is magical in the Historic Brick District of Fulton [29] 2014 [55]December December 2010

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For your next getaway or family vacation, visit Fulton and Callaway County. For more information and calendar of events, visit www.visitfulton.com or call 573-642-3055.

10/31/14 2:02 PM

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During the holidays, the temperature-controlled water slides and pools at CoCo Key in Kansas City feel just like summer. The indoor water park is open year-round.

–THE–

Even in the coldest of winter days, CoCo Key in Kansas City offers HARRY KATZ

summertime amusement.

BY EVAN WOOD

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During the holidays, the temperature-controlled water slides and pools at CoCo Key in Kansas City feel just like summer. The indoor water park is open year-round.

–THE–

Even in the coldest of winter days, CoCo Key in Kansas City offers HARRY KATZ

summertime amusement.

BY EVAN WOOD

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OUT OF HABIT, drivers traveling on I-70 near Kansas City are probably used to looking south at mile marker 9, right next to the I-70 and I-470 interchange. Kansas City’s major league stadiums—Kauffman and Arrowhead—sit directly south of the eastbound lanes. However, perceptive drivers may have also noticed something to the north: a giant series of dark red tubes winding in and out of the Holiday Inn that’s located just off the exit ramp.

These are CoCo Key’s three biggest water slides, and going down any one of them is exhilarating if a little nerve-racking. Anyone with a fear of heights will probably be hesistant to try; riders must climb four stories of stairs before entering. At the top are three holes in the wall. Two of these are large and have shallow pools leading up to them, where riders can set their rafts before climbing in. These two slides are called Barracuda Blast, both over 350 feet long. The smaller entrance on the left side is Shark Slam, a body slide that ends in a water-lined runway at the bottom.

What gives all three slides their sense of excitement is also what makes their eye-catching exterior design work for an indoor, temperature-controlled water park.

“The tubes are encased in fiberglass,” says Greg Madden, director of group sales and marketing for the water park and the hotel. The fiberglass not only ensures that the water being pumped through the slide stays temperature controlled, but it also makes the slides completely dark inside. “I think it would be boring if there were a light in there,”

Greg says. “Every time I go down is a new experience. You’re not going to remember every turn.”

Going into the slide, you know that, at some point, you’re going to experience turns, but nothing can prepare you for how quickly they seem to appear or how rapidly they shift from right to left.

Just as the water slides don’t freeze despite traveling out of the building during winter months, part of the allure of CoCo Key—and indoor water parks in general—is the fact that you don’t have to worry about the weather. Obviously, indoor water parks like CoCo Key can stay open all year, but they compete with outdoor parks in other ways, too.

CoCo Key keeps out summertime pests like wasps, and people walking between attractions don’t burn their feet on the pavement. So, an indoor water park makes for a great summer outing.

“When you’re outside, you have to worry about sunscreen,” Greg says.

And while people looking to get a tan may find that aspect appealing, Greg says that at CoCo Key families don’t have to hover over their children and re-apply sunscreen every hour on the hour.

Additionally, you don’t have to worry about your day being spoiled by rain, or by one of Missouri’s inordinately cool early summer days. Parkgoers at CoCo Key, and other water parks like it, don’t have to worry about inclement weather, either, unless it’s severe. And even during thunderstorms, the park doesn’t have to be totally shut down.

Aside from keeping up with its outdoor counterparts, CoCo Key

COURTESY OF COCO KEY

The Palm Grotto offers more relaxation than fun. This giant whirlpool is a great place to de-stress while the kids enjoy the water slides, lazy river, and other activities.

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COURTESY OF COCO KEY

Above: Parrot’s Perch is an interactive, aquatic jungle gym that has water slides, water cannons, and a 300-gallon dumping bucket. Top right: This water slide at Parrot’s Perch stays completely indoors. Bottom right: The Coconut Grove Adventure River is over 300 feet long.

also stands apart from other indoor parks. Michael Alonzo, water resort director at CoCo Key, says that the park is one of the safest in the country.

“We’re in the top thirty percent,” he says. “We’re real proud of that.”

CoCo Key’s lifeguards are trained by Ellis and Associates, an international aquatic safety consulting firm. The firm also audits CoCo Key’s safety every three months, which ensures the park stays compliant with its safety guidelines. “That’s unique for indoor parks,” Greg says.

Ellis and Associates gave CoCo Key a Golden Guard award this year.

According to Michael, the firm allows its auditors to give out one to two of these awards each year, making it a high honor. Michael also says that getting the award requires going “above and beyond.”

CoCo Key has something for everyone. From the big slides, which will satisfy thrill-seekers, to the classic water park amenities like the lazy river and aquatic jungle-gym, there’s no shortage of things to do. CoCo Key also offers a hot tub for adults and a special pool designed for young children who are not yet able to swim or walk. There’s also a bar and grill where you can order food from the hotel restaurant, as well as private cabanas for families and groups.

CoCo Key is also compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. “If you have someone who has physical challenges,” says Greg, “they are not being left out.” Greg says that because CoCo Key is a newer resort, it was designed with ADA-compliance in mind.

MORE INSIDE WATER SLIDES CoCo Key isn’t the only indoor water park around. Visit these great parks around the state for your next winter (or summer) water slide adventure.

CASTLE ROCK: Branson. Open Fridays 1-10 pm, Saturdays 10 am-10 pm, Sundays 9 am-5 pm. $15 per person. 888-2733919, castlerockbranson.com COCO KEY: Kansas City. Open Fridays 4-9 pm, Saturdays 10 am-9 pm, Sundays 10 am-6 pm. $12 Weekdays, $18 Weekends, $79 annual pass. 877-425-2746, cocokeykansascity.com SPLASH COUNTRY: Branson. Open Fridays 2-10 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 10 am-9 pm. $15 per person. 888-5054096, grandcountry.com/waterpark TIMBER FALLS WATER PARK AT TAN-TAR-A: Osage Beach. Open Fridays 12-10 pm, Saturdays 10 am-10 pm, Sunday 10 am-7 pm. Open every day in January. $17 for hotel guests, $22 for non-guests. 800-826-8272, tan-tar-a.com These water parks may change their hours intermittently.

Call ahead, or check their website before you travel.

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Stories

Stained in

ďż˝

Glass

Peer beyond the panes into this centuries-old art form.

ďż˝

B Y D AV I D C A W T H O N

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Emil Frei and Associates, a stained glass studio based in Kirkwood, has many windows across the country and in the St. Louis area, like these at Concordia Lutheran in Maplewood.

COURTESY OF EMIL FREI AND ASSOCIATES

LIGHT brings stained glass to life on a translucent canvas.

The art looms in churches, schools, businesses, and private residences as subdued colorful pictorials set within ornate architecture. These panes tell stories and are reminders of the lessons we can learn from tales of saints, good deeds, and wise men. They are permanent fixtures that transform as the sun traverses the sky, when the cool light of a winter morning shifts to the warm hues of summer’s dusk. It’s an art and an industry inspired by religious convictions and artists struggling to illuminate truth.

Stained glass has been a part of human history for hundreds of years, perhaps first created as a way to satisfy our innate desire for beauty and storytelling, says Ken Luebbering, a Missouri stained glass historian and co-author of Gospels in Glass, a book about the state’s stained glass. His wife, Robyn Burnett, co-authored the book and also photographed some of the best work across the state.

“They illuminate in a couple of ways at the same time,” Ken says. “They illuminate some kind of spiritual religious message by the content, but they also illuminate things symbolically.”

Stained glass was first used as a way to communicate Biblical stories to the illiterate; religious figures would refer to the windows to illustrate an important message during their sermons. The oldest windows in existence

are in Germany and France and date back to 1065 and 1081, respectively.

The most ancient works are thought to have been created during the end of the Western Roman Empire, but glass’s fragility doesn’t lend itself to enduring time, war, and vandalism. Those first works are lost to history.

Royalty, such as King Henry VIII of England, destroyed monasteries and their stained glass. To fund Napoleon’s wars, stained glass windows were among the priceless items sold.

However, innovations and trends in a young America would inspire a variety of stained glass art throughout the ages, leading to a diversity in styles and techniques that would spread throughout the country, including Missouri.

We are still uncovering the stories behind each figure, color, and shape in the wondrous works in the windows. Modern artists are harkening back to the golden days of stained glass, employing techniques that have developed for centuries, and taking the art into new and exciting realms.

“One of the things that you have to do as a stained glass designer is get people to pay attention to what’s there,” Ken says. “If it’s something that’s too familiar, they look at it once and never look at it again—but if you can find a way to pique their curiosity, they’re more likely to come back and look at it again if they’re in the pews on a Sunday morning.”

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At the Missouri State Capitol, you might need binoculars to see the details and symbols in the glass overhead: zodiac animals, four bald eagles, lamps, bulls, and other details dot the Great Window.

The Emil Frei studio made windows for Concordia Seminary in Clayton. The art is typically installed as buildings are constructed because the glass’s position relative to the sun is vital.

INSIDE THE STAINED GLASS STUDIO at Emil Frei and Associates, Will Frank etches a circular design on a sheet of paper, making geometric curves and lines—the early blueprints for a new piece of stained glass slated for installation in a Brussels, Illinois, church that was struck by lightning and burned one Christmas Eve. This is only one of the more than seventyfive projects Will and the team at Emil Frei have tackled in the past year.

Some of the studio’s most recent work was installed in: Billings, Montana; Holyoke Massachusetts; Irving, Texas; Pensacola, Florida; Atlanta; New Orleans; Oklahoma City; Jefferson City; and India—to name a few locations.

Downstairs, Buddy Pondron uses pencils, sponges, and other tools to remove black paint on glass, much like artists did long ago; the presence and absence of light is what creates images and shapes in the glass. Jessica Hunt clips and assembles thousands of colorful stones to form an intricate mosaic, another facet of the studio’s art.

The headquarters of Emil Frei and Associates, a family-owned stained glass studio, resides within a home on a hill in a wooded residential area in Kirkwood. The house next door belongs to Aaron Frei, who is a part of the next generation who will run the studio, more than 116 years after it was founded.

If you ask current owner Stephen Frei how the operation has changed since it started in 1898, he’ll tell you that it hasn’t.

“We’re not part of the modern world,” he says. “We are truly still a fifteenth-century, family cottage guild. There are certain things that when you change them so that they are faster, it affects the final product. The techniques and traditions that we’ve worked with have been developed over centuries upon centuries upon centuries.”

They still use mouth-blown German glass, some made with bits of potato, which gives it a unique bubbling effect. It’s not surprising that salesmen peddling digital design programs aren’t welcome.

“Salesmen try to sell us computer-assisted design programs, and we can’t usher them out fast enough,” Stephen says. “Those are good at making kaleidoscopes and other things, but our windows, we want them to have a soul. And in order for them to have a soul, they have to be designed by something that’s connected to a soul—a human hand.”

These days, there are fewer human hands making stained glass. The Frei lineage is the state’s last remaining continually operating professional studio that began with Emil Frei Sr., who was born in Bavaria in 1869. The Munich School of Art graduate grew wary of the emerging political climate in Germany and the mandatory military service, so in 1895, Frei moved to New York to make art. After the move to America, his wife, Emma, a muralist, became homesick, and the couple considered returning to Germany. On their way to a ship bound for home via New Orleans, they stopped in St. Louis to stay with friends. During their visit, the strong German community in the Gateway City reminded them of home, so the couple stayed and opened a stained glass studio a few years later on South Broadway. In the years that followed, the studio would earn many awards and honors, which would cement its reputation as one of the nation’s premier stained glass creators.

St. Louis became an epicenter for professional stained glass studios. But then, the post-World War II suburban boom ground to a halt, and fewer Catholic churches, structures that most often use stained glass, were built.

COURTESY OF EMIL FREI AND ASSOCIATES; HARRY KATZ

�

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COURTESY OF BRUCE MATHEWS

The Ascension Window at the Keystone United Methodist Church in Kansas City was created in the Gothic Revival style, which was popular from 1425 to 1600, writes Bruce Mathews in his book, Windows of Kansas City. Thomas J. Gaytee studied at the famous Tiffany studio before starting his own company that installed this window.

For more images and stories or to buy the book, contact Bruce at 816-8681392 or bmathews2@kc.rr.com. Visit MissouriLife.com to see more of Bruce’s stunning photography.

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COURTESY OF BRUCE MATHEWS

The Kirkland Brooks Armour Memorial Chapel, located at Kansas City’s Elmwood Cemetery, is one of many locations that appear in photographer and writer Bruce Mathew’s book Windows of Kansas City.

The fifteen-year Elmwood Cemetery volunteer writes that the window depicts Jesus’s resurrection. However, like some old windows, its creator is unknown.

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� The interest in sacred artwork faded. Most of the longest running studios eventually succumbed to economic hardships in the 1960s and 1970s that caused them to close or be sold to owners outside of the founding family. Stephen can name the casualties: Jacoby, Century, Davis, Unique, and Olszewski.

“I guess we were the only ones to ultimately survive that,” Stephen says.

“The companies that replaced them were businessmen working in art.”

The Frei studio became smaller and moved to its current Kirkwood location. At its peak, Emil Frei employed more than 120 workers in St. Louis and in Munich. Today, there are about fifteen full-time employees.

Surviving downswings is what makes Emil Frei and Associates such an anomaly. Missouri stained glass historian Ken Luebbering says that the quality of their work might be the key.

“The Freis had the ability to create these lifelike bodies, that were also idealized, without flaws,” Ken says. “They have the ability to include a lot about the narrative that they are presenting within the content of the windows, and yet at the same time, they use light in a very effective way.”

In the modern era, the Freis have had to innovate in the realms of art and engineering, having also repaired glass when hurricanes crash into beachside churches. The studio originally installed the rounded wall of panes at Saint Michael Parish Catholic Church in Biloxi, Mississippi. The building’s location near the Gulf also made it susceptible to Hurricane Camille’s winds, which only slightly damaged the glass. Robert, Stephen’s father and the company’s third owner, repaired the windows in 1969. He was the first from the studio to arrive on the scene and says he had to cut through the freighters and boats washed up on the highway to get to the church.

However, forty years later, Katrina’s storm surge destroyed most of the glass. To prevent a future natural disaster from destroying the lower portions, Stephen’s brother, David, devised a way to raise the lower glass without electricity, protecting it from crashing waves. This design also prevents the church from trapping air and becoming buoyant if it were to become

HOME-GROWN TALENT SPRINGFIELD BOTANICAL GARDEN CRITICISM was the catalyst for Robin

from a barn-turned-stained glass

Coulter Crabb’s stained glass business.

studio where she creates stained

She had taken a few stained glass

glass for churches and commer-

classes and first sold her work at a lo-

cial clients, such as the Springfield

cal show in 1996. A man approached

Botanical Garden.

her booth and told her that he wasn’t impressed.

COURTESY OF ROBIN COULTER CRABB; UNO YI

�

She designed the giant nature scene replete with a cherry tree, a

“Another artist came up to me and

trail, orchids, and rocks. A caterpillar

said, ‘You don’t have anything here

became a part of the garden pictorial

that’s going to wow anyone,’ ” she says.

when she broke a piece of glass late

Using that criticism, she took

in the process and had to improvise.

an Alphonse Mucha postcard of a

Being in the Bible belt and work-

woman in a flowing gown and con-

ing in a city where there aren’t many

verted that into a piece of stained

glass artists keeps Robin busy around

glass. The judges at Silver Dollar City

the clock.

were so impressed with the work,

“If I don’t have a project, I’m in my

they not only awarded it first place,

studio refining my skills, the fusing,

but one judge offered to buy it.

the painting,” she says. “Just keep-

Now, Robin works professionally

ing that creativity alive.”

Aaron Frei cuts a piece of glass. The thirty-four-year-old has worked at the studio since 1992.

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�

WELL-READ REFLECTIONS KENT LIBRARY AT SEMO, CAPE GIRARDEAU NOT ALL stained glass works are in churches; some are in libraries.

New York artist G. Owen Bonawit’s stained glass designs adorn the halls of many of America’s prestigious institutions, including Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.

Bonawit was commissioned by SEMO to create forty-five panels honoring Mark Twain and his literary characters, Missouri history, and famous Kent Library from 1939 to 2005, until The portrait of Mark Twain inside a steamboat’s pilot wheel is among the Twain-themed windows in the collection.

renovations forced them into storage.

The artist created these panels using a medieval method of glass staining. He combined brown paint with silver stain that, when heated, would produce golden hues.

The Missouri-themed windowpanes were located in the east and west windows of the reading room.

The east windows, facing the Mississippi, naturally, held the Mark Twain images.

Six events in Missouri history immortalized in glass, which lined the western-facing windows, include the state’s first governor and the signing

Twain piloted the Steamboat Memphis, though its fate wasn’t pleasant. Twain was not on board when it exploded in 1866.

of the Louisiana Purchase.

Sadie Kent, the university’s head librarian from 1910 to 1943, handpicked each of the thirty-three printers to be featured on the glass.

A nod to the history of printing, Bonawit recreated each printer’s unique colophon, or mark, that was stamped at the end of documents the printers made.

In honor of the library’s seventyfifth anniversary, the panes came out of storage, and you can see the glass again in a permanent installation on the third floor. For more in-

This stained glass piece was inspired by the statue in Hannibal that features two of Twain’s most famous characters.

formation, contact Roxanne Dunn at 573-986-7446 or rdunn@semo.edu.

—Alex Stewart

� submerged again. Buddy Pondron, fifty-five, among the newer employees at the studio, says that Biloxi was his first assignment. He was hired on a Friday afternoon, and that next Monday, he was on his way to Mississippi.

Landing a job at the studio, Frei or not, isn’t an easy feat.

“We have strong applicants all of the time, but we want to do the teaching ourselves,” Stephen says. “There isn’t a school were you can learn this anywhere else. When they’ve learned the different techniques, that will be when they are commissioned their first church.”

And that could take three to eight years.

He says this as he and the other employees sit around the outdoor lunch table where the third, fourth, and fifth generations of employees converse and recount former excursions across the country.

Other topics come up, though. Artist John Wheadon, thirty-four, says that it can be difficult to convince clients that using a particular color palette or a certain type of glass is worthwhile, especially when a square foot of German mouth-blown glass might run eighteen to thirty-five dollars or if an expensive material like gold is needed to create a pink or red color. Compare that with some types of American glass that run from eighty to ninety cents a square foot, which often does not employ the ancient techniques that give glass certain textures and intricacies that bend light in unusual ways.

Also, part of the hardship involved with the job is overcoming the client’s sentimental attachment to their childhood parish, Stephen says.

“When they commission us for their windows, in the back of their mind, they feel strongly that the windows they grew up with are what they want in their church,” Stephen says. “A lot of times, we try to expose them to the possibilities that they haven’t seen. Modern art has gotten a bad knock because you’ve seen one or two examples that were poorly done.”

Breaking away artistically but maintaining that same quality is something that every Frei generation has had to consider, Ken says.

“When a studio has an established reputation and a particular artistic style, breaking away from that can be difficult,” Ken says. “I know it was for some of the early generations of the Freis. When the founding generation was gone, the second and third generations had those issues.

COURTESY OF THE KENT LIBRARY AT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY AND ROBYN BURNETT

early printers. They were displayed in

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COURTESY OF SCOTT KILLGORE, WYATT PARK CHRISTIAN CHURCH

This window at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Rolla was completed by the Emil Frei studio in 1905. St. Patrick is the patron saint of engineers, and the engineering school at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla has adopted the patron saint.

They had people who didn’t like their work because it wasn’t like what Dad or Grandpa did.”

Then, there’s also the struggle of living up to the Frei name.

“There is a lot of pressure,” Stephen says. “I’m standing on the shoulders of three generations of giants.”

Robert Harmon cut his teeth at the Frei studio. On one of his first projects, the windows at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in St. Louis, he wove in modern messages about social inequality and war with Biblical symbols. Harmon eventually left Emil Frei and established his own studio, where he further developed his own style. When Ken interviewed Harmon before his death, Harmon told him that because he worked independently, he could reinvent himself because he had shed the weight of the studio name. Harmon said that the subject matter that he worked with wasn’t important; it was the light that was important.

“Robert told me, ‘If you are going to appreciate stained glass, you have to look at the way the artist uses light because that’s our tool,’ ” Ken says, remembering the conversation. “ ‘You can make religious windows, and most people will understand them; it’s the function of a stained glass artist working with the church, to make God visible. You can’t see pure light. You can only see it when it’s reflected or refracted. It’s my job to make God visible.’ ” Harmon was often inspired by his rural Ozark studio, which was evident in his final work filled with dogwood flowers and daffodil blossoms that he created for Happy Zion General Baptist in Annapolis, Missouri.

But, stained glass isn’t like a piece of art you’d find in an art gallery. The best stained glass is developed during planning when the glass becomes intertwined with the building’s future curves and shapes, like it was for the Cathedral Basilica in St. Louis. The work of Gateway City artists, including Frei windows, are still on display there—a reminder of the art form’s glory days.

But those at Emil Frei are still making art for a new generation, just as they always have, and, as history has shown, that’s what they always will do, one piece at a time.

“As long as society stays faithful,” Stephen says, “we’ll always be busy.”

SYMBOLS IN GLASS

�

WYATT PARK CHRISTIAN CHURCH, ST. JOSEPH SOMETIMES, stained glass artists want you to wrestle with their work.

Upon further observation, visitors might notice the intricacies in the

“It takes some studying, but that

scene. Aaron Frei, a theological ex-

is how good stained glass is,” says

pert at the studio, explains the sym-

Stephen Frei, owner of Emil Frei and

bolism behind the art:

Associates stained glass studio.

The window is the story of God’s

You could apply that sentiment

grace and man’s response to it. The

to the piece at Wyatt Park Christian

creation of the universe is symbol-

in St. Joseph. The window almost

ized by the Big Bang, and the light

caused a rebellion in the church, says

coming down represents man’s tal-

Ken Luebbering, a Missouri stained

ents, crafts, and vocations. At the

glass historian. Ken spoke with one of

bottom of the glass are corn stalks,

the donor’s last living family members

sailboats, and other tools of differ-

who said the design was too abstract.

ent trades. By working with God’s

Ken remembers the man telling

creation, humankind returns his gift

him this: “My sister went to her grave

in a gift of praise, symbolized by the

hating that window, but after hearing

cross, which ultimately leads back to

Robert Frei talk about what he had in

God, the source and the summit of

mind with that, I sit in the back of the

our existence.

church on Sunday morning, I see the

“Visually, it’s beautiful, but there’s

light coming through; I’ve come to ap-

so much motion in it, and it’s a very

preciate that window.”

dynamic window,” Aaron says. “But

And many people are awestruck when they first see the wall of glass.

at the same time, there’s a lot of theological content woven in.”

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IT’S BEGINNING to look a lot like Christmas, so ’tis the season, as they say, for roasting chestnuts over an open fire, decking the halls with boughs of holly, and singing your favorite carols. Across the state, Missourians will be celebrating with their own traditions, whether that’s going to see the lights on the Plaza in

Kansas City or making a trip to Branson to watch a holiday performance. In this season, there are a lot of Missouri-made gifts to be had; our magazine is rife with ideas. But here, we present you with twelve great gift ideas and ways to celebrate yuletide for each of the twelve days of Christmas.

BY JONAS WEIR

COURTESY OF THE KANSAS CITY BALLET

Celebrate the holidays with these gift ideas and ways to bring good tidings to you and your kin.

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TEN LORDES-A-LEAPING

TWELVE DRUMMERS DRUMMING AND ELEVEN PIPERS PIPING Kansas City’s St. Andrew Drum and Pipes is not only one of the state’s best groups for bagpiping, but they are also a top-notch drum corps.

“They’re our time keepers,” Kevin Regan says. “We’re all in this together.”

This band of drummers and pipers was founded more than fifty years ago by three families, but now it has grown in size and nearly perfected a traditional Scottish sound. St. Andrew Drum and Pipes have competed and taken home titles in national competitions and opened for artists as popular as Rod Stewart. Check the group’s schedule at kcpipeband.org.

ˆ

COURTESY OF ST. ANDREW DRUM AND PIPES, ST. LOUIS BALLET, AND KANSAS CITY ROYALS

NINE LADIES DANCING In Missouri, we have plenty of options to see great dancing, but nothing says Christmas like a traditional performance of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet The Nutcracker. Even if you want to see a traditional performance of The Nutcracker, you have plenty of options.

Starting on December 18, the Springfield Ballet will be performing The Nutcracker for four days at The Landers Theater. With six total performances and tickets starting at seventeen dollars, this is a must-see holiday tradition for anyone in Southwest Missouri. For more details, visit springfieldballet.org.

From December 6 to Christmas Eve, the Kansas City Ballet will be performing The Nutcracker at the Kauffman Center. The dance company has performed this ballet for fortytwo years now, so you can trust it will always be a spectacular performance. Arrive an hour early and get a photo with one of the characters for twenty dollars, with all proceeds

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Released in August 2013, the song “Royals”

by Lorde—an eighteen-year-old pop star from New Zealand—lit up the American charts. Although the single was certified platinum in the United States seven times, many people don’t know that the song was originally inspired by a 1976 National Geographic photograph of Kansas City Royal George Brett. This past April, Lorde met the legendary Kansas City ballplayer, and he signed a jersey for her.

Although a signed George Brett jersey may cost you a pretty penny, upwards of five hundred dollars, you can score some Kansas City gear for all the Royals in your family to celebrate the team’s epic 2014 season.

benefitting the Kansas City Ballet School. For more information, visit kcballet.org.

For five days, December 18 to 23, the St. Louis Ballet will also be performing The Nutcracker. However, the St. Louis Ballet will also host Sugar Plum Fairy Luncheons, so you and your family can meet the Sugar Plum Fairy, Clara, and other characters from the performance. Also, for two nights only, you can enjoy a three-course dinner with a visit from Santa before the performance. For more details, visit stlouisballet.org

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EIGHT MAIDS-A-MILKING Missouri loves milk … and cheese … and just about anything dairy. Although the dairy production in the state has waned in recent years, Missouri still ranks in the top twentyfive dairy producing states, with about 1,200 dairy farms that produced about 157 million gallons of milk last year.

So when you leave a glass of milk out for Santa this year, there’s no reason it shouldn’t come from the Show-Me State.

You can get some great milk from places like Ozark Mountain Creamery, based in Mountain Grove, and Shatto Milk Company in Osborn. But don’t stop there. If you want a cheese platter as an appetizer this Christmas, make sure it’s Missouri cheese. You can find everything from fresh goat cheese, found at Goatsbeard Farm in Harrisburg, to raw cow’s milk cheese, found at Golden L. Creamery in Silex.

SIX GEESE-A-LAYING Missouri doesn’t have any commercial goose farms. Of course, you can hunt geese around the state, but we recommend trading in the Christmas goose for delicious Missouri-made gooseberry jam. Persimmon Hill Farm, which started as a berry farm near Lampe in 1983, has two varieties to offer: Gooseberry Black Walnut and Nutty Blue Goose Jam. For more information about the farm, visit persimmonhill.com.

ˆ FIVE GOLD RINGS

SEVEN SWANS-A-SWIMMING Missouri is a birder’s dream state. From the Audubon Center at Riverlands in the east to Squaw National Wildlife Refuge in the west, the ShowMe State is a traffic-way for migratory birds on their journey to the south. And no other bird is more majestic than the rare and elusive trumpeter swan. This swan is the largest waterfowl in North

America and is recognizable by its lengthy neck and wedge-shaped black bill. Winter and early spring are the best times to see this great bird, though December might be a little early. Even if you can’t catch a glimpse of this swan, a trip out to a wildlife area will still make for a fun winter family outing. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov.

COURTESY OF MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION, MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM, AND RANDY WRIGHT

There are many great artisans and jewelers across the state, so you’re probably a short drive away from finding a Missouri-made ring for your loved one. Randy Wright of Joplin makes rings by using a lost wax casting technique—an intricate process that involves melting the metal into a cast. See more at randywrightjewelrydesigns.com

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FOUR CALLING BIRDS Since the classic carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” was first published in England in 1780, the lyrics have changed many times. This lyric seems to be the most disputed; people say colly birds, calling birds, curly birds, and more. We think calling birds makes the most sense, especially because the Missouri state bird is one of the nation’s greatest song birds. You can recognize the Eastern bluebird by its royal blue

wings, bronze belly, and short twosecond song consisting of warbles and harsh chatters. In the winter, you can find an Eastern bluebird, or maybe four, in the southern part of the state, but many venture even further south until spring. Either way, the bluebird may bring joy to your family this Christmas with a bluebird ornament from Serena Boschert in St. Charles. See her work at framations.com/Boschert.

ˆ THREE FRENCH HENS

COURTESY OF THE ST. LOUIS ZOO AND SERENA BORSCHERT; MORGUEFILE AND PUBLIC DOMAIN

You won’t find a chicken coop at Three French Hens in Wildwood, but there are some poultry prints and other chickenthemed decorations at this quaint, yet impressive antique and home furnishings store.

Since 2003 when the store opened, Jeanie Hood has personally stocked the ten-thousand-foot showroom herself. If your gift this year is remodeling a room in your home, this is the place to go. Learn more at threefrenchhensstl.com.

TWO TURTLE DOVES At the St. Louis Zoo, you don’t need to settle for seeing just two doves. The zoo houses a few different species from the Columbidae family, which is the scientific name for the family of birds that includes doves and pigeons. Visit the Marianas fruit doves, ring-necked doves, and bleeding heart doves this winter. The zoo will be closed on Christmas day, but you can make a Christmas Eve visit from 9 AM until 3 PM. For more information, visit stlzoo.org.

ˆ

A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE During the 1970s, The Partridge Family was a hit television show, and the music of the show sold thousands of albums. The show, which centered on a family band, wouldn’t have had its signature sound, however, without the work of outside musicians.

The background vocals shaped the family’s sweet, harmonious sound, and John and Tom Bahler, along with Ron Hicklin and others, were responsible. And Missourians can still hear the work of John

Bahler; he is married to Janet Lennon and now arranges the music for the Lennon Sisters’ show.

Head to John’s new hometown, Branson, to catch The Lennon Sisters perform at the Andy William Theatre during the first week of December. And if you live in the area, John’s new profession is taking portraits. He specializes in family portraits, which would make a nice Christmas present for the whole extended family. See more at portaitsbybahler.com.

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It Takes a

Christm as

Village

Immigrants have transformed Noel, and locals have adapted.

It’s midday,

the library in Noel is full, and all thirteen computers are occupied. Adults fill out citizenship papers and apply for jobs. Teens check out Christian literature. You won’t find many foreignlanguage titles here. When nonEnglish books didn’t move off of the shelves, the library stopped stocking them. But you’ll still find about seven languages spoken by the library’s patrons. Arabic, Somali, Spanish, and so on.

Just down the street at the African Grocery Store, you can buy a Saudi Arabian couch or Kenyan tea. The top seller is rice. You can consult an expert on green cards and refugee papers at an immigration service provider. You can buy fresh-ground burger meat at the Mexican mercado, or market, and grab chicken feed at the seed store.

This isn’t New York, and yet, the word “melting pot” comes up often in Noel, population 1,800. The town is a hot spot of cultural diversity tucked into the far southwest corner of the state.

Most people move here to work at the Tyson Chicken plant, and that story has been covered by major news outlets like The Kansas City Star and NPR. However, those are rather recent stories when compared to the long history of people coming to Noel in search of the American Dream.

The first Noel was really a family of Noels (pronounced “knolls”) who homesteaded Butler Creek in 1846. Forty years later, the settlement incorporated, and today, people still come from all over the world to settle and find prosperity.

Story by Sarah Alban | Photos by Marc F. Henning

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Perhaps the most well-known attraction in Noel is the post office where people have sent their Christmas cards to be stamped for more than a half century.

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Eric Hudson is an employee at the African Grocery Store where Middle Eastern furniture and prayer rugs are sold. Muslims consider wearing shoes on the rugs disrespectful.

LOST IN TRANSLATION, FOUND IN NOEL You won’t find many teachers standing at the chalkboard lecturing about frog dissections at Noel Elementary, but it’s not because the content is too advanced.

“That would not work,” Assistant Superintendent Angie Brewer says and laughs. “In any given class, we have four languages spoken.”

To say Noel Elementary is nontraditional would be like calling a cow big. With more than eleven languages spoken, the school relies on special education teachers, translators, co-teachers, aides, psychologists, and paraprofessionals to move students forward in their education. Many students come from Somalia, Kenya, Micronesia, Myanmar, and Central America.

Many of their parents work one of three shifts at the Tyson Chicken plant.

Angie says the school is more a family than a formality.

When winter temperatures drop into the teens, some students arrive in flip flops and shorts. What’s winter, after all, if you’re a child from the Chuuk Islands in Micronesia? So, teachers give out pants and real shoes.

When a student misses the bus and Mom or Dad is on a Tyson shift, Angie or another school employee will hop in the car and bring the student to school. “We know where they live,” Angie says.

Noel Elementary sends nearly forty backpacks of food home on weekends.

Tyson donated $25,000 to last year’s backpack program. Ninety percent of the students here receive free or reduced-price lunches. If food runs short, teachers, churches, and the nonprofit Bright Futures, created in 2013, pitch in.

To educate such a diverse student body, teachers innovate. A popcorn machine becomes a tool for teaching students to describe all five senses in their poetry. The bathroom wall becomes a canvas to recreate Monet’s Water Lilies.

“I know that sounds really different,” Angie says. “We wouldn’t survive in a more traditional school setting.”

From third to sixth grade, students raise vegetable gardens. They plant seeds, water, hoe, and harvest. “They watch everything grow,” Angie says. “And in winter, they go into maintenance and upkeep.”

The rest of Noel follows suit.

“Summer tourism is not sustaining a business throughout the year,” Lilly’s Café owner Doug Laman says. Lilly’s Café is the place to go if you want to feast on a generously proportioned burger with morning-fresh mercado meat before exploring Doug’s evolving display of art, artifacts, and antiques, including black-powder guns, airbrush paintings, a 1920s Victrola that Doug will play for you, and a Victorian-era bird cage. “You’ve got to be able to cater to locals if you’re going to make it,” he says.

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Wyndy Wyatt helps a customer at the Noel post office. She and other employees stamp postmarked holiday envelopes with a few festive designs that are available only in the Christmas City before sending the cards on to their final destinations.

A HIDDEN RETREAT “People come to Noel to let their hair down,” River Ranch Resort owner Gary Poyner says. Noel prides itself on its natural beauty. Bluffs overhang Route 59, and the Ozark scene draws canoers and campers.

Tourists come to paddle the Elk River. Some drink, and not everyone likes that. But the crowds aren’t all rowdy. Families stay at the Ginger Blue Inn just north of town, church groups float in to the River Ranch, and couples get married in the great outdoors.

At least one couple took their vows in Bluff Dwellers Cavern, says tour guide Mary Jane Fischer. Bluff Dwellers is a paleo-era site where some of the area’s earliest resident’s found refuge in a fifty-six-degree cave. One wall remains ashen from the paleo people’s fires. Today, bats, salamanders, and snakes still live there.

Mary Jane won’t give you a geology tour. When she first worked at the cave one summer, owner George Bunch kept her on because her tours were entertaining. “And we’re in the entertainment business,” George says.

Mary Jane insists that you not call her “Mary” because, she says, most Marys are sweet. Then she points to a hanging formation with a long slender shape that rounds into a bulbous end. It resembles a phallus. “You can’t print what I call that,” she says. And she’s right.

George’s father-in-law, Arthur Browning, discovered the cave in 1925 on his property and opened the first tour June 2, 1927. The cave passed to his daughter, Reita Bunch, when he died. Today, the tour draws about eight thousand tourists a year. Mary Jane asks visitors to pin their home state on a map of the United States in the office, and when someone arrives from Germany, Italy, Denmark, Japan, or dozens of other countries, they write their countries in the nearest ocean. The cave stays open in winter, when most Noel tourist sites hibernate. The rest of Noel watches football. “A lot of football,” Gary says.

The African Grocery Store is the only East African market in the region and serves a growing population of Somali immigrants.

Places to Explore BLUFF DWELLERS CAVERN: 954 Route 59 South 417-475-3666, bluffdwellerscavern.com EAGLE’S NEST CAMPGROUND: 53 Eagles Nest Lane 417-475-3326, 4noel.com/eaglesnest/

THE CHRISTMAS CITY In December, tens of thousands of Christmas cards arrive at the Noel post office. Each is hand-stamped with three designs: a wreath, a Christmas tree, and the Noel “Christmas City” logo.

“It tickles them,” postal clerk Wyndy Wyatt says.

GINGER BLUE INN: 187 North Old Ozark Trail 417-436-2273, gingerblueinn.com LILLY’S CAFÉ AND THE ANTIQUE FLEA: 316 Main Street, 417-475-5445 MAIN SWEETS BAKERY: 121 Main Street 417-475-7550 PAISA’S MEXICAN FOOD: 305 Main Street, 417-475-5150 RIVER RANCH RESORT: 101 River Drive 417-475-6121, riverranchresort.com

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The tradition began during the Great Depression when locals wanted to stimulate the economy. The boost came with the media coverage of Noel’s stamp campaign, and people came to get their letters stamped—and buy from local shops. The stamp service has remained, but today, you can get the stamps from afar. Box up your holiday cards, put a stamp on each envelope, and mail your box to Noel in December. One of about fifty volunteers will open the box, hand-stamp each envelope three times, and send your cards to their final destinations.

You can still drive to Noel to stamp them yourself, too. One Ohio man has done so for more than fifteen years. “It tickles him, too,” Wyndy says.

Noel decks the halls for Christmas. Main Street—where the African Shop, a mosque, Harps grocery store, the post office, and most other businesses are headquartered—comes alive with snowmen, light strings, and Christmas trees. Inside Butler Creek, a small light show with Christmas decorations, like a tiny elven-themed Bellagio Fountain, dances to music from radio station 88.7.

Each year, Santa headlines a Christmas for Kids parade, sponsored by the fire department with help from contributors. The first Christmas for Kids was held in 2002 the weekend before Christmas. Firefighters and their families drove a firetruck down Main Street and handed out gifts. People lined the streets to watch. Newcomers were confused, but some took photos. Every child got a gift. And when the truck ran out, “We went back and got our own kids’ toys and went back to Main Street,” says Mandy Barrett, wife of Fire Chief Brandon Barrett.

Last year, hundreds of gifts and more than seven hundred dollars were donated by organizations, such as Harps grocery, Arvest Bank, churches, and individuals. The cash buys socks and toys. There are Resident Adballah Omar holds a copy of the Quran, the central religious text of Islam, at a mosque in downtown Noel. Many Somali residents worship there.

Jose “Alfonso” Martinez, owner of Paisa’s Mexican Food, opened the restaurant three years ago. Visitors can indulge in caldas, tortas, chimichangas, and other fare.

never enough of either. Nor are there leftovers.

“It’s amazing what one little toy can do,” Mandy says. “I wish so much that you could see their faces. It’s all about the kids anyway.”

THE AMERICAN DREAM Kara Gebre teaches life skills as well as civics and English. The Adult Education and Literacy instructor at Crowder College in Neosho commutes from Springfield to teach English to Noel adults. “It’s a God-ordained coincidence that I ended up here,” says Kara, who learned to speak Somali in New York before she moved to Missouri with her husband.

Kara is a critical link for her adult students. They ask her for help with citizenship papers and apartment maintenance. America is often the first place Kara’s students have access to health care.

Kara says it’s difficult for her students to concentrate on education when they have so many other concerns about acclimating to the United States.

Many make it a priority, though. Twenty-six-year-old Hassan Abdullahi Abdi took refuge in Kenya from Somalia at age fifteen. He studied physics, biology, and chemistry in Africa. He dreams of becoming a wealthy entrepreneur in America. Meanwhile, he cuts chicken shoulders on the factory floor at Tyson.

Jose “Alfonso” Martinez took a similar job at Tyson in 1996. Today, the Mexico native owns Paisa’s Mexico Food on Main Street. He cooks authentic fare with his wife while granddaughter Kimberly Perez brings customers chips and salsa and takes orders. When asked why he came to the United States, Alfonso replies in Spanish, using a word Kimberly has

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Tyson Foods Inc.’s Noel Complex is a major employer for residents of Noel and the surrounding communities.

Left: Mary Jane Fischer leads tours of Bluff Dwellers Cavern, which has been open to the public since 1927. Bottom right: George Bunch is co-owner and the son-in-law of the original landowner.

never translated before. The young girl’s cheeks flush to a light pink as she struggles with the word. “Opportunity,” she says finally, “for his family.”

Kimberly dreams of becoming a nutritionist.

Many of the first steps toward dreams occur at Noel Elementary. Assistant Superintendent Angie Brewer meets with every new family who enrolls a child there.

“Our parents as a whole really want their kids to have a high quality education and a better life than what they have had,” she says. “I tell them, ‘I am your supporter, and I am here for you. The first thing I tell every kid is, ‘You are going to love it here.’ ” At Noel Elementary, the cooks, janitors, teachers—really, anyone you encounter—smile automatically. The students flourish in that environment.

“Many of them come from very different experiences,” Angie says.

“Our kids from Somalia know what war is firsthand. They’ve seen siblings killed, and they manage to come to school each day and say, ‘Good morning, Miss Brewer.’ When you can overcome something like that, there’s nothing you can’t do.”

Noel rallies behind its kids, and the kids rally behind Noel. A youth group from Arkansas handed out two truckloads of toys last year. Another group sold candy canes to raise $129 for last year’s Christmas for Kids.

“The kids show all of us what we can do if we put aside our differences; I’m going to tear up here real quick,” Angie says. “The students teach me that the American dream is still possible in this country. The kids at Noel are a shining example of that.”

And the newcomers rally around Noel. At the library, migrant women

bring employees chicken soup if they’re sick.

“We are all wonderfully and perfectly made for a purpose,” Angie says. “And that’s what kids need to know.”

So if you want to visit Noel or fit in, there are ground rules.

First, there’s one mode: growth. It’s constant.

Second, there’s a person more important than locals or tourists: the one in front of you.

Third, there’s a more important time than Christmas: today.

If you’d like to donate to help Noel, send mail to Christmas for Kids by care of the Noel Fire Department at 201 Railroad Street, Noel, MO 64854.

To donate to Bright Futures, send mail to Noel Elementary care of Angie Brewer at 318 Sulphur Street, Noel, MO 64854.

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See what the Works Progress Administration contributed to our state’s landscape.

2015

marks the eightieth anniversary of the Works Progress Administration. Although many people have a general awareness of the WPA, the program’s place in the American psyche has diminished greatly in the decades that have passed since its termination at the onset of World War II. However, even after all these years, the legacy of the WPA can still be seen if you know where to look.

To tell the full story of the WPA, though, we must first back up a few years. In 1932, Franklin Roosevelt was elected president; the cornerstone of his campaign was his “new deal for the American people.” These words—the New Deal— would quickly enter the American lexicon as the collective term for President Roosevelt’s relief agencies that were implemented while the country was at the height of the Great Depression.

The WPA was just one of Roosevelt’s numerous New Deal programs. Some, like the Civil Works Administration and Public Works Administration, were short-lived; others, such as the Social Security Administration and Tennessee Valley Authority, are still with us today. Of all the New Deal agencies, two rise above the rest in terms of prolificacy and public awareness: the WPA and the Civilian Conservation Corps.

The CCC was one of the first programs Roosevelt debuted in the early weeks of his presidency. Very specific in its nature, it was aimed at giving jobs in rural areas, particularly in national and state parks, to single men between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five.

During the CCC’s ten-year existence, more than three million young men were enlisted in the program nationwide.

In Missouri, the CCC had an incredibly longlasting effect on the state parks system. Fifteen camps were established, employing three thousand men at the agency’s peak. Parks such as Meramec, Washington, Roaring River, Lake of the Ozarks, and Bennett Spring were drastically improved, giving Missouri one of the best state park systems in the entire nation. Much of the infrastructure—the trails, cabins, picnic shelters, and roads—that they built is still in place to this day because of the remarkable craftsmanship of the CCC workers.

Unlike the CCC, the WPA sought to provide employment to both men and women. Men were given construction jobs typically, while women were appointed such tasks as sewing clothes, running nurseries, and building toys.

Many of the buildings that the program constructed have large plaques on them that bear the WPA’s name, and many of these buildings still stand or are even in use today. Whether people know it or not, the WPA is still a large part of American society.

Construction jobs were by no means the only facet of the WPA. Several divisions of the WPA were aimed at bringing the arts to the masses.

The Federal Theater Project and Federal Music Project, for example, brought plays and orchestras to small towns that often did not have the resources for such high-brow performances.

Millions of Americans were able to experience

the works of Shakespeare and Mozart for the first times in their lives. Similarly, the Federal Art Project was tasked with ornamenting buildings, parks, and other public spaces with murals and sculptures.

The last of the WPA’s art programs was the Federal Writers’ Project, which put unemployed writers to work primarily through crafting a series of guidebooks for each of the forty-eight states, as well as various territories, regions, and cities. The Missouri section of the FWP released Missouri: A Guide to the “Show Me” State in 1941.

The book documents the state’s rich history, economy, and culture and provides readers with a series of driving tours throughout the state.

As we celebrate the eightieth birthday of the Works Progress Administration, documenting and preserving the sites that the organization constructed seems more important. Obviously, not all historic sites can be saved; for example, the Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge between Atchison County, Kansas, and Buchanan County, Missouri, was demolished in 2013. Despite being a WPA project, the bridge had become outdated over the years and was becoming impractical and unsafe.

For every project such as this, however, there are countless others that, although endangered, are still able to be saved. There were few communities in Missouri that weren’t impacted by the New Deal in one way or another, so keep an eye out in your own community for the way in which the WPA put many Missourians to work in the depths of the Great Depression.

By Charles Epting [52] MissouriLife

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The Jewel Box COURTESY OF ST. LOUIS DIVISION OF PARKS

Forest Park, Wells and McKinley Drives, St. Louis LIKE ANY MAJOR CITY, St. Louis has a large number of New Deal improvements, but, arguably, none are as unique as the Jewel Box—a five-story, fifteen thousand-foot greenhouse renowned for its stunning Art Deco design. The New Deal was not responsible for the construction of many greenhouses across the country, and the Jewel Box is almost certainly the most impressive example. The building’s architecture has been praised ever since it first opened to the public in November of 1936. Although primarily built of patinated metal and glass, the building’s roofs are actually made of wood in case of a hail storm. The original cost of the building was $125,000, almost half of which was provided by the Public Works Administration. Recently refurbished for $3.5 million, the Jewel Box is open on a daily basis and features a new display of flowers each season.

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Kansas City Municipal Auditorium 301 W. Thirteenth Street, Kansas City

KANSAS CITY is, in many ways, a textbook New Deal city. With the onset of the Great Depression, local politicians—headed by “Boss Tom” Pendergast—quickly laid out a ten-year plan for Kansas City, which would not only reduce unemployment through the creation of construction jobs but would also provide the city with much-needed infrastructure. Through a mix of local bonds and federal assistance, the WPA was able to construct a new police headquarters at 1125

Locust Street, City Hall at 414 E. Twelfth Street, and the Federal Courthouse and Post Office at 811 Grand Boulevard. Out of all of the buildings the WPA constructed in Kansas City, the most impressive building is the Municipal Auditorium, which was constructed at a cost of $6.5 million. An Art Deco masterpiece, the building was recently named one of the five hundred most important buildings in the United States by the Princeton Architectural Press.

Fort D Historic Site FORT D, located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River just south of Cape Girardeau, was one of four Union forts constructed in the region in 1861. Of the four, Fort D was the largest and most important strategically; despite this, the fort didn’t see any fighting in the 1863 Battle of Cape Girardeau. Within a few decades, Fort D was the only fort remaining, and by the early twentieth century, a housing development threatened the site. Fortunately, the American Legion intervened in 1936 and bought the property to preserve it. The WPA was enlisted to restore the fort’s original earthworks based on original plans supplied by the War Department and to construct a limestone building on the approximate site of Fort D’s original powder house. Today, Fort D is open to the public as a historic site and often features Civil War reenactments.

COURTESY OF MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM AND FORT D HISTORIC SITE

720 Fort Street, Cape Girardeau

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Mark Twain Boyhood Home 120 N. Main Street, Hannibal

MARK TWAIN’S Boyhood Home has been a tourist attraction for over a hundred years, but few visitors realize the significance of the stone building that houses the museum’s gift shop. In 1935, as part of the centennial celebration of Mark Twain’s birth, the WPA stepped in to provide additional exhibition space and living quarters for the museum’s caretaker. When it was dedicated in 1937, several actors from United Artists’ The Adventures of Tom Sawyer film made a special appearance. A stone wall that now surrounds the museum’s garden yard was another WPA project. Additionally, as part of the centennial in 1935, the WPA constructed a decorative lighthouse atop nearby Cardiff Hill. Although a windstorm destroyed the original lighthouse in 1960, an exact replica still stands today. Elsewhere in Hannibal, Clemens Field baseball stadium and the Hannibal Armory were both built by the WPA from locally quarried stone.

Carnahan Memorial Gardens 101 Jefferson Street, Jefferson City

COURTESY OF MARK TWAIN BOYHOOD HOME AND JEFFERSON CITY CVB; PUBLIC DOMAIN

LOCATED IN the shadow of the state’s Capitol, the Missouri Governor’s Mansion has been the home of every governor since 1871. Almost seventy years later, the WPA was recruited to install a sunken garden on the property just west of the mansion. Although construction began in 1938, it took until after World War II for the project to be completed due to a lack of government funding. The WPA was responsible for numerous walkways, ponds, and rock walls, but the most impressive features are a large staircase and stone pergola, which are still standing today.

The site was chosen for its beautiful views of the Capitol building, and to this day, the site is popular for weddings and other events. Following the untimely death of governor and senate candidate Mel Carnahan in a plane crash in 2000, the gardens were renamed in his honor.

Fayette City Park Swimming Pool Memorial Park, Fayette

AT ONE TIME, more than a hundred cities across the country had swimming pools designed by a man named Wesley Bintz. What made Bintz’s pools unique was his patented design that placed the pool above ground, with changing rooms underneath. When the WPA was established, many cities that would not have otherwise had the chance to construct such a pool were able to apply for government assistance. Fayette was one such town. In 1935, the city government came together with the WPA, Howard County, and the state of Missouri to build the municipal pool as the centerpiece of Fayette’s first park. What makes the Fayette pool so unique is that it is still in use as a pool; nearly all other Bintz pools nationwide have been demolished or repurposed since they were first constructed. A similar Bintz-WPA collaboration also exists in Chaffee.

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Neosho National Fish Hatchery 520 Park Street, Neosho

was contracted to install new stonework around the hatchery’s ponds; the craftsmanship was so impressive that it was immediately praised by the local press. Despite recent developments, much of the WPA’s original work is still in place today, undoubtedly due to the high quality of work. Elsewhere in Neosho, the city hall, municipal auditorium, post office, and county courthouse were other New Deal projects from this same time period.

Stock Barn and Pavilion

Oklahoma Street at Eastside Park, Trenton THE WPA Stock Barn and Pavilion at Eastside Park in Trenton is a shining example that not all WPA projects were large-scale public works; many were simple and utilitarian, though no less important to helping America through the Great Depression. Built for local agricultural fairs, the Stock Barn is an octagonal building surrounded by livestock pens. It was constructed from native stone, which makes it unique in the region.

Other projects included landscaping, the construction of a thousand-seat stadium, and the installation of a football field and baseball diamond. Although all of Eastside Park was improved by the WPA, the barn is the most interesting feature architecturally. An apocryphal story exists around the structure. Although most of the stones used in the building’s construction were rectangular or triangular, there is a sole heart-shaped stone, leading some to believe that one of the WPA workers may have been homesick.

COURTESY OF NEOSHO NATIONAL FISH HATCHERY AND TRENTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

ONE OF SEVENTY National Fish Hatcheries run by the Fish and Wildlife Service, Neosho National Fish Hatchery is not only the oldest hatchery open today, but it is also one of the only hatcheries to have a public visitor center.

The center is tasked with protecting and restoring populations of endangered species of fish that are native to Missouri, and since it was founded in 1888, more than 130 species have been raised there. In 1938, the WPA

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Dickerson Park Zoo 1401 W. Norton Road, Springfield

ALTHOUGH established in 1922, Dickerson Park Zoo wasn’t fully developed until the 1930s.

The WPA helped to construct a number of zoos across the country. In the case of Dickerson Park, the agency built walkways, stone walls, and bridges that are still scattered throughout the zoo.

Furthermore, there are even several animal exhibits that are still in use today despite being almost eighty years old. The zoo’s primate building, parrot house, spider monkey exhibit, and former lion and tiger building all date from this time. Although the zoo has expanded considerably over the decades and now houses several hundred species of animals, the WPA’s architecture is still an integral part of the site. Projects such as the Dickerson Park Zoo demonstrate the WPA’s desire to not only put people back to work but also provide citizens with recreational opportunities to help boost morale during the Great Depression.

Liberty Park Stadium

Liberty Park, 1500 W. Third Street, Sedalia stadium has been in constant use since it was constructed in 1936 and 1937. A plaque on the front of Liberty Park Stadium commemorates the WPA’s involvement in the project.

Some historians say this was the first baseball field west of the Mississippi River to be

lighted. While this claim can’t be confirmed or refuted, it has become part of the folklore of the park. Many fans who sit in the stadium’s original wood grandstand to watch a game remark that it’s as close as you can get to going back to baseball’s earliest days.

COURTESY OF DICKERSON ZOO; RANDY KIRBY

THERE ARE very few wooden baseball stadiums left in the United States; there are even fewer that were constructed by the WPA and are still in use. Liberty Park Stadium in Sedalia is one such site. Currently home to the Sedalia Bombers of the MINK Baseball League, the

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Remarkable MISSOURIANS

Wrath of the Cosmos is the latest offering from Greater Than Games, a St. Louis company. Visit our website to win a copy of one of their games.

PASSION PROJECT

IN AUGUST of 2010, Christopher Badell and Adam Rebottaro were sitting in a Kansas City iHop, writing in a notebook, creating a board game within the margins of its pages.

About one year later, they were on the road to an Indianapolis gaming convention called Gen Con. They had a finished, playable version of their game—Sentinels of the Multiverse—in hand but not enough money to buy gas for their trip back home. “We just barely made it there,” Christopher says. “We thought, ‘well, I hope we sell some games.’ ” Sentinels was an instant success. According to Christopher, they had a line of people at the convention waiting to play it every day.

Since then, their company, Greater Than Games, has published three expansions and

an entirely separate board game. More projects are on the way.

Right away, Sentinels is different from the average board game. All players are on a team, and their opponent is the game itself—but don’t be fooled. The game is challenging.

In Sentinels of the Multiverse, players are heroes, working together to fight a villain. For each hero, there is a separate deck of cards containing that hero’s abilities and equipment. Meanwhile, the villain also has its own deck, and each card has instructions so that the actions of the villain are automated and random. During the villain’s turn, a player draws one of its cards, reads the instructions, and follows them.

Although Christopher and Adam originally created Sentinels because it was a game they

wanted to play. Paul Bender, operations director at Greater Than Games, saw the game’s market potential and encouraged Christopher to start a company.

After funding their first game out-of-pocket, Greater Than Games has used the popular crowd-funding platform Kickstarter to cover the production costs of new projects, and it has proved to be a reliable formula. Every project has reached or exceeded its funding goal, with one project reaching $185,200—926 percent of its original $20,000 goal.

These numbers are easy to understand once you’ve played one of their games. They’re fun, easy-to-learn, and flush with stories and eyecatching, comic-book-style art. In fact, instruction manuals for all of their games are comics.

COURTESY OF GREATER THAN GAMES

The guys at Greater Than Games make games that they’d want to play. BY EVAN WOOD

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We sat down with Christopher, Adam, and Paul at their St. Louis office to talk origins, future plans, and game preferences.

MISSOURI LIFE: What games are you playing these days?

CHRISTOPHER: The only game that we like better than the games we make is running Greater Than Games. Any of the games that we make, they’re designed to be our favorite games.

But the game of running Greater Than Games— it’s a worker placement, resource allocation, risk management, cooperative game. There’s a traitor mechanic because Adam is constantly trying to undermine us. He puts salt in the coffee and hides explosives under the desks.

ADAM: [laughs] None of that happens.

CHRISTOPHER: Running a business is such a game. And it’s very easy to see whether you’re getting points or not.

COURTESY OF GREATER THAN GAMES; HARRY KATZ

ML: What type of games are you drawn to?

CHRISTOPHER: Adam and I have been friends for about twenty years, and Paul and I have been friends for six or seven years. We’ve all played lots of games. We like a lot of competitive games and cooperative games, and we like learning new games. I think the main thing is that we like games that have a story.

The company has built upon the success of its earlier games with its recent release, Sentinel Tactics: The Flame of Freedom, where players play on a grid system, rather than with cards.

ADAM: I think that’s just generally true of our lives, that story is more important to us than anything.

Art Director Adam Rebottaro, Design Director Christopher Badell, and Operations Director Paul Bender joined forces to found Greater Than Games in January 2011.

ML: Your first game, Sentinels of the Multiverse, is very cooperative, and you said you prefer cooperative games. Where do you think that penchant comes from?

CHRISTOPHER: A big reason why Sentinels came about was because we wanted to have a game that didn’t require someone to run it. You played against the game, and the game was good enough and clever enough that it would be challenging. We have a lot of friends who like playing games with us but who are much more casual gamers or don’t have as much interest.

ADAM: Growing up, Christopher and I both had younger brothers, and we were both way more into games than our younger siblings.

CHRISTOPHER: If the two of us and our brothers played a game that was competitive at all, it wouldn’t be fun for them.

ADAM: We would know how to play the games already, and our brothers were new to gaming.

CHRISTOPHER: And if it’s not fun for them, then, invariably, it’s not going to be fun for us. So we had to find ways that all of us could play games together. Adam and I took a bunch of games that were not cooperative and made

them cooperative. And it became a self-fulfilling prophecy when we ended up creating games where we were working together.

ML: Sentinels is easy to learn, but it is also very complex. Did it start that way?

CHRISTOPHER: When we created the game, we said it was easy to learn but difficult to master.

It’s easy to sit down and play the game; there are only three things that you need to know. Everybody can get right in. But then, between figuring out the villains and playing advanced mode, you should never run out of ways to play. You should never be able to predict how it’s going to go. Some of the characters are more straightforward, but the strategy of how to use them is a lot more robust.

ADAM: A large part of that is just the amount of cards and the amount of decks you can play. It’s always been important to have variety.

There ended up being around twelve thousand possible setups just from the core set. Beyond that, there are infinite games possible.

CHRISTOPHER: We made this game to be able to play for ourselves and to be able to play it forever and never get bored.

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Musings ON MISSOURI

STAYING ALIVE AT Fifty-five IT WOULD BE incorrect to say that I’m in a feud with our present culture. That particular word connotes heated passion, a Hatfield-McCoy desire to rectify a host of real or perceived wrongs. The terminology is better suited to those with a sense of righteous—or even self-righteous— indignation.

The more appropriate diagnosis is that I’m too ambivalent to feel apathetic.

This civic lethargy may stem from the reality that I recently turned fifty-five.

It’s possible that the advancing years have atrophied my interest in jousting with fatuous windmills.

Possible, but doubtful. The real reason is more about pragmatism than creaking joints.

Our current societal paradigm has made it virtually impossible to utter the mildest of critical opinions without being branded hateful, insensitive, intolerant, or insulting. I first noticed this trend two decades ago, in the early mutterings of political correctness; I mistakenly assumed the ridiculous proponents of such an Orwellian ethos would be laughed into obscurity. I’m obviously a dense sort of hillbilly, for around the same time I predicted that the just-emerging internet was so fraught with potential dangers— scammers, perverts, and crooks—that it would never catch on.

This just goes to show that I’m the last person from whom you should ever seek investment advice. We now live in a world where speech that refuses to march in lockstep with the hypersensitive, ultra-tolerant herd is viewed as misanthropic or criminal. Moreover, our lives and commerce are inexorably bound to a system ruled by silicon chips, algorithms, and the aforementioned scammers, perverts, and crooks.

At age thirty-five, I was naïve enough to presume that common sense and the desire for individuality would win the day. At fifty-five, I no longer believe that. In fact, my incredulity that such hallowed traits are viewed with disdain has led me to largely resign from the fray. Offering opinions on specific examples of humanity gone south only results

in virally generated, histrionic demands that the speaker be shunned and silenced. Ironically, these tirades inevitably arise from the self-proclaimed advocates of tolerance.

Thus, in the age of the easily offended, I rarely offer my two-bits on issues of the day. Instead, I concentrate on my own life and the lives of those people and animals for whom I care deeply. There is still beauty in the world—there is still love in the world—but these ethereal qualities are not found in the specious sophistry of politicians or false prophets. They’re absent from the scripted ramblings of sanitized pundits and propagandizing reporters. They’re not found in the Twitter pronouncements of pseudo-celebrities or the parrot-like mimicry of Facebook disciples. You find them only by examining your own ethical compass and discerning your own beliefs. You find them in true words, real actions, simple faith, and the authentic manner in which you treat others.

Following this path has always been easier said than done. That’s especially pertinent in 2014, as we have become a culture that widely lacks the desire or capacity for self-reflection. We look outward when we should be looking inward. We look inward ... almost never.

It’s much easier to blindly accept the bellicose ideals of a group than to analyze—and judge—for yourself.

Mob psychology has its appeal; all it requires is a total abrogation of critical thought.

The cliché is that age brings wisdom. I suspect the author of that dubious maxim was neither old nor wise. At best, age bestows a grudging acceptance that human nature is commodiously intractable. At fifty-five, I finally understand that Mark Twain had it right all along.

“Never argue with a fool,” he wrote. “Onlookers RON MARR may not be able to tell the difference.”

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW BARTON

BY RON MARR

[60] MissouriLife

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HOLIDAY

Food & Gift

Guide

Missouri fits under your tree when tied-up in boxes with string.

Give Missouri gifts this year!

See inside!

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HOLIDAY Food & Gift

S I N C E 19 3 0

Hundreds of European flavored sausages and meats Indoor or Outside Seating Microbrewery and Sodameister Great Gifts & Amish Food

Visit the Historic Westphalia Inn Serving our famous pan-fried chicken, country ham and German pot roast family-style since 1930 106 East Main Street Westphalia, Missouri

Reservations Accepted Walk-Ins Welcome

573-455-2000

Sample our wines in the

Norton Room

on the top floor of the Westphalia Inn www.westphaliavineyards.com AMERICA’S PREMIER SULFITE-FREE WINERY

Open Fri. at 5pm, Sat. at 4:30pm, and Sunday at 11:30am

Meats produced in house by Mike Sloan, two-time Hall of Fame Wurstmeister Open 7 days a week Mon to Sat 9-6 p.m. Sun 10-4 p.m.

Free samples

Located in historic downtown Hermann 234 East First Street, Hermann, MO 573-486-2266 | www.hermannwursthaus.com

[62] MissouriLife

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LEARN TO MAKE PASTRIES LIKE THE PROS WITH PASTRY & DESSERT TECHNIQUES

BY CHEF DANIEL PLISKA

Available at amazon.com and the University of Missouri Columbia Bookstore For a person ali email daniel. zed signed copy, pliska@gma il $40 plus $5 for shipping .com. & handling

For Recipes and Cooking Tips visit chefpliska.wordpress.com

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HOLIDAY Food & Gift Florence’s HomeStyle Sweet ‘n Spicy

Bed and Breakfast Inns of Missouri

CHA-CHA

Gift certificates make excellent holiday gifts, order yours today!

“Cha-Cha” is a blend of fresh green tomatoes, select peppers, veggies & savory spices.

Use as a condiment, ingredient, marinade or dipping salsa. www.FlorencesHomeStyle.com (314) 837-3855 Gluten Free & No High Fructose Corn Syrup

visit missourilife.com

for

great gifts!

www.black-walnuts.com Stockton, Missouri 800-872-6879 Follow us

www.bbim.org

Inspected and approved inns statewide

All around Missouri priceless treasures are waiting to be found. During the holiday season, packages under the tree are a lovely Hannibal is no exception. The town known for molding Mark Twain, sight, but how many are remembered for years to come? Finding a America’s greatest author and humorist , still holds that unidentifiable truly unique gift that will be treasured for years, not days, is much ‘something’ that sparks the imagination. easier if you consider some of the things Hannibal has to offer. For

the person that lights up your life, return the favor with a handIf you are looking for a great gift for someone who truly has everything, made piece of jewelry designed and fabricated by one of Missouri’s or if you simply want to make a lasting impression, consider a Mark only Certified Master Benchcraft jewelers. AVA Goldworks offers Twain book partnered with a getaway to Hannibal. When is the last a wide variety of truly one-of-a-kind jewelry and can also work time you walked in Twain’s footsteps, rode a riverboat on the majestic with you to create a new piece to love. Examples of their work and Mississippi, or relaxed in a Victorian B&B? The promise of a trip can their process at AVAGoldworks.com are guaranteed to leave you do a lot to shorten those cold winter days. speechless.

For trip planning, attraction and lodging questions, events and contact information, call the Hannibal Convention & Visitors Bureau at 573-221-2477 or visit them on the web at VisitHannibal.com.

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This location closing Dec. 23 New location opening soon near Bethany, MO

Hand Stamped •Personalized •Wax Seal Jewelry

Made in Missouri • Gift Certificates Available Shop online at www.CrowStealsFire.com & in independently owned boutiques

Saleigh Mountain Co.

www.thebenttree.com www.stacyleigh.etsy.com

Bent Tree Gallery The

Quality Hand-Crafted Leatherwork & Shoe Repair 573-486-2992 www.saleighmountain.com 1005 Market Street Hermann, MO

HISTORIC CLARKSVILLE, MISSOURI The perfect place to find one-of-a-kind gifts for the special people in your life.

Rustic Furniture, Handcrafted Handbags, Fiber Art & Baskets 573-242-3200

For Christmas, make this your special gift!

This beautiful book, written in shareable text, tells the story of how a kitten learns her talent and finds a new home–for the child in each of us!

Written by Debra Weingarth and illustrated by Catherine Mahoney, both of Hermann, Missouri. $21 each (includes shipping and handling) Orders: camahoney@ktis.net For phone orders/information call: 573-486-2444 or fax 573-486-2164

Established 1979

Celebrating 35 years in the business of art!

31 High Trail Eureka, MO 63025 www.stonehollowstudio.com 636-938-9570

Vintage Charm

HARDWARE OF THE PAST For the present and the future

Timeless Beauty

Wine Country Getaways

Reproduction Antique Hardware and Supplies for Restoring Antique Furniture

Kristkindl Markt First Two Weekends of December

Chocolate Wine Trail Third Weekend of February

Wurstfest

405 North Main Street Saint Charles, MO 63301 636-724-3771 or 800-562-5855 www.hardwareofthepast.com

Fourth Weekend of March

800-932-8687 • V ISIT H ERMANN . COM Voted Missouri’s most beautiful town • On the Missouri River just an hour west of St. Louis [65] December 2014

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free

Get your free subscription & nature print greeting cards 1 new subscription free. each, get 1 new subscription free plus

Buy 1 new gift subscription for $19.99, get Buy 2 new gift subscriptions, for $19.99 free nature print greeting cards.

+ We will send a card announcing your gift. And we can mail your free greeting cards to you or send them as a gift from you!

Special Holiday Offer!

gift GREAT

Call 800-492-2593 ext. 101 today!

BASKETS

Each basket comes with a subscription.

Holiday Treat This festive holiday bowl features our Little Hills Pumpkin wine. Our pumpkin wine is made with pumpkin extracts added and mulled with cinnamon and nutmeg. The gift bowl also includes crackers, sausage, cheese spread, mustard, jelly, gourmet cookies, icewine chocolates, a lighted message holiday bottle stopper, and a oneyear (6 issues) subscription to Missouri Life. $79.99

Holiday Popcorn Delight Satisfy your sweet tooth this holiday with a gift tin filled with Kernel Dave’s gourmet popcorn. Pick three flavors to fill the tin. There are eighty amazing flavors to choose from!

Each popcorn filled tin includes a one-year (6 issues) subscription to Missouri Life. $69.99

Simple Snow This beautiful holiday tin features a bottle of Alpenglow, a spiced holiday wine best when warmed. Use the included cinnamon stick to enhance the flavor profile. Also included: crackers, sausage, cheese spread, mustard, jelly, Icewine chocolates, a lighted message holiday bottle stopper, and a one-year (6 issues) subscription to Missouri Life. $69.99.

AgriMo Savory Gift Box Filled with savory treats, Made in Missouri: BBQ sauce, spice rubs, pickled jalapenos, and more will spice up any meal. All of the products are created by Missouri producers.

A personalized gift card is included with the box. Each box includes a one-year (6 issues) subscription to Missouri Life $63.70

AgriMo Sweet Gift Box Filled with sweet treats Made in Missouri: nuts, jams, coffee, candies, a luscious bar of handmade soap, and more created lovingly

by Missouri producers. A personalized gift card is included with the box. Each box includes a one-year (6 issues) subscription to Missouri Life. $63.70

(all basket prices include U.S shipping and sales tax)

Visit us online for many more great Missouri-themed gift ideas! www.MissouriLife.com/store • 800-492-2593, ext. 101 [66] MissouriLife

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Dining worth the drive.

SHOW-ME

Flavor

Kansas City

Sophisticated Barbecue GOOD BARBECUE tends to hang out in hovels, shacks, joints, and holesin-the-wall. Often the seedier a place feels, the better the food.

By that litmus test, Q39 does not look promising. With concrete floors and a large mechanical door that can create open-air seating, it’s a nice-looking place.

Based on the atmosphere and menu, it seems that Q39 is attempting to take this accessible, time-honored cuisine and elevate it.

Purists will insist that barbecue needs no elevation, but Q39 pulls it off beautifully. By sticking to the classics—brisket, pulled pork, ribs, coleslaw, potato salad—and throwing in a curveball or two, like the pork belly cassoulet, Q39 is basically a classic barbecue restaurant with a polished facade.

The food is delicious across the board. If you’re skeptical, order the judge’s plate with ribs, chicken, and pulled pork. The objective quality of three meats done right will win you over.—Evan Wood 1000 W. 39th Street • q39kc.com • 816-255-3753

O’Fallon

Here Comes a Regular A PLACE where everyone knows your name … sound familiar?

reason to become a regular. After you’ve

Manager Ron Chapman describes Blue

enjoyed fifty-two martinis there, you’re

Sky as a modern day Cheers. Everybody

awarded a fifty-dollar gift card, a T-shirt,

knows everybody in an ambience that’s

and a personalized plaque that says you’re

laid-back and casual.

a “top shelf” member. Currently, there are

Proprietor Bill Hildebrand and his wife,

six hundred members.

Patti, hope each customer has a personal

If you’re in the area, stop by. Who knows?

experience at Blue Sky. Since 2004, good

You might just run into Sam or Diane.

food and a versatile menu have kept cus-

—Sheree K. Nielsen

tomers coming back. The menu runs the

9999 Winghaven Boulevard

Saved by the Bakery

gamut from salads and wraps to burgers

blueskystl.com • 636-561-6919

AS A CHILD, Joe Reid first got the baking bug when his great aunt gave him a

burgers patties, and hand-breads the

subscription to Bon Appétit, and he decided to bake the most intricate recipes.

chicken strips. The chef even adds brown

Washington COURTESY OF Q39; HARRY KATZ AND SHEREE K. NIELSEN

The Blue Sky Martini Club is another

and steaks. The kitchen team roasts the turkey, crafts the pulled pork, shapes the

More than forty years later, the St. Louis native owns Joe’s Bakery and Delicatessen

sugar and pepper glaze to the apple-

in Washington, and you can sample some of his best confections. We recommend the

wood-smoked bacon, giving it a burst of

chocolate gooey butter cupcake, inspired by the regional cuisine of gooey butter and the

sweet heat.

national cupcake craze. However, you can’t go wrong with the carrot cake with cream

Customers love the chicken lollipop

cheese icing, the coconut cream pies with made-from-scratch crust, the shortcake

skewers, glazed with sesame honey-

glazed with caramelized pecans, or almost any other treat.

teriyaki and served with chili sauce, and

Along with dessert, Joe also serves tasty sandwiches, like the chicken artichoke toma-

the ragin’ Cajun pasta, with fire-roasted

to-wrap and the heaping open-faced pastrami sandwich.—David Cawthon

chicken or blackened shrimp tossed in a

9 W. Main Street • joesbakerymo.com • 636-390-8282

spicy cream sauce.

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SHOW-ME

Flavor

THIS IS

The New Year Here is our guide to NYE 2014.

NEW YEAR’S EVE can be a polarizing holiday. It caps off that most hectic time of year—a quasi-monthlong string of family gatherings and shopping trips known as “the holiday season.” For that reason alone, many are inclined to stay in, relax, and write the holiday off altogether. To them, it’s simply a day when you take down your old calendar and hang up a new one. And it’s almost a cliché at this point to remark on the foolhardy notion that you can declare a life-altering resolution for yourself on this occasion and make good on it the next day.

But if you strip away the pretense, the false hopes, and the ascribed significance, a different picture emerges.

Think of New Year’s Eve as nothing more than an excuse to have a nice meal with friends, drink champagne, dress well, and maybe do a bit of dancing. Suddenly it doesn’t sound so bad.

Missouri’s most refined establishments are outdoing themselves for New Year’s, and they’ve also got worthwhile advice for would-be hosts. If you’ve got the energy, we’ll show you the places you can go this New Year’s Eve, or how to ring it in at your own home.

STORY BY EVAN WOOD | PHOTOS BY HARRY KATZ ART DIRECTION BY SARAH HERRERA | STYLING BY KALI PEWITT PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE BY GRETCHEN FUHRMAN

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The upper rooms of The Majestic Restaurant in Kansas City make a perfect setting for a New Year’s soirÊe or for any events you might plan throughout the year. The rooms are private and available to rent. Find out more at majestickc.com.

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SHOW-ME

Flavor These earrings are by Lily Dawson, who lives and works in Kansas City. Her one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry is available on her website, lilydawsondesigns.com.

T he Wardrobe When someone says “New Year’s Eve,” you might be inclined to immediately start picturing black tie, or at least a facsimile of it.

But in truth, unless you’ve been invited to a political fundraiser or a wedding, you might be overdressing on New Year’s. Most occasions call for something that treads the line between causal and elegant, which means you’ll be a little more comfortable and all the more stylish because of it.

We recommend keeping it simple, but most of all, we recommend keeping it local.

From jewelry and clothing designers to locally owned boutiques, Missouri is rife with opportunities to be stylish, more than you might think. Everything you see here was either Missouri-made or from a Missouri-owned shop.

!

The jacket, shirt, and jeans come from Houndstooth in Kansas City. The jacket features mixed patterns and sportcoat lapels as well as a traditional jacket zipper placket. It’s awesome, a little weird, and perfect for a blustery winter day that calls for a bit of class—New Year’s Eve, for example.

!

T he Restaurant For New Year’s Eve, Bluestem in Kansas City offers a seven-course fixed menu. If you’re cooking this New Year’s, a multi-course meal is a fun way to make an evening of it. The meal lasts longer, and it gives everyone a chance to interact. Of course, a meal like this is not simple; the professionals at Bluestem make it look easy. But there are lessons that the even most amateur of cooks can use.

Breaking up long meals with light, palletcleansing dishes, called intermezzos, is a must.

A sorbet with mint leaf is a common example.

“We try to think of everything from the moment they step in the door to the moment they leave,” says Eric Willey, Bluestem’s general manager. Eric explains how each guest is given Bluestem’s branded coffee and coffee cake as a parting gift on their way out the door. “It’s a morning after gift, if you will,” he says. “We try to get all the details.”

Little touches like this make New Year’s meals at upper-echelon restaurants, such as Bluestem, memorable evenings, and that’s a simple lesson that can be applied in your own kitchen, too. Of course, you can always save yourself the hassle and reserve a table at Bluestem for New Year’s.

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The Bar Drinking champagne on New Year’s is tradition, but why not branch out? In St. Louis, Blood and Sand takes a more seasonal approach to its New Year’s drinks.

“Our cocktail menu for the night will certainly feature something with champagne,” says Adam Frager, co-owner of Blood and Sand in St. Louis, “but we also draw inspiration from the time of year and weather.”

Adam explains that the bar’s New Year’s cocktail menu will feature hot punches steeped with allspice, clove, and cinnamon.

Because Blood and Sand is a members-only establishment, the patrons on New Year’s will occasionally co-mingle, making the night feel like “a fancy house party,” according to Adam.

He says that people often show up in groups of four to eight. Even in your own home, a small group of close friends can actually be more fun than a packed house. Just remember, when it comes to libations, champagne is but one of many options.

This elegant blue dress and heels come from Standard Style, a Kansas-City-owned womenswear boutique on the plaza.

The beautiful black dress is by Missouri designer Emily Rojas.

Her label is called Amatoria Clothing and can be found on Etsy. Both models wear jewelry by Lily Dawson.

!

!

The Ballroom If you spend New Year’s Eve at Branson’s Chateau on the Lake, you get the full experience without ever leaving the building. The hotel has live music all night, plus a bagpiper to play that New Year’s classic—the one most people forget the lyrics to after the first line: “Auld Lang Syne” or “Times Gone By.” The hotel also offers a fireworks show.

“A good time is had by all,” says general manager Stephen Marshall. As a shining example to the rest of us, the Chateau also has a champagne toast—the real stuff, from France—at midnight.

The headline of the Chateau’s party is entertainment, and that’s important at a house party, too. If you’re going all out, getting a band and some flashy fireworks—where legal—couldn’t hurt­. At the very least, you’ll want a playlist going on the stereo. And don’t count out lo-fi entertainment options like charades or mafia.

Whatever you do, try to make sure your party has a focal point. Once that’s done, don’t forget to enjoy it yourself.

Spend New Year’s here: BLUESTEM Multiple course dinner, champagne toast 816-561-1101 Kansas City

LA GUIANNÉE French New Year’s tradition, costumed re-enactors, caroling 800-373-7007 Ste. Genevieve

CHATEAU ON THE LAKE Multiple course dinner, champagne toast, fireworks 417-334-1161 Branson

STEAMBOAT CRUISE River cruise, music, open bar, dinner 877-982-1410 St. Louis

THE MAJESTIC RESTAURANT Live jazz, multiple course dinner 816-221-1888 Kansas City

TAN-TAR-A Casino games, live music, dinner buffet 573-348-3131 Osage Beach

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Flavor

—MissouriLife —

SHRIMP AND GRITS WITH CABBAGE, RED PEPPER, AND LARDO Recipe by Blood and Sand

20 pieces head-on shrimp 2 cups milk 2 cups water 1 cup stone-ground white corn grits 1 ounce pancetta, minced

Assembly > Salt, to taste 1 cup corn starch 1 small head green cabbage, diced 2 red bell peppers peeled, finely diced

Shrimp Directions >

1. Remove shrimp shells, and devein.

2. Remove shrimp heads, and reserve.

Grits Directions >

1. Bring milk and water to a boil in a large pot, stirring occasionally.

2. Slowly whisk in grits.

3. Whisk often and continue to boil until mixture becomes thick, but do not let stick to the bottom of the pot.

4. Reduce heat, and cook for 4 to 6 hours, adding more water as needed.

5. Whisk in pancetta and salt to taste.

1. Season shrimp with salt.

2. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat, and coat with oil.

3. Once the oil is smoking, add shrimp to pan.

4. In another pan, toss shrimp heads in cornstarch, and deep-fry for 2 minutes at 375°F. 5. When shrimp bodies have a nice golden brown crust, yet are still raw on other side, add cabbage to pan.

6. Caramelize cabbage.

7. Flip shrimp.

8. Add peppers and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

9. Pour everything out of pan and onto paper towels.

10. Place grits on plate.

11. Arrange shrimp, cabbage, peppers, and shrimp heads on plate.

12. Serve immediately. Serves 4

HARRY KATZ

Ingredients >

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For shrimp foam and other New Year’s Eve drink recipes, visit MissouriLife.com.

—MissouriLife —

BACON-WRAPPED GOAT CHEESE & PINE-NUT DATE WITH FENNEL INFUSED HONEY DRIZZLE Recipe by Executive Sous Chef Paul Trout Chateau On The Lake

Ingredients >

1 cup honey 1 tablespoon fennel seed, lightly toasted and ground 20 Medjool dates

8 ounces goat cheese 1/4 cup pine-nuts, lightly toasted 10 strips bacon, cut in half Wooden toothpicks or skewers

—MissouriLife —

MACARONS

Directions >

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. 2. In a small pan, heat honey and toasted ground fennel seed over medium heat until it reaches a boil. Immediately remove from heat and set aside.

3. Allow the honey to sit out and infuse flavors.

4. With a paring knife, make a small 1/2-inch incision lengthwise down the date and remove the pit.

5. Put the room-temperature goat cheese into a ziploc bag, and seal the top.

6. Cut one of the corners off the bag, and squeeze goat cheese into the hollowed out date.

7. Using your finger, insert 4 or 5 toasted pine-nuts into the goat cheese filling of each date.

8. Tightly wrap the date with a half strip of bacon, and skewer with a toothpick to secure.

9. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 350°F or until the bacon has crisped.

10. Drizzle with fennel infused honey. Serves 10

Recipe by U Knead Sweets Ingredients >

2 egg whites 9 tablespoons sugar 3/4 cup almond powder

3/4 cup powder sugar

Directions >

1. Whisk the egg whites in a large, clean bowl with an electric mixer. When foamy, add 1/3 of the granulated sugar, and continue whisking for a few minutes. Add another 1/3 of the sugar and whisk until the egg white is stiff. This takes a few minutes. Add the remaining sugar, and keep whisking until you have a perfectly firm and shiny meringue. If you like to color your macarons, this is the time to add the food color of your choice.

2. Next, sift the almond powder and powdered sugar, and gently fold half of it into the meringue using a rubber spatula. Once this is done, add the remaining almond powder and powdered sugar, and fold them into the meringue.

Then, mix more rapidly until the batter is smooth and shiny.

3. Fill a pastry bag with the batter, and pipe out the macaron shells onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Macarons should be about 1 inch in diameter.

4. Put the shells aside, and let them dry at room temperature. The shells are ready for baking when the surface no longer sticks to the finger when touched.

5. Bake the macaron shells for 13 to 15 minutes at 320°F. Let the macarons cool, and use a spatula to carefully remove them from the baking sheet. Sort the macaron shells into pairs of similar size.

BASIC BUTTERCREAM FILLING:

1 cup and 1 tablespoon butter 3 tablespoons powder sugar 3 large eggs

3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon water

Directions >

1. Beat room-temperature butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, and keep whisking a few more minutes to incorporate more air.

2. Beat egg yolks in a separate bowl until they turn yellow. In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil, and let thicken until it reaches a temperature of 242°F. That’s called the firm-ball stage. Add the sugar syrup to the egg yolk. Keep whisking constantly. The volume will increase, and the color will become brighter and almost white.

3. After mixing for a few minutes, combine the egg yolk mixture with the whipped butter.

ASSEMBLY:

1. Spread your filling on one macaron shell, and sandwich with another shell of similar size. Yields 20 cookies

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SHOW-ME

Outside Edward Lang’s Christmas tree-filled home in Boonville is the Lang family cannon and a 1960s Buick. Both have been passed down from generation to generation.

THE HOME WITH

a Hundred Trees Visit the former residence of one of journalism’s greatest minds, and meet its current owner who decks its halls with Christmas trees.

THEY SEEM to multiply every year inside Edward Lang’s Boonville home. First thirty. Then forty-four. Sixty-eight last year. And this year, there will be more than a hundred Christmas trees.

“You’ll see some of the things that you saw as a child,” he says.

However, there are also trees there that have unusual touches. One wears peacock feathers, another is adorned with musical instruments, and yet another looks like it came straight from

the pages of a Dr. Seuss book. Some of these trees reside in themed rooms. The dining room features ice-blue pastels, and another room is dotted with gold accents. The nostalgia room, as Edward calls it, is filled with memorabilia featuring people like Judy Garland and Doris Day. The centerpiece is the aluminum tree.

Although these trees aren’t wild Christmas conifers, they do resemble the real thing in size and shape. Who wants to clean up debris from a hundred trees anyway? About a third will stay

up year-round, so Edward can get a jump on decorating for next year.

“It’s a lifetime project,” he says. “It’s my release. I’m not worried about being practical.”

Edward, a Boonville native, remembers that when he took his first steps, he would play in tangles of Christmas lights; the first tree in his bedroom was only a foot tall. Today, he has more than seven in his bedroom alone and one that’s twelve feet tall on the third floor. At his first home, a cedar tree was the centerpiece of

COURTESY OF EDWARD LANG

BY DAVID CAWTHON

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TAYLOR BLAIR

Before Edward Lang opened his home to the public for tours, he built decorative trees that now fill almost every room in the home.

Guests will also learn about the home’s past.

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SHOW-ME

Many rooms in the home have their own theme, like the iceblue color that dominates the dining room. No tree is scantly decorated but rather filled from limb to limb with items.

Near the entryway, visitors get their first glimpse of the home.

Nearly every corner of every room is filled with color, though red and white are the most common colors.

Missouri. He also created the Missouri Method, which involves students working for media outlets—a practice that endures today.

Despite the historical allure, the $100,000 price tag was steep. Still, his curiosity got the better of him, and he checked again. It had decreased to $84,000. Could he afford it? As he unraveled the stories of the home, he realized that the price tag was worth it. “That house went through every major part of the historical significance of Boonville,” Edward says.

With support from his family and after getting the bank on board, he made his first offer in July 2010. But by the next day, the home went off of the market and onto an online auction. The home had a larger audience and more people were making offers. It was a bidding war. After Edward’s first two offers were declined, he checked his budget and mustered up his final offer.

TAYLOR BLAIR

the family Christmas celebration, and other trees had the same prominence at his family’s second farm home, just outside of Boonville.

He also had an interest in art and would toil with various art projects in his garage. He eventually studied at the Illinois Institute of Art. Inside his current home, it’s easy to see where his creativity and love of Christmas meet.

After graduation, Edward returned home and worked at Missouri Life magazine and the Boonville Daily News. When he was waiting in line at a bakery in Boonville, he learned that the Walter Williams home at 711 Morgan Street was for sale.

Edward only knew a bit about Missouri’s most famous newspaperman and the historical value of that five-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom home. Williams founded the State Historical Society in 1898 and started the world’s first journalism school in 1908 at the University of

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It was accepted.

Aside from living in the same home as Williams, Edward, too, is a journalist. He works at the Boonville newspaper as the managing editor. However, Edward wanted to better know Williams. “I knew his importance, but I didn’t know who he was,” he says.

Locals, a previous owner of the home, and one of Williams’ descendents, Jim Thompson, gave him documents, photographs, and stories about Williams and the home.

Edward uncovered that Marcus Williams, Walter Williams’ father, was a brick mason who built the home, though the exact date is uncertain. Research points to about the year 1855.

However, the rounded log beams under the library are similar to other older structures in town, which would place the date of construction closer to the sawmill days of the 1830s. In the 1850s, most homes had angular wooden beams, not rounded logs.

What is certain is that after more than a hundred years of being passed down in the Williams family, it was eventually sold into private hands and became a rental property, then a single family home, and finally, vacant.

When Edward purchased the property, there was a considerable amount of water damage from the busted internal drain system on the roof. Despite this, before Edward moved in, he promised friends, family, and others that he would offer

TAYLOR BLAIR

No holiday theme is complete without good ol’ Saint Nick.

Although you can find Santa in other rooms, the old dining room is where you’ll see the largest collection of Kris Kringles.

home tours that year. With the amount of work the house needed, his friends didn’t believe him.

“If you buy a historic home, you can’t pay tribute to it without sharing it with everyone,” he says. “That was my thing. I wanted to share it with the public.”

Edward had toured a few other historic homes, like the Molly Brown House and Museum in Denver, where Margaret Tobin Brown—a survivor of the Titanic disaster—lived. He sees parallels between that home and those who preserve historic buildings. If it weren’t for Denver citizens in the 1970s, the Molly Brown Home

The large windows in the family room accent the warm gold overtones that are woven into the ribbons, ornaments, and other decorative items that populate the room.

would have been demolished. Although the Williams home was never slated for demolition, Edward sees his efforts as a way to preserve a piece of the past. It’s more than a building. It’s a mirror into the history of his community.

However, Edward didn’t like home tours where portions were off-limits to guests. He had the conundrum of wanting to show visitors every room, but he also had to make his abode functional. After all, he lives there. Eventually, except for the kitchen and half of the third floor ballroom, everything was decorated and open to visitors. Edward has also used the research to recreate the feel and the soul of the home’s early days with items like the three Victrola record players and furniture that looks like it’s from the late 1800s. He’s also put his own spin on the house, which has certainly earned its nickname, the Christmas tree house.

“That’s how the whole thing evolves; you get inspired,” he says. “I like to push the boundaries every year.”

If you’d like to see the home at 711 Morgan Street, a formal tour is set for December 6 from 1-6 pm. From then on, call Edward at 660-8888932 to schedule a visit. January 31 is the last day that he offers tours by appointment.

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THE HUMANITIES ARE WHAT “THOMAS JEFFERSON

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ALL AROUND

Missouri D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 /JA N UA RY 2 0 1 5

SOUTHEAST MASS IN G MAJOR Dec. 2, Cape Girardeau > Enjoy a classical concert by the Choral Union, University Choir, and Symphony Orchestra with a dinner option available. Bedell Performance Hall. $14-$17 (additional $21 for meal served at 5:30 pm). 7:30 pm concert. 573-651-2265, rivercampusevents.com

FAMILY NIGHT WITH SANTA Dec. 5, Sikeston > Enjoy arts and crafts, and take a picture with Santa. Depot. 5-8 pm. Free. 573-4819967, sikestondepotmuseum.com

HOLIDAY CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

Dec. 5-7, Ste. Genevieve > Parade, carriage rides, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, carolers in the streets, more than thirty musical performances, and holiday refreshments. Historic Downtown.

Times vary. Free. 800-373-7007, visitstegen.org

HOLIDAY ART SHOW AND SALE Dec. 6-7, Ste. Genevieve > Original art, reproductions, handmade cards, an artists’ reception on Saturday at 4 pm, a silent auction, and an artwork raffle. Art Guild. 10 am-6 pm Sat.; 10 am-4 pm Sun. Free. 800-373-7007, artstegen.org

CHRISTMAS AT THE GLENN HOUSE Dec. 6-28, Cape Girardeau > This restored Victorian home and carriage house will be decorated for the holidays, and Christmas cookies, coffee, and cider will be served. Glenn House. 1-4 pm. $2-$5.

573-335-1631, glennhouse.org

JIM DIAZ

A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

On December 18 and 19 from 3 to 9 pm each day, take a driving tour of Southeast Missouri during the Christmas Country Church Tour. During its tenth year, this tour will feature more than twenty churches across Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, and Perry Counties. Each church is at least one hundred years old and will feature refreshments and a unique program.

Some churches have carolers, some tell stories, and others just offer a guided tour. Come out, see these churches all dressed up for the holidays, and learn about Missouri’s German and Lutheran heritage along the way at the Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum in Altenburg. For more information, visit altenburgmuseum.org.

LE REVEILLON

Dec. 7, Ste. Genevieve > This celebration highlights the music, traditional foods, and crafts of an early French Colonial Christmas with costumed guides who will explain early 19th century Christmas customs. Felix Valle State Historic Site. 1-6 pm.

Free. 573-888-7102, mostateparks.com/park /felix-valle-house-state-historic-site These listings are chosen by our editors and are not paid for by sponsors.

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GARDEN OF LIGHT QUILT SHOW Dec. 6-Jan. 25, Poplar Bluff > Enjoy candlelight tours of the sculpture garden and museum on December 6 from 6-9 pm and display of 19th century quilts, toys, and clothing from the trousseau of Ann Trotter West. Margaret Harwell Art Museum. Noon4 pm Mon.-Fri.; 1-4 pm Sat.-Sun. Free. 573-6868002, mham.org

CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT TOURS Dec. 12-13, New Madrid > Enjoy an 1860s Victorian Christmas with a tour of this decorated house aglow with oil lamps and candles. Period dressed staff will serve refreshments. Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site. 6-8:30 pm. Free. 573-748-5340, mostateparks .com/park/hunter-dawson-state-historic-site

and future. Leach Theatre. 7 pm. $18. 573-341-4219, leachtheatre.mst.edu

SOUTH CENTRAL THE CELTIC TENORS Dec. 4, Rolla > A trio will give a good-humored performance. Leach Theatre. 7:30 pm. $15-$35. 573341-4219, leachtheatre.mst.edu

CHRISTMAS FEST Dec. 5-6, Salem > Handcrafted items, seasonal spiced cider, and holiday cookies. Bonebrake Nature and History Center. 5-8 pm Fri.; 9 am-2 pm Sat. Free. 471-458-9894, bonebrake.org

ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOW PHOTO CONTEST Jan. 9-Feb. 28, Sikeston > Exhibit of photography contest entries and awards presentation reception. Depot Gallery. Reception Jan. 9 from 5-7 pm; exhibit 10 am-4 pm Tues.-Sat. Free. 573-481-9967, sikestondepotmusuem.com

SOUPER WINE WEEKEND Jan. 10-11, Ste. Genevieve > Travel down the Route du Vine wine trail to sample different soup and wine pairings. Six local wineries. 11 am-5 pm. $25. 800-373-7007, rdvwinetrail.com

Dec. 6-7, West Plains > Homemade arts and crafts.

Civic Center Arena. 8:30 am-5 pm Sat.; 10 am-3 pm Sun. $2. 417-256-1587, www.wpoptimist.org

CHRISTMAS PARADE Dec. 7, Waynesville > Floats, bands, and Santa.

Downtown square. 2 pm. Free. 573-774-3001, pulaskicountyusa.com

A CHRISTMAS CAROL Dec. 8, Rolla > Charles Dickens’ classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his Christmases past, present,

HOLIDAY CONCERT Dec. 13, Fort Leonard Wood > The 399th Army Band performs holiday favorites. Nutter Field House.

7 pm. Free. 573-596-0686, pulaskicountyusa.com

COOKIE WALK Dec. 13, Salem > Homemade holiday cookies by the pound. Bonebrake Nature and History Center.

10 am-1 pm. Free. 573-729-3400, bonebrake.org

VICTORIAN MUSICAL CHRISTMAS Dec. 13, Salem > Enjoy seasonal music presented by the Salem High Chamber Choir in a Victorian atmosphere with refreshments. Bonebrake Nature and History Center. 7 pm. $5. Reservations.

573-729-3400, bonebrake.org

BLUEGRASS NIGHT AT THE BARN Jan. 17, Dixon > Enjoy a family-friendly bluegrass concert. The Barn. 7 pm (doors at 6 pm). $20. 573433-9370, thebakerband.com

SWAN LAKE Jan. 23, Rolla > The Russian National Ballet performs this classic. Leach Theatre. 7:30 pm. $15-$38.

573-341-4219, leachtheatre.mst.edu

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KCPT IS MORE THAN JUST TELEVISION… WE OFFER VIEWERS OF ALL AGES A TERRIFIC JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE.

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CENTRAL ART LIVES!

PASSION FOR PIGS SEMINAR Dec. 3, Columbia > Seminar and trade show about the swine industry with speaker and major league pitcher Brian Holman. Holiday Inn Executive Center.

7 AM-5 PM. $75. 660-651-0570, passionforpigs.com

FREEDOM RIDERS Dec. 3, Jefferson City > See the film Freedom Riders, and join a discussion after. T.D. Pawley Theatre, Martin Luther King Hall at Lincoln University. 6-9 PM. Free. 573-751-2854, mostateparks .com/park/missouri-state-museum

SHREK THE MUSICAL Dec. 4-7, Mexico > This musical brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life. Presser Performing Arts Center. 7 PM Thurs.-Sat.; 2 PM Sun. $6-$20. 573-581-5592, presserpac.com

CANDLELIGHT TOUR Dec. 5-6, Jefferson City > This tour features decorated rooms in this historic mansion. Governor’s Mansion. 6-9 PM Fri.; 2-4 PM Sun. Free. 573-7512854, missourimansion.org

COURTESY OF JENNY ANSPACH

At the Ashby-Hodge Gallery on the campus of Central Methodist University in Fayette from January 25 to April 30, “Art Lives! Memorials to Pat Stapleton and Robert Bussabarger” will showcase decades of art created by Pat Stapleton. Pat was mother to Amy Stapleton, Missouri Life’s calendar editor and circulation manager. Pat died at age eighty last December in Springfield, Oregon. During her life, she taught art at CMU for years and then went on to live and paint in northern California. To celebrate her memory and contribution to art, the show will feature works from private collections around the state and several pieces from the permanent collection at the gallery.

The show will also include a section of works by some of her students and another section of works by Robert Bussabarger, Pat’s former teacher, who also died last year.

One mission of the exhibit is to gather as many pieces as possible to be photographed to catalogue Pat’s work. If you have any art by Pat Stapleton, please contact Joe Geist at 660-248-2826 or jegeist@ sbcglobal.net or Amy Stapleton at amy@missourilife.com.

For more information, call 660-2486324 or visit centralmethodist.edu.

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TOUR OF HOMES

RAGTIME CONCERT

Dec. 6, Boonville > Take a trolley ride to four decorated historic homes through out the town.

Throughout town. Noon-4 pm. $20. 660-882-3967, goboonville.com.

Dec. 13-14, Blackwater > See a grand performance by world-renowned ragtime piano player Bob Milne. West End Theatre. 2:30 pm. $13. 660-8882300, blackwater-mo.com

HOLIDAY JAZZ CONCERT

HOMES TOUR

Dec. 7, Columbia> Jazz groups the Joey D’Francesco Trio and the Matt Wilson Tree-O perform holiday-themed music. Murry’s Restaurant. 3 and 7:30 pm. $25-$50. 573-449-3009, wealwaysswing.org

Dec. 14, Marshall > Follow the map to tour five decorated homes. Throughout town. Noon-5 pm. $10. 660-886-8191, jimthewonderdog.org

DICKENS VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS Dec. 7-9, Columbia > Come out and see a traditional recreation of a 19th century English Christmas with holiday music, authentic period dances, refreshments, games, and more. Historic Senior Hall. 7:30 pm. $16. 573-876-7199, stephens.edu /performingarts

CAPITOL CAROLING Dec. 9, Jefferson City > Enjoy performances that will include traditional holiday numbers and other special selections from the Jefferson City High School Symphonic Band, Concert Choir, Orchestra, Chorale, and Simonsen Choirs. Missouri State Capitol Rotunda. 7-10 pm. Free. 573-659-3000, jcschools.us

HOLIDAY LOFT WALK

Dec. 19, Centralia > Holiday lighted tractors, vehicles, and farm equipment. Downtown. 7 pm.

Free. 573-682-2272, centraliamochamber.com

EVE FEST Dec. 31, Columbia > Celebrate culture at this alcohol-free, family-friendly celebration of the New Year with music, art, entertainment, children’s activities, and a 5K run/walk. Downtown. 4 pm run/ walk; 7 pm-midnight entertainment. $6-$8. 573874-7460, columbiaevefest.com.

FARM TOY SHOW Jan. 15, Marshall > Vendors representing all farm equipment brands, custom replicas, and toys in all scales. Saline County Fairgrounds. 9 am-3 pm. $2.

660-886-9908, visitmarshallmo.com

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Dec. 5-6, Kimberling City > Take a self-guided tour of four unique private homes all dressed-up for the holidays. Hosts will be available to answer questions. Throughout town. 10 am-4 pm. $15, 417-7399547, hometour.nftrl.org

WINTERFEST Dec. 5-7, Springfield > The regions’s best visual artists’ work will be on display and for sale, and local choirs and instrumental groups will perform.

Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. 5-10 pm; Fri.; 10 am-10 pm; Sat.; noon-5 pm Sun. Free. 417-8366776, hammonshall.com

CHRISTMAS PARADE Dec. 6, Kimberling City > Decorated floats, bands, and Santa. Downtown. 10 am. Free. 417-739-1236, visittablerocklake.com

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Dec. 5, Springfield > Tour decorated lofts and enjoy refreshments. Downtown. 5:30-8:30 pm. $10$12. 417-831-6200, itsalldowntown.com

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FIRST NIGHT

Dec. 7, Branson > Celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with this special community parade and Santa. Downtown. 5:30 PM. Free. 417-334-4084, explorebranson.com/christmas/adorationparade

GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER Dec. 9, Springfield > The Moscow Ballet performs this beloved Christmas tradition. Gillioz Theatre.

7:30 PM. $30-$117.50. 417-863-9491, gillioz.org

DICKENSFEST V

ALL ABOARD

Since 1993, Santa has arrived in the Ozarks by train. On December 7, Santa and his friends arrive again by train in Hollister. The shiny silver train pulls in the Train Depot at 1:30 PM and departs at 3 PM. More than 250 children each year have enjoyed the unusual arrival of Father Christmas. There will be dancing elves, Ronzo the Clown, face painting, and refreshments.

Goodie bags filled with treats and toys will be handed out. Hop on the train, and visit with Santa. This free event is at one train stop only.

Call 417-334-3050 or visit hollisterchamber.net for more information.

Dec. 12-14, Joplin > Arts, crafts, dancers, singers, actors, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a tour of the Cathedral. Scottish Rite Cathedral. 6-9 PM Fri.; 2-8 PM Sat.-Sun. Free (reception on Fri. $15). 417483-3116, joplindickensfest.com

CHRISTMAS PARADE Dec. 13, Buffalo > Decorated floats, marching bands, and Santa. Around the Square. 10 AM. Free.

417-345-2852, buffalocofc.com

EAGLE WATCH Dec. 20, Cassville > Watch a video about bald eagles in Missouri, and then head outside to watch bald eagles coming in to roost. Roaring River State Park.

All day. Free. 417-847-3742, mostateparks.com /park/roaring-river-state-park

Dec. 31, Springfield > Alcohol-free, family-friendly celebration with more than twenty performances in music, theatre, dance, comedy, and fireworks.

Various downtown venues. 6 PM-midnight. $8-$35.

417-831-6200, firstnightspringfield.org

PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE Jan. 23-25, 29 and Feb. 1, 5-8, Springfield > Six adolescent outsiders compete for the spelling championship of a lifetime in this play. Landers Theatre. Call for show times. $15-$28. 417-8693869, springfieldlittletheatre.org

KANSAS CITY VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS MAGIC

Nov. 28-Dec. 30, Independence > Tour elegant rooms decorated with elves, pixies, snowmen, and fairies. Vaile Mansion. 10 AM-4 PM Mon.-Sat.; 1-4 PM Sun. $2-$6. 816-325-7420, vailemansion.org

CANDLELIGHT HOMES TOUR Dec. 5-7, Weston > Tour four homes and one downtown loft. Throughout town. 5-8:30 PM Fri.; noon-8 PM Sat.; noon-5 PM Sun. $15-$35. 816-6402909, westonmo.com

COURTESY OF THE CITY OF HOLLISTER

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Students and seniors (65+) are $3.00. Members of the Friends of the Atkins-Johnson Farm & Museum are free.

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HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Dec. 6, Nevada > Santa arrives to meet with children and hand out treats during this parade, and the Tree of Shining Memories gets lit. Downtown and historic square. 5:30 PM. Free. 417-667-5300, nevada-mo.com

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL Dec. 9-14, Kansas City > This musical tells the story of Berry Gordy’s rise from unknown boxer to the head of the Motown record label who discovers new talents like Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, and the Supremes. Music Hall. Call for show times. $33$98. 816-421-1801, theatreleague.com

WHAT THE DICKENS?

Celebrate the holidays the old-fashioned way. Downtown Warrensburg comes alive on December 6 at the Dickens Christmas. Local artists create live window scenes with a Victorian theme. Horse and wagon rides will carry you around the downtown area. Musicians and carolers will perform seasonal favorites, and the tree lighting ceremony will feature decorations from children at the Early Childhood Opportunity Center. Dickens Christmas gives you a chance to step back in time as you watch local artists demonstrating their crafts. If the spirit moves you, attend the event in period clothing.

For more information call 660-429-3988 or visit warrensburgmainstreet.com.

COURTESY OF WARRENSBURG MAIN STREET

POLAR EXPRESS PARTY Dec. 13, Sedalia > Story time and Christmas party for children of all ages featuring cookies, crafting, and Santa. Katy Depot. 10 AM and 1 PM. Free. 660826-2932, visitsedaliamo.com

MID-AMERICA RV SHOW Jan. 15-18, Kansas City > This trade show is dedicated to the RV lifestyle and features motor homes, travel trailers, pop-up campers, and product and service vendors. Convention and Entertainment Facilities. 2-9 PM Thurs.; noon-9 PM Fri.; 10 AM-9 PM Sat.; 10 AM-5 PM SUN. $10. 800-848-6247, gsevents.com

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Jan. 18, Cole Camp > Taste chocolates and wine from three local wineries, win door prizes, and listen to live music. American Legion Building. 2-4:30 PM. $15. 816-305-2685, colecampmissouri.com

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS Jan. 18, Independence > See basketball at its hilarious best as the iconic Harlem Globetrotters perform trick shots, pranks, and more. Independence Events Center. 2 PM. $25-$137. 816-795-7577, independenceeventscenter.com

NORTHWEST HOLIDAY HOMES TOUR Dec. 6, Excelsior Springs > Join in on this guided tour of five homes decorated for the holidays, and eat some tasty treats along the way.

Throughout town. Noon-5 PM. $10. 816-365-1664, eschristmascommittee.com

SNOWBALL DROP Dec. 12, Excelsior Springs > Hundreds of ping pong balls, each filled with a coupon, will be dropped from the fire station ladder. Downtown. 6 PM. Free.

816-637-2811, visitexcelsior.com

OLD TIME HOLIDAYS

Watkins Woolen Mill State Historic Site lets you step back in time and see life from the 1800s. The mill offers insights into historic farming, business, craftsmanship, women’s roles, and the history of the Industrial Revolution, and the mill can get dressed up for the holidays. On December 6, the mill, located near Lawson, will show how the holidays were celebrated in the old days. You can stroll down the lantern lit paths to the family home where costumed interpreters will fill you in on the history. Then, meet with Father Christmas, sample traditional treats, listen to carols, and see the flaming of the plum pudding. Christmas on the Farm is open from 2 to 7 PM and is free. For more information, call 816-580-3387 or visit mostateparks.com/park/watkins-mill-state-park.

COURTESY OF WATKINS WOOLEN MILL STATE PARK, MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

CHOCOLATE AND WINE GALA

Defining Excellence

www.columbiaorthogroup.com | 573-443-2402 1 South Keene Street | Columbia, MO

Garth S. Russell, MD William G. Quinn, MD Dennis L. Abernathie, MD Peter K. Buchert, MD Patrick A. Smith, MD Thomas R. Highland, MD James F. Eckenrode, MD Randal R. Trecha, MD Mark A. Adams, MD Jennifer L.K. Clark, MD Benjamin T. Holt, MD John D. Miles, MD Robert W. Gaines, MD B. Bus Tarbox, MD David E. Hockman, MD

Matt E. Thornburg, MD John Havey, MD Jeffrey W. Parker, MD Todd M. Oliver, MD S. Craig Meyer, MD B.J. Schultz, MD Christopher D. Farmer, MD Brian D. Kleiber, MD Kurt T. Bormann, MD Jason T. Koreckij, MD Alan G. Anz, MD Matt Jones, MD Tim Crislip, DPM J. Camp Newton, MD

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give the gift oF MISSoURI HISToRY

1862

1861

Wants You!

The Best of Missouri Hands is dedicated to the development and recognition of Missouri’s Artists and Artisans.

We are a statewide resource for connecting, educating, and inspiring Missouri Artists and Artisans.

ouri

Join the Best of Miss Hands today!

Life During Wartime

www.bestofmissourihands.org 866-699-2664 2101 W. Broadway, Ste. 322 Columbia, MO director@bestofmissourihands.org

1861: The Civil War Comes To Missouri 1862: Rise of the Guerrillas • Unique and engrossing books for enthusiasts of Missouri Civil War history.

• Each book is a compilation of more than 360 columns by Rudi Keller from the Columbia Daily Tribune, providing a richly detailed examination of the first and second year of the Civil War in Missouri.

• Part of a five-year project, with future volumes planned for 1863, 1864 and 1865.

Excellent quality and value.

Essays & original source material examine the war’s bigger issues in depth.

Includes historic maps, photographs and illustrations.

Hardbound, keepsake editions.

Shipping available ($15 per book).

Allow 2 weeks for delivery.

2014 • 11th Season

e

Now Showing through December 14:

Winter Wonderettes 2015 Season Tickets and Gift Certificates make great gifts

Vol. i (1861) available at: $39.95 + tax

supply limited

Vol. ii (1862) available at: $44.95 + tax

• North Missouri’s Professional Theatre •

columbiatribune.com

tO ORDeR...

To order, call 573.815.1600 (800.333.6799) or email: circulation@columbiatribune.com

102 N. Rubey St., Macon, MO 63552 660-385-2924 www.maplesrep.com www.facebook.com/maplesrep

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WHITE CHRISTMAS Dec. 12-14, St. Joseph > Based on the film, this musical features seventeen Irving Berlin songs. Missouri Theatre. 7:30 pm Fri.-Sat.; 2 pm Sun. $10-$30, 816-232-1778, rrtstjoe.org

NORTHEAST

ST. LOUIS

WINTER WONDERETTES

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

Dec. 13, Excelsior Springs > Bring out your ugly holiday sweater, and join the 5K run. Downtown.

10 am-5 pm. Free to spectators; $20 to run. 816630-6200, anytimefitness.com

Nov. 28-Dec. 14, Macon > Nostalgic ’50s and ’60s Christmas music takes the stage as four friends put on the show. Maples Repertory Theatre. 7:30 pm Fri.; 2 pm Sat.-Sun.; 2 pm Tues.; 2 and 7:30 pm Wed. $16$27. 660-385-2924, maplesrep.com

Nov. 28-Dec. 24, St. Charles > This annual event features Christmas traditions from around the world, holiday characters, carolers, Santa parades, roasted chestnuts, special dinners, and many more holiday events. Main Street. Times and costs vary. 800-366-2427, historicstcharles.com

WINTER WONDERLAND HIKE

LIVING WINDOWS

JINGLE RUN AND UGLY SWEATERS

Dec. 22, Trenton > Join park staff for a hike to celebrate winter, listen to Christmas stories, make a craft, and enjoy hot chocolate. Crowder State Park.

10 am-noon. Free. Reservations. 660-359-6473, mostateparks.com/park/crowder-state-park

FIRST DAY HIKE Jan. 1, Trenton > Join park staff for the first hike of the year. Crowder State Park. 1 pm. Free. 660-3596473, mostateparks.com/park/crowder-state-park

BABY BOOMER COMEDY SHOW Jan. 17, St. Joseph > Comedian Kent Rader uses clean humor to hit Baby Boomer topics including family, kids, and aging. Robidoux Landing Playhouse. 7:30 pm. $17. 816-232-1778, rrtstjoe.org

Dec. 4, Moberly > Living holiday scenes in the windows and entertainment. Downtown. 5:30-7:30 pm.

Free. 660-263-5251, moberly.com

MISSOURI LIVESTOCK SYMPOSIUM Dec. 5-6, Kirksville > Nationally known speakers give educational sessions about horses, beef, sheep, stock dogs, small poultry production, forages, saving the honeybees, and energy. William Matthew Middle School. 4-9:30 pm Fri.; 8 am-5 pm Sat. Free. 660-665-9866, missourilivestock.com

HOLIDAY HOME TOUR Dec. 7, Moberly > Tour six beautiful homes decorated for the holidays. Throughout town. 1-5 pm. $10. 660-263-6070, moberly.com

CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS WALKS Dec. 5 and 12, Augusta > Listen to the songs of carolers, drink hot chocolate, and walk through the corridor adorned with 1,500 luminaries.

Throughout town. 5-10 pm. Free. 636-228-4005, augusta-chamber.org

WEIHNACHTSFEST Dec. 6-7 and 13-14, Hermann > Celebrate a traditional 19th century German Christmas at the Pommer-Gentner House with trees decorated with traditional German ornaments, traditional cookies, house decorations, and a gift shop.

Deutschheim State Historic Site. 10 am-4 pm. Free.

573-486-2200, mostateparks.com/park /deutschheim-state-historic-site

Rejoin the Crawley family for a fifth season of intimately interlaced stories centered on the English country estate.

ON

M ASTERPIECE C LASSIC Beginning January 4 Sundays at 8 p.m.

Saturdays at 10 p.m.

Relive Season 4 in December Sundays 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Saturdays 10:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

New Year’s Downton-a-Thon December 31 and January 1 Noon-5:30

kmos.org KMOS-TV is HD channel 6.1, and is on many cable systems in central Missouri.

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SANTA CLAUS IS COMING

CHAMBER CHRISTMAS PARADE Dec. 13, Cuba > Decorated floats, marching bands, Santa, and candy, pencils, and coloring books for kids. Main St. (Route 66). 10 AM. Free. 877-2128429, cubamochamber.com

HOUSE AND PARLOR TOUR Dec. 14, St. Louis > Tour eleven restored homes, including the Painted Ladies, a set of Victorian homes surrounding the park; take a horse-drawn carriage ride, listen to holiday carols, and sip hot chocolate. Lafayette Park. 10 AM-5 PM. $16-$20, 314-772-5724, lafayettesquare.org

FOOD AND WINE EXPERIENCE Jan. 23-25, St. Louis > Taste a variety of foods and wines from more than ninety exhibitors. Premier Tasting on Friday offers exclusive tastings from wine specialists. Chase Park Plaza. 7-10 PM Fri.; noon-5 PM Sat.-Sun. $40-$225. 314-968-4925, repstl.org

GET UP AND DANCE

On January 10 and 11, Perpetual Motion, a high-energy dance concert, will get you dancing. Members of the Center for Creative Arts at St. Louis and the Hip-Hop Crew will present a wide range of dance styles.

The Center for Creative Arts at St. Louis is a multidisciplinary arts institution that has provided art experiences to the metropolitan area for two decades. Throughout the year, the arts center hosts performances, education, art exhibits, summer camps, and workshops. Outreach programs offer art programs to lowincome youth.

The Perpetual Motion performances will be held at the COCA Theatre at 2 and 5 PM on Saturday and 1 and 4 PM on Sunday. Tickets range from $14 to $18. Call 314-561-4877 or visit cocastl.org for more information.

COURTESY OF STEWART HALPERIN

Dec. 7, St. Louis > Santa rides up on a fire truck, the Footnotes perform a dance show, Abra-KidAbra presents a magic show, and Santa lights the tree and hands out treats to children. Affton Community Center. 5-6 PM. Free. 314-615-8822, stlouisco.com

kmos.org

Watch KMOS Create on channel 6.2 KMOS-TV reaches nearly 1 million viewers in 36 central Missouri counties with PBS programming in HD on channel 6.1

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As a MEMBER of the Missouri Chamber YOU WILL RECEIVE:

Regular legislative and regulatory updates The Missouri Chamber is a critical, behind-the-scenes power in Jefferson City, helping draft bills to be introduced by legislators, testifying at hearings, and watch-dogging regulations. Updates and alerts are published on all major issues and sent to our members. Members can participate in issue webinars and conference calls.

MEMBER PROGRAMS: Cutting edge seminars and conferences Competitive employee health insurance programs

Member Help-line

Missouri Drug Card savings program

Access to our lobbyists and legal experts is an automatic membership benefit. Members can contact us with legislative questions concerning: • Local and state tax issues

Shipping and office supply discounts Competitive employee 401K programs

• Workers’ compensation • Employment law • Environmental regulations • And much, much more

Missouri Business Magazine The full-color magazine, Missouri Business, highlights our members and gives readers a more in-depth look at the issues facing the business community.

WANT TO LEARN MORE? Contact Linda Gipson at lgipson@mochamber.com, or by phone at 573-634-3511.

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YOU COULD EVEN SAY IT GLOWED FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS Nov. 28-Dec. 30, Branson > Drive through the one-mile path illuminated with more than 175 displays. Off Shepard of the Hills Expressway and Roark Valley Road. Dusk-11 PM. $15-$60. 417-3344084, explorebranson.com/christmas/bafol DOWNTOWN LIGHTING Dec. 6, Buffalo > Lighting of holiday decorations, including a real Memorial Tree, festive lights, and musical performances. On the Square. 5-7 PM. Free.

417-345-2103, buffalocofc.com MAGIC ON MAIN STREET Dec. 5, Ellington > Lighted parade, Santa and Mrs. Claus, caroling, pictures with Santa, lighting of the town’s Christmas tree, and hot chocolate and cookies. Main Street. 6-8 PM. Free. 573-663-7997, ellingtonmo.com LANE OF LIGHTS Dec. 6-Jan. 1, Excelsior Springs > Drive through lighted displays and a glittering treescape. Lover’s Lane in Historic Downtown. Dusk to 10 PM. $5 per vehicle donation accepted. 816-365-1664, eschristmascommittee.com MAYOR’S TREE LIGHTING Dec. 4, Jefferson City > Tree lighting ceremony, entertainment, refreshments, and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. Rotary Park. 5:30 PM. Free. 573634-6482, jeffcitymo.org PLAZA LIGHTING CEREMONY Nov. 27-Jan. 11, Kansas City > Multiple performances throughout the event, giveaways, flipping of the switch to turn on the lights, fireworks show, and a concert on Nov. 27. Lights shine daily from Nov. 27-Jan. 11. Country Club Plaza. 5 PM-3 AM. Free.

816-753-0100, countryclubplaza.com

COURTESY OF MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN

WINTER WONDERLAND Nov. 28, Louisiana > Lighted parade, lighting of the city Christmas tree, and Santa. Downtown. 6:30 PM. Free. 888-642-3800, louisiana-mo.com CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND Nov. 27-Dec. 25, Maryville > Drive past the light displays decorated in Christmas characters, religious displays, and scenes from nursery rhymes.

Franklin Park. Dusk to 9 PM. Free. 660-582-5420, maryvillechamber.com ALTRUSA CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK Dec. 1-23, Moberly > Drive through lighted displays, and see Santa’s house. Rothwell Park. 5:309:30 PM. Donations accepted. 660-263-6070, www.moberly.com

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GLOW?

The Missouri Botanical Garden will be glowing with more than half a million twinkling lights. You can stroll through the garden at night surrounded by a spectacle of unique light installations. See the Garden’s most iconic locations covered in sparkling lights and walkways that are turned into light tunnels. Take photographs at the Glowmen Glen, Kiss Goodnight, and Snow Globe displays. Visitors can decorate life-size snowmen for a fun photo opportunity. As you walk through the amazing array of lights, stop at the fire pit, and make a s’more. The Garden Glow is open Wednesday through Sunday evenings from November 22 through December 18 and runs nightly from December 19 until January 3 from 5:30 to 9:30 PM. Tickets range from $6 to $18 and can be purchased online or at the gates. For more information, call 800-642-8842 or visit mobot.org.

LIGHTS AT THE LAKE Nov. 26-Jan. 3, Nevada > Light displays all around the lake. Radio Springs Park. 6-10 PM. Donations accepted. 417-448-5505, nevadamo.org CHRISTMAS LIGHTS OF OZARK Dec. 1-Jan. 5, Ozark > Drive past lighted displays.

Finley River Park. Dusk to 9 PM Mon.-Fri.; dusk to 10 PM Sat.-Sun. Donations accepted. 417-581-6139, ozarkchamber.com LUMINARY DRIVING TOUR Dec. 13, Republic > Drive past more than 2,539 luminaries. Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. Call for times. Free. 417-732-2662, nps.gov/wicr CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK Dec. 12-20, Rolla > Drive past light displays. Lions Club Park. 6-9 PM Sun.-Thurs., 6-10 PM Fri.-Sat. Donations accepted. 573-364-4386, visitrolla.com

STROLL AND LIGHTING OF TREE Dec. 5, West Plains > Take photos with Santa, enjoy live music from bands and choirs, and see the lighting of the West Plains’s downtown Christmas tree. Historic Downtown. 5:30-8 PM. Free. 417-8278334, westplains.net/tourism

FREE LISTING & MORE EVENTS At MissouriLife.com PLEASE NOTE: TO SUBMIT AN EVENT:

CAPITOL BY CANDLELIGHT Dec. 12, St. Charles > Interpreters lead you by candlelight. First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site. 6-9 PM. Free. 636-940-3322, mostateparks.com /park/first-missouri-state-capitol-state-historic-site

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Missouriana Entertain your Christmas party guests with these holly, jolly facts.

Quote a Missouri author!

The state’s oldest CONTINUALLY operating stained glass studio, Emil Frei and Associates, installed its mosaic work in the first million-dollar CHURCH in America, the New Cathedral on St. Louis’s Lindell Boulevard, known today as the Cathedral Basilica.

Thomas Hart Benton is said to have provided the MODEL for the WPA’s MURAL program.

“Our hearts grow tender

One of the most unusual New Year’s

CELEBRATIONS might be Ste. Genevieve’s

annual La Guignolée, French for food drive.

Participants celebrate in the French medieval custom, dress in strange and archaic costumes, and rove from place to place singing a beggar’s song for favors. The event is FREE and open to the public.

with childhood memories

are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.”

— Laura Ingalls Wilder

Save these fun facts for a snowy day.

IN THE 1940S AND 1950S, PERFORMER AND BROADCASTER KATE SMITH FIRST POPULARIZED SENDING CHRISTMAS CARDS TO NOEL TO HAVE THEM STAMPED WHEN SHE PROMOTED IT ON HER RADIO SHOW.

ANDREW BARTON

and love of kindred, and we

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SANTA DAY! SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7th 9 am – 12 pm at all ten locations!

PHOTO WITH SANTA +

20% OFF

John Deere toys and merchandise.*

Winter Service Specials. With FREE Pick Up & Delivery Available.** Gator™ Service Packages From $165-$235

Tractor Service Packages

Mower Service Packages

From $295-$395

From $95-$245

Your Partner in Growing a Better Tomorrow. | Visit us at www.sydenstrickers.com. www.sydenstrickers.

Celebrating

70 YEARS 1944-2014

MEXICO Hwy 54 South 573-581-5900

MACON Jct 36 & 63 660-385-2177

ROCHEPORT 1500 North Route J 573-446-3030

KIRKSVILLE Hwy 63 North 660-665-1500

CHILLICOTHE Hwy 36 East 660-646-5493

PALMYRA Hwys 61 & 24 573-769-2112

MOSCOW MILLS 155 John Deere Drive 636-366-9400

CURRYVILLE 3691 Hwy 54 573-594-6493

TIPTON 31217 Hwy 5 660-433-5596

HERMANN 1854 Hwy 100 West 573-486-3204

Authorized Dealer

*Valid 12/6/14 – 12/13/14 on in-stock products only. 12-volt ride-on toys, John Deere equipment, Stihl power equipment and Honda Power Equipment not included. **Within a 50-mile radius of the servicing store. Free pickup and delivery available only on select mower, tractor and Gator services scheduled between October 1, 2014 and February 7, 2015.

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