Connection January 2024

FREE

CONNECTIONMO.COM

JANUARY 2024

THE BOWYER Cubberson’s Traditional Archery

D&R RAILROAD Hobby Makes Big Production

COMMUNITY Takes Action New Dispatch Facility for Lawrence County

A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE OZARKS

CBCO & AMERICAN RED CROSS January Blood Donor Month

at of another sistance. cy, .

0

CC

January’s Mental Wellness Month highlights the importance of integrating both emotional and physical health.

“Mental wellness involves being able to cope effectively with the difficulties of life, having an awareness of your own abilities and opportunities, and having healthy relationships with yourself and others,” said Sheri Dawson, director of the Division of Behavioral Health at DHHS. “The key to mental wellness is being proactive and taking care of our mental well-being before issues arise. By focusing on improving mental wellness and building resiliency, you can overcome the hurdles of life and thrive. It is always a good time to work on mental wellness. Identify one small step you can take to improve and stick with it. People with healthy emotional wellness are confident, have control over their feelings and behavior, and have good coping mechanisms for dealing with difficult situations.”

Mental health is affected by many things, such as work, school, relationships, financial problems, and excessive stress. Physical factors like illness can make you susceptible to mental wellness issues. You may be new to working on mental wellness. There are eight areas to consider that impact your overall wellness.

Select one area and take a step toward improvement every day.

Eight areas of wellness: • Mental: Capacity for knowledge, insight, confidence

in something that is meaningful and brings you joy. Do what helps you relax and recharge, and seek out experiences that have a calming effect.

• Learn a new skill: Creative hobbies can provide a sense of pride and achievement.

• Exercise: Exercising for at least 30 minutes every day can help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. Go for a walk, ride a bike, take a fitness class, or play a sport with friends and family.

• Be grateful: Practicing gratitude every day can invoke feelings of thankfulness and optimism that make managing challenges easier. Don’t beat yourself up when you make a mistake – everyone makes them.

• Eat well: A balanced diet contributes to both physical and mental health.

• Get enough sleep: Most health authorities recommend that adults get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each day. Avoid caffeine after lunchtime.

Show Me Hope @ The Clark Center • Physical: All that contributes to how our body feels/functions • Emotional: Highs and lows of emotions, feelings

• Spiritual: Belief system not necessarily formal religion • Social: Connection and community • Personal: Interests, joy, fulfillment

• Professional: Roles at work, career goals • Medical: Health numbers or statistics

• Slow down: Notice with intention the things you are doing.

Draw your awareness to the moment especially those that are positive.

• Ask for help when you need it: It’s a sign of strength to reach out to resources and supports when your mental wellness is suffering.

Need to talk or get immediate help in a crisis? Help is available.

Tips to enhance mental wellness:

• Follow the after-work (acknowledge a 21 was rough.

Showchecklist: Me Review Hope at the Clark Center is connected to challenge you faced, take a deep breath and let it go); Reflect (however small, consider and appreciate positives in your sources for financial help, mental help, and self-care. The day); Regroup (offer support to your colleagues and askhealth for help when you need it) and re-energize (turn your attention to home andand focus onconfidential. relaxing and resting.) ogram is free Programs are created to assist our a mental health wellness plan: Create a guide of munities• Create with the to rec over coping skills, peopleability to talk to in stressful situations, and from the grief, uncertainty and enjoyable activities to ensure that you maintain the balance your thoughts, emotions,We and behaviors. stration ofbetween recent times. are here to listen and help. Anyone in • Practice self-acceptance: Use the new year as an community with concerns about their recovery, or that of another opportunity to practice self-acceptance and self-esteem.

• Put yourself first: Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s important to take individual to call and seek assistance. time or every group day for yourselfis andencouraged your mental health. Engage Points of focus for Show Me are resiliency, TheHope Clark Center self-care and experiencing417-235-6610 loss. Here 24/7...... you or someone you know needs crisis support now, Show Me Hope,If call or text:Call1-800-985-5990 or text 988 Resiliency Community Recovery Clark Center: 417-235-6610

CC

2 | January 2024

YOU’RE WELCOME AT THE BARRY-LAWRENCE REGIONAL LIBRARY!

ACROSS TWO COUNTIES, NINE BLRL BRANCH LOCATIONS serve thousands of your friends and neighbors each month. If you live in Barry or Lawrence County you are welcome to get your FREE library card and start accessing the vast array of services the BLRL offers.

•

Our friendly librarians provide one of the largest collections of books and other materials in Missouri.

•

The BLRL provides multiple online resources including media streaming, audio books and e-books.

•

Each year, over 60 thousand participants enrich their lives in our amazing Library programs.

•

Every Branch of the BLRL offers enriching programs for all ages and areas of interests.

GIVE THE GIFT OF READING!

KIDS 6+ CAN GET THEIR OWN LIBRARY CARDS It’s FREE and makes children

feel very special while teaching them responsibility. Library cards are totally free for all Barry & Lawrence residents. The BLRL doesn’t charge late fees and provides tons of materials to check out and programs for all ages. LIBRARY E-CARDS: You can get quick access to library services online at blrlibrary.org

THE AURORA LIBRARY

Phone: 417-678-2036 / Fax: 417-678-2041 E-Mail: aurora@blrlibrary.org

THE CASSVILLE LIBRARY

Phone: 417-847-2121 / Fax: 417-847-4679 E-Mail: cassville@blrlibrary.org

THE EAGLE ROCK LIBRARY

Phone: 417-271-3186 / Fax: 417-444-5109 E-Mail: eaglerocklibrary@blrlibrary.org

THE MARIONVILLE LIBRARY

Phone: 417-463-2675 / Fax: 417-463-2116 E-Mail: marionville@blrlibrary.org

THE MILLER LIBRARY

Phone: 417-423-8528 / Fax: 417-423-8582 E-Mail: miller@blrlibrary.org

THE MONETT LIBRARY

Phone: 417-235-7350 / Fax: 417-319-2391 E-Mail: monett@blrlibrary.org

THE MT. VERNON LIBRARY

Phone: 417-466-2921 / Fax: 417-466-2936 E-Mail: mtvernon@blrlibrary.org

THE PIERCE CITY LIBRARY

Phone: 417-476-5110 / Fax: 417-408-8810 E-Mail: piercecity@blrlibrary.org

THE SHELL KNOB LIBRARY

Phone: 417-858-3618 / Fax: 417-720-2099 E-Mail: shellknob@blrlibrary.org

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 3

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

by Lisa Craft

Lisa Craft is owner and publisher of Connection Magazine and The Monett Times.

Accountability is More Realistic

O

ne of the major things that we ponder as it grows closer to the end of the year, besides who we would kiss to ring in the new year, is what we will try to accomplish as far as our New Year’s resolutions. I have written on this subject before in this space, but I think we just need to look at the entire idea differently.

I don’t hear the subject of making resolutions discussed that much anymore, so perhaps the idea of creating different things to accomplish and usually failing is not as popular as it once was. But maybe if we approach this annual event in a different manor, we won’t experience failure as much.

It seems like the most popular resolution is losing weight, or getting fit. If we are writing these resolutions down, we would probably just write; lose weight or get in shape. We just usually write down the action, but maybe if we take it a step further and get a bit more serious, it would eliminate us looking at the list in the near future and getting down on ourselves because we again have not accomplished what we wanted to do.

My actions seem to work better if I am held accountable.

If I want to lose weight, which I have numerous times in my life, I find that it is more successful if I find a program or a friend that I am accountable to. There are a lot of good weight programs and also people you can talk to about what triggers overeating. Trying to do it alone is usually not successful. I am not saying it can’t be done, but being accountable always works better for me.

The same thing applies to smoking, drinking, drugs, anything that you want to give up because you know deep down it is doing harm to your body, physically and emotionally.

4 | January 2024

She can be reached at monettcommunity@ gmail.com

Basically being accountable simply means being responsible for decisions made, actions taken, and assignments completed. But don’t misunderstand me, even though a lot of people use accountability and responsibility interchangeably, they don’t mean the same thing.

Responsibility is something you might have been given as a child, when you had to look after your sibling or you might have been given the task of feeding the family pet.

Accountability is a word that carries a lot more weight, and is one that we don’t really hear until we enter the world of work and business. It can have positive and negative connotations, but being held accountable for things can have a positive effect on enhancing the feeling of self-control in your everyday actions and in your workplace.

Accountability is a motivating force combining responsibility with answerability. In turn, I believe that accountability for an action will make you more successful in reaching a positive end result.

Basically it boils down to how serious we are when we decide that the new year is a good time to provoke those ideas to get rid of some of those bad habits that we have developed.

Or, you may just like yourself and your life just the way it is. In that case I encourage you to be thankful that you are happy and count your blessings that you are among the few that are blessed enough to be in that position.

Happy New Year!

Owner & Publisher, Connection Magazine

A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE OZARKS

OWNER/PUBLISHER Lisa Craft monettcommunity@gmail.com MULTI-MEDIA SALES EXECUTIVES Marion Chrysler CONTRIBUTORS Meagan Ruffing Susan Funkhouser Pam Wormington Christa Stout Mike Gervais Murray Bishoff Steve Chapman

> edwardjones.com | Member SIPC

Compare our CD Rates Bank-issued, FDIC-insured

3-month

5.35

6-month

5.35

1-year

5.00

PHOTOGRAPHERS Chuck Nickle DISTRIBUTION Kevin Funcannon TO ADVERTISE 417-235-3135 - Monett Send email inquiries to monettcommunity@gmail.com Mailing address: P.O. Box 40, Monett, MO 65708 Connection is published monthly and distributed free in Cassville, Monett, Exeter, Washburn, Pierce City, Mt. Vernon, Aurora, Verona, Roaring River, Eagle Rock, Shell Knob, Purdy, Wheaton, Freistatt, Marionville, Seligman, Golden and other surrounding areas.

Connection is a publication of the The Monett Times. Both publications now locally owned and operated.

% APY*

% APY*

% APY*

Call or visit your local financial advisor today James R Haston

Brett T Jones

Kelly Newbold

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisor

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

864 E US 60, Ste F Monett, MO 65708 417-772-3406

100 Chapel Dr, Ste B Monett, MO 65708 417-236-2819

Scott B Young

Nicole L Weber

Kedron G Blecha

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisor

1418 S Elliott Aurora, MO 65605 417-678-2102

603 Dairy St Monett, MO 65708 417-235-7465

304 W Mount Vernon Blvd Mt Vernon, MO 65712 417-466-4620

Shane A Boyd

Jeramie A Grosenbacher, CFP

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisor

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

103 E Olive Aurora, MO 65605 417-678-0277

*Annual Percentage Yield (APY) effective 12/15/23. CDs offered by Edward Jones are bank-issued and FDIC-insured up to $250,000 (principal and interest accrued but not yet paid) per depositor, per insured depository institution, for each account ownership category. Please visit www.fdic.gov or contact your financial advisor for additional information. Subject to availability and price change. CD values are subject to interest rate risk such that when interest rates rise, the prices of CDs can decrease. If CDs are sold prior to maturity, the investor can lose principal value. FDIC insurance does not cover losses in market value. Early withdrawal may not be permitted. Yields quoted are net of all commissions. CDs require the distribution of interest and do not allow interest to compound. CDs offered through Edward Jones are issued by banks and thrifts nationwide. All CDs sold by Edward Jones are registered with the Depository Trust Corp. (DTC).

FDI-1867M-A AECSPAD 20810323

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 5

FREE

CONNECTIONMO.COM

JANUARY 2024

THE BOWYER Cubberson’s Traditional Archery

Linn Thornton Family Memorial

COMMUNITY Takes Action

D&R RAILROAD Hobby Makes Big Production

CBCO

January Blood Donor Month

New Dispatch Facility for Lawrence County

SB

SECURITY BANK OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI

Your Locally Owned Independent Bank

A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE OZARKS

ON THE COVER: The new years brings changes and opportunities to expand service.

Learn more about the Lawrence County Dispatch Center on page 14.

CONTENTS

Let us be your HOMEtown bank!

• Great Service • Committed To Barry County • Decisions Made Locally Wheaton

Cassville

302 Main Street Jct. 37, 76 & 86 417-652-3204 417-847-4794 Bill Pay & Internet Banking at

www.sbswmo.com

6 | January 2024

Exeter

Front Street 417-835-8111

9 Cutest Kid 11 Parenting Column 19 Healthy Connection: Focused Goals 27 Guest Column: More Than Goals 29 Recipes 38 Cutest Pet 39 Rescued, My Favorite Breed 42 Parting Shot

Have an idea for a story you would like to see in Connection Magazine?

Email it to monettcommunity@gmail.com Facebook.com/MyConnectionMo

Follow us on Facebook

F E AT U R E S

14 |

LAWRENCE COUNTY DISPATCH Pooling of data and resources leads to new and vital dispatch center serving the community need

22 | BLOOD BANK BOOST The drive for blood donations picks up in January to meet the regional healthcare demand 32 | CUBBERSON’S TRADITIONAL ARCHERY Cubby Hoover brings his love of woodworking to the bow-making trade to build a successful full-time gig 35 | THE D&R RAILROAD Dennis Rayon and Tom DeGeere construct a turn-ofthe-century mountain mining village and railroad display

JANUARY 2024 Professional bowyer Cubby Hoover enjoys the bow-making process from standing tree to copperhead skin handle.

Read more on page 32.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 7

417-847-4372 417-235-2100 Aire Serv Heating and Air Conditioning

Serving The Area Since 1978

www.aireserv.com

BUY BULK AND SAVE AGED AND DRY AGED STEAKS AVAILABLE

Call or visit us today!

602 N 17th St. Monett, MO, 65708

8 | January 2024

l

417-405-1112

January 2024 contest winner

CUTEST KID

Congratulations

ZOEY

Zoey Smith twoyear-old daughter of Brandon and Rachel Smith of Aurora; granddaughter of Glen and Angie Welters of Verona; and Jodi Smith of Aurora.

Photo courtesy of Backporch Photography Email your child’s photo to: monettcommunity@gmail.com Photos should be sent in the original JPG format at the highest resolution possible. Remember to include your child’s name, parent’s name, age, city and your contact information. The contest is open to children ages 10 and younger.

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

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 9

Wishing You A Wonderful

New Year!

Tomblin’s Jewelry & Gifts WHERE QUALITY IS THE DIFFERENCE

GO CHIEFS! Thank You for 30 years of business in downtown Monett.

Opened February 1st, 1994.

You Are All Appreciated More Than You Know!

ALWAYS DEFINING EXCITING & UNIQUE

416 Broadway, Downtown Monett

417-235-7622

10 | January 2024

On the square, Cassville, MO • 417-847-2195

New Year can bring a new sparkle

PARENTING COLUMN

by Meagan Ruffing

Meagan Ruffing is a parenting journalist and mental health therapist living in northwest Arkansas. She’s currently working on her PhD, which came from her bucket list.

How to Get Your Spark Back I used to be full of life and ready for anything. I was a stay-athome mom who absolutely loved being home with my three kids and looked forward to decorating for every holiday.

I would frequent craft fairs, picking out the perfect home décor and get excited when my kids would beg me to put up one more ornament on the tree or hide one more egg for Easter. I looked forward to my husband coming home from work and enjoying the cozy atmosphere of the life we built. Life was good and I had a lot of spark back then.

Over the years since my divorce, I realized that my spark has slowly faded and never fully come back.

Hopes and dreams that never got to be lived just kind of stayed in my heart with nowhere to go.

I realized four hard years had passed when I told my sister I just didn’t have the same “spark” in me anymore and she said, “Actually, I think you do.” Since she said those words to me, I made a promise to myself and to my kids that I would figure out how to get the version of me that they had known their whole lives and the one that I’d worked so hard to get.

Here’s how you can get your spark back in the New Year: Set some goals using the S.M.A.R.T. goals technique. Be specific with what you want your goal to be. Write down the who, what, when, where, and why. Your goal should be measurable. If working and getting healthy is something you want to do, commit to going to the gym a certain number of days each week and at set times.

Your goals should be achievable, which means they should be something realistic to you.

If you’re not a marathon runner but tell yourself you’re going to run a marathon in a month, you may not be setting a realistic goal. Instead, choose something that is obtainable and makes sense. Your goal should be relevant. What is something in your

life that you want to do right now? Does it make sense for the season of life you’re in? Lastly, make sure your goal is timebased. Give yourself a deadline and stick to it.

Purchase a brand-new journal and write down all your thoughts and feelings. If journaling isn’t your thing, still buy one and do ‘brain dumps’ where you scribble down whatever thoughts come up. It can be words or drawings.

It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but you. If you love to journal, consider adding some magazine cut-outs to add dimension to your writing. Pick a few hours at night or over the weekend where you can sit and cut out different quotes and pictures that resonate with you.

Glue them onto the pages of your journal and take inventory of how you feel.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 11

Arrange a time to pamper yourself with a spa day. I go to Pilates once a week, do yoga a few times a month, and schedule a massage once a month. I try to schedule this weeks in advance so I have something to look forward to. When the day (s) comes, I feel so valued and worthy of being happy that it helps give me an extra pep in my step. Not to mention, I feel very relaxed and taken care of when I am intentional about scheduling body work.

Reach out to friends and family to help stay in community with others. Being in the presence of those who love you and care deeply about you is a great reminder of what makes you special.

I know that whenever I plan a girls’ weekend, I have the best time reconnecting, and I feel full of life when it’s time to head home.

There’s something about being with friends that is good for the soul.

Keep checking things off your bucket list. Bucket lists are a necessary growth tool for staying accountable to your hopes and dreams. If you don’t have one or haven’t updated yours in a long time, take some time after reading this article to get back on track with your future planning.

HORNOR’S FRAME & COLLISION

515 S. Kyler • Monett, MO. 65708

417-235-8040

hornorbs@mo-net.com We accept most insurance and private pay

12 | January 2024

My bucket list is continually changing because I’m consistently knocking things off while adding new things that I want to try. My most recent addition has been to learn how to crochet. I taught myself how to cross-stitch and thought it’d be fun to try something new.

It’s never too late to get your spark back…you just have to be open to doing some work on your end to open yourself up to new opportunities. You’ll never regret making personal growth a priority so make this New Year your time to shine. n

Family Owned Since 1954

White’s Insurance Agency All Lines Of Insurance • Located 2 miles south of Purdy • AGENTS: Lea White, Lucas White, Chris Ray and Jessica Tyson

417-442-3858 Welding, Welding Gases and Supplies, Farm Equip Repair, Ornamental Iron Fabrication, Field Rollers, and Metal Sales.

Airgas Linde AWG We’re the dealer of welding supplies for these three companies.

Come Check Out Our Selection Of Case Knives!

AURORA MOTOR AND MACHINE If it’s broke, we’ll

417-678-3130

it

Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

www.auroramotorandmachine.com

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 13

Lawrence County Emergency Services upgraded facilities begin a new era of community support.

14 | January 2024

Lawrence County’s new dispatching center resolves a decade of difficulties

A

Hard data collected on calls by The City of Monett PD helped in planning how many and what kinds of workstations a future service would need

new year offers new beginnings. Nowhere is that more evident than in Lawrence County’s central dispatching center. The county’s Emergency Services Board held an open house on Nov. 3 for its new facility on the south side of Interstate 44 in Mt. Vernon, ending nearly a decade of protracted controversy and passage of two countywide sales taxes funding the new facility.

A decade ago the original 911 dispatching center, with two work stations, was located inside the county jail in a small room, where dispatchers doubled as jailers. A lack of equipment upgrades brought the system to near collapse, at which point in 2015 the county commission signed a deal with the City of Monett to run the county’s dispatching service for three years while an alternative was found. Monett ended up running the system for five years. During that time, hard data collected on calls helped in planning how many and what kinds of workstations a future service would need.

Formation of an appointed and later elected county emergency services board spearheaded finding a long-term solution. Passage of a half-cent countywide sales tax to cover operational

Story by Murray Bishoff

expenses and a half-cent public safety sales tax, needed to build a new center and infrastructure, ultimately finished the job. These freed dispatching to become independent from the sheriff and municipal police operations. A centrally located site was secured by the county, in a space that will soon hold a new jail nearby.

During this time, the City of Aurora, which operated a separate 911 center, turned its operation over to the central system. More recently, the Barry and Lawrence County emergency services boards and the City of Monett reached consensus on how to handle calls crossing the county line inside the city. That enabled Monett to cede its dispatching operation to the two counties. Bonnie Witt-Schulte, who headed Monett’s operation before combining with Lawrence County’s, continued with Lawrence County as executive director. She and much of the Monett dispatching staff now run the Lawrence County service from Mt. Vernon.

This may sound like a simple shuffling of chairs, after you get past the personalities, the public meetings and heated rhetoric. But this was one of those rare occasions where everybody ended up winning.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 15

“Consolidating services into one 911 center eliminated the need for transferring calls between centers, which saves precious time in an emergency,” Witt-Schulte said. “There will always be a need to work with neighboring agencies, with calls needing to be transferred to the ambulance service, Highway Patrol or neighboring agencies. Our goal is to provide a fast, seamless connection for citizens to get the help they need.”

The new facility is beautiful, spacious and well designed. The technology-based service has grown over time, surpassing all past state-of-the-art versions. The Monett dispatching center, located in the city’s Justice Center, had five workstations with three screens each. Dispatchers also monitored the jail, handled administrative phone lines, walk-in requests for police services and monitored issues around town, such as watching live-feed video cameras and viewing hot spots like Kelly Creek during floods.

In its new location, the center has no distractions from foot traffic or officers.

Dispatchers in a spacious room with six workstations each have six monitors, four tied to the dispatch computer.

Running programs cover computer aided dispatching, the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System which accesses warrants, Rapid SOS/Prepared Live system, Go2It Map for locations, and training/documents in progress.

“911 has evolved, especially over the last five years,” Witt-Schulte said. “We now receive 911 calls / text messages / video from not only your phone but from your car, your watch, automated commercial alarms etc. Eventually even your refrigerator will be able to contact 911. With this increase in technology, individuals have the ability to assist responders in being more prepared by taking the time to add any pertinent information to apps such as RapidSOS, phone emergency apps, etc. Informa16 | January 2024

tion such as any medical conditions, blood type, emergency contact, or special needs will be provided to the 911 center with the initiation of a 911 call.

This allows the 911 dispatcher to relay the information to responders while they are enroute to the emergency.

From Nov. 1 to Dec. 13, 2023 at 9:30 a.m., there were 298 Prepared Live incidents with 24 total media collected.

(The media count is a little higher than normal due to the recent demonstrations.) During the month of October, there were 239 incidents and 13 media collections.”

Some of the latest tools are quite remarkable. For example, a witness may

call in a potentially dangerous situation.

The SOS/Prepared Live system enables a dispatcher to send that witness a link via a smartphone that establishes a video connection through the phone’s camera. The dispatcher can now see what the witness sees, and that link can be shared with a responding officer.

“We can request and receive photos and videos, receive GPS location, and receive What3Words information as an additional resource,” Witt-Schulte said. “This information allows for better situational awareness both for the 911 dispatcher and the responder. It is important to note that this information is only available when and if a 911 caller

allows the 911 center to access it. What3Words has divided the world into 3 meter squares that provides unique combinations of three words to assist in locating people. This app has become instrumental in helping to locate individuals when they are in areas such as a conservation area or on the lake. It is very simple to use and we encourage citizens to have this app available in the event that they are in an emergency situation and do not have any specific location information that they can provide to the 911 center.”

Texting 911 is also becoming more common.

“As a 911 center, we receive many 911 abandoned or hang-up calls,” Witt-Schulte said. “We have found that in a lot of instances when we try to call back, many people will more readily respond to a text message instead of a phone call. As more and more citizens become aware of the ability to text 911, we are seeing an increase in this service.

Additionally, there are times when a person is in eminent danger and having the opportunity to text 911 instead of call can be a life-saving measure for

them. We have seen this application in domestic violence situations or in in-progress calls such as burglaries.

From Nov. 1 to Dec. 13, we’ve had 60 incoming sessions, 235 incoming messages and 92 outgoing messages. This total does include daily text to 911 test messages.”

While 911 calls are not reliant on communication towers, the Lawrence County Emergency Services Board added a 300-foot tower outside the new center. That moved all county communications to a central tower from a patchwork relay network and consolidated resources.

“We were able to move critical emergency frequencies to a higher level to improve communications,” Witt-Schulte said. “We do still need to look toward improving the emergency radio systems for Lawrence County as we are still operating on many of the same communications systems that were in place many years ago. It is a future goal to bring all parties to the table – 911, fire, law enforcement and medical responders – to develop a plan on what is feasible for everyone involved.”

When Monett built its Justice Center, then-police chief David Tatum wanted it built into a hillside as a hardened facility to protect it against weather events. With those concerns in mind, the new county center was built to withstand the strength of an F-5 tornado, like the one that hit Joplin.

“In the planning process, we incorporated redundancies for internet services, fiber services and telephone services as these are critical to keeping up the equipment needed to receive 911 calls and ensure radio communications,” Witt-Schulte said. “We also have planned our 911 call-taking system so that we can, in the event that we had to leave our facility, go to our 911 neighboring centers – Jasper County and Springfield-Greene County – and answer 911 calls.”

The hardened building was also constructed with an outside window in the dispatch area facing west, reducing the cave-like atmosphere in similar facilities. In future construction the window wall can be pushed out to expand the building as well as the number of workstations to meet evolving needs.

While past dispatching centers have been attached to other operations, this dispatch center was built as a separate building, and has additional rooms to augment services.

“The individual offices provide a more efficient work environment for our team to be able to interact in conference calls, private counseling sessions, trainings and private meetings,” Witt-Schulte said. “There are two quiet rooms that allow dispatchers to de-stress and take some time away from the work environment after dealing with hard calls. These rooms will also be utilized as a sleep room, if a catastrophic event were to occur and employees were not able to leave. We also have a full kitchen and laundry so that in the event of a long-term disaster we can maintain op-

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 17

erations within this facility. The training room has already been utilized for board meetings as well as a Rotary Club meeting.”

The stressful work of dispatching has created staffing challenges in the past, particularly when services were stretched between several facilities.

“We are proud to say we are fully staffed and have some people that are interested in completing an internship program to train and be in line for an open position!” Witt-Schulte said. “We believe that being centrally located in the county has brought in more interest as we have seen an increase in applicants.”

The many changes over the past nine years created challenges. Witt-Schulte said she, her staff and the emergency services board had to take a “We can figure this out” attitude getting to this point.

“We seem to be on the right path,” she added. “Personnel are enjoying having their own space. There is truly a sense of thankfulness amongst all of us.

We know how very lucky we are to have had the community, and people such as the county commission, the City of Mount Vernon, and the Lawrence County Emergency Services Board members support this project. We do not take it for granted and it is our intent to provide our very best to citizens and visitors of Lawrence County.

“We understand we are usually talking to an individual on one of their worst days. We know what is at stake and that our actions change lives. It is a job that not everyone can do – we have one of the very best teams and a lot of times they go unnoticed because they are someone that is only heard and not seen. Although to most this new center is just a building – it is so much more to all of us because it is our second home and we could not ask for a better place to come to work each day.” n

18 | January 2024

HEALTHY CONNECTION

Get smart about goal setting

by Jessica M. Gilkey, RD, LD/N

Jessica is a clinical outpatient dietitian for CoxHealth serving the Monett and Springfield areas. She has been in practice for 10 years and has a background in military medical administration. She enjoys spending time with her daughter and husband and surrounding family in Mt. Vernon and the St. Louis area. They have recently relocated back from Florida and are happy to be ‘home’ to their Missouri roots.

Keep Your Goals in Focus I am sure you have been there, the New Year has approached or approaching, and you are thinking “New Year’s Resolutions” right?

Well, you are not alone, over half of Americans ages 18-34 are in the same mindset and 23 percent quit in the first week, while 36 percent make it past the first month with only 9 percent successfully keeping their resolutions (Mick, 2023).

Start a Vision Board

Therefore, the question arises, “should we, do it?” Absolutely, we just need to be mindful about how we set our goals and after ten years of working with people on mindset, goal setting, and clinical outcomes, here is what I have learned.

Get clear about your goals; be smart. Get specific about what you are trying to achieve. What exactly are you working towards?

Ensure it’s measurable; how

can we measure outcomes? Is it achievable and realistic for you (in your season of life)?

This is important, achievable, and realistic if very personal and you do not want to compare your goal setting to others around you, everyone is unique in this. Lastly, add a time stamp; ensure you give yourself a timeline to either reach your goal or revisit your goal(s) to adjust and modify what may or may not be working. This can be crucial for success! For example: “I will pack a lunch for work every day for the next 30 days to prevent myself from splurging on restaurant food during the week” (Stemmle, 2022).

Another puzzle piece I see is lack of support. It is the one thing we all need and don’t get enough of when we are trying to change habits and behaviors. Online, one-on-one, in-person, group setting, whatever you need, and it will ebb and flow as you work on your goals.

Sometimes we need extra layers and sometimes you need less. It is the one thing that can get you on track and keep you on track as life stressors throw you off. In studying human behavior these past ten years, what I have observed is those that have good support get better results. It is true! Especially, long-term results. Therefore, humble yourself and do not discount your basic human need for support and supporting others. We are all in this process together.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 19

Lab testing whether holistic or conventional can be another useful tool when you are pin-pointing health barriers. Sometimes there are clinical aspects we need to uncover to achieve our goals.

When our body is out-of-balance it can be hard to find the energy, motivation, and clear mindset to tackle things. I highly recommend working with a professional that can assess and listen to you as you get in tune with your body and uncover these puzzle pieces.

Sometimes even just an outside perspective can boost us in the right direction.

Lastly, Vision Boards can not only be fun but an effective way to outline your goals. Visualization has been studied to be an effective way to bring goals into real life manifestations for centuries (Moe, 2021). I have also personally used and professionally recommended them to my patients for years to help with the pre-contemplation stage of the behavior change process. (Cherry, 2022).

Our subconscious mind can really benefit from this modern-day tool and be an effective process for those that may not be ready to act towards their goals.

417-635-2000

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram 815 Jerome Ln. Monett, MO 65708 Located behind Taco Bell in Monett 20 | January 2024

In conclusion, yes, I recommend setting New Year’s Resolutions with the following above guidance. Be smart about goal setting, get support, work with a professional, and use a Vision Board to overcome common barriers.

Remember, your current habits and routines have been in place for years (well really decades) for most of us and change does not happen overnight. Your life is not a linear path, nor is your health.

Be patient and kind with yourself along this journey and remember we are all connected on this path of healing, look around and see who a positive support may be or need support themselves. n

Welcome

Pastor Bob Simpson First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ 603 Fourth Street Monett, MO 65708 Coffee Fellowship Sundays 9-9:30am

Worship Sundays 10:30am

Merry Christmas!

FOUR SEASONS REAL ESTATE

Larry Daniels • Realtor 417-846-7306

Idaniels@mo-net.com

Lance Mettlach Get a Quote

100 Chapel Dr. Suite F, Monett, MO. 65708 Cell 417-489-1134 lance.mettlach@mofb.com

Kay McCullah • Realtor 417-342-3885

kdougmc@gmail.com

Lea Hill • Realtor 417-847-0156

lea.4seasons@yahoo.com

Patti Daniels • Broker 417-847-7995

patti4seasons@yahoo.com

87 Main Street, Cassville, Mo. 417-847-0156

www.fourseasonscassville.com

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 21

American Red Cross and Community Blood Center of the Ozarks support local healthcare

Donna Beckett herself is the top female donor, having given 213 units, which adds up to more than 26 gallons.

22 | January 2024

Heroes Who Give with Heart and Blood

J

anuary is Blood Donor Month.

Monett, with its history of community outreach, has long been a center for community engagement. That commitment has made Monett a hub for local blood drives for decades, and created champions for the cause. Wilmer Bray, for example, donated more than 17 gallons of blood over the years, recalling in 2001 that back in 1947, his mother needed blood for surgery. He and two of his World War II veteran friends volunteered, and he never quit.

Today two services, the American Red Cross and the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, hold local blood drives and service patients from this area.

Donna Beckett, who today works as a vice president for Freedom Bank in Monett, has been bloodmobile chairperson for the American Red Cross in Monett for 30 years.

“The most rewarding part of my Red Cross experience is helping the community by making my donors feel appreciated for them not only donating their blood but their time,” Beckett said. “Also, Red Cross does so much more than blood drives. When a disaster hits any area, they are there to lend a helping hand. They have been in Monett several times for house fires and other minor disasters. They have outstanding volunteers that trav-

Story by Murray Bishoff

el whenever a disaster occurs. There was one day in December that the Red Cross reported to five house fires to see what they could do to help the occupants.”

Beckett started assisting Elner Medlin, her predecessor as bloodmobile chairperson, in 1987. Medlin needed help on one occasion, and Beckett’s husband, David, volunteered her once Donna got off work.

“Elner called me one day in 1993 and said she was unable to continue being the chairman and wanted me to take it over,” Beckett recalled. “I had two small children and wasn’t sure that I could volunteer for that amount of time. But a family member stepped up and said she would love to babysit the girls when I had my drives. The girls were very excited about that adventure!

So I accepted the position.”

Volunteering has helped make Beckett a strong believer in the blood donation cause.

“I am a strong supporter of donating blood and the importance of it,” she said. “You can get an artificial lung, kidney transplant but there is no substitute for blood. That is how important it is to donate. It used to be that 5 percent of citizens donated blood and this past year, it has dropped to 3 percent.

That is a sad occurrence. And my drive would not be so successful if it wasn’t for the dedicated donors, the churches

Donna Beckett Blood Donor of the Year, 2023 American Red Cross chairperson

The blood drive would not be so successful if it wasn’t for the dedicated donors, the churches and their volunteers.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 23

and their volunteers.”

Dealing with donors and potential donors, Beckett has heard from many people about why they do or don’t donate. The main point people make in declining is, “That hurts too much!”

“A lot of citizens that could donate are concerned about the needle going into their arm,” she said. “Some individuals are concerned about losing a pint of blood, but the body will replenish that very quickly. It definitely is safe to donate blood.”

Beckett’s job nonetheless has its perks.

“The easiest part is visiting with my donors. I have repeat donors that never let me down. And how exciting it is when we get a new donor. I also have great support in the community churches that help me host the drives.

The church members always volunteer to help out at each drive. My donors love the snacks and food that the church members prepare. Having the churches help has been a tradition since the Red Cross started over 50 years ago in Monett and the churches never let us down. I also have a donor in his 80s who always wants to help in any way possible. He will distribute the donation date flyers for every drive. I also have a family that has five to six active donors. Everyone at my drive loves this family and enjoys visiting with them.

“The hardest part is keeping track of new policies and procedures. Luckily I have been a banker most of my life and I am used to adjusting to changing policies and procedures! And I appreciate my workplace Freedom Bank allowing me to do this volunteer work, as they know this cause is very important.”

Beckett remembers the late Wilmer Bray fondly, as he was the top male donor in Monett for years. Paul Renfro is presently the top male blood donor in Monett. Beckett herself is the top female donor, having given 213 units, 24 | January 2024

which adds up to more than 26 gallons.

“I have two gentlemen that actually drive from Diamond to donate at my drive,” she said. “That’s dedication.

And when I see them walk in, it always makes me smile. If a donor can’t give at my drive, it is a huge disappointment for them.

“Many things have changed in blood donation over the years. The FDA regulates all blood donations and recently made some significant changes to eligibility guidelines, such as lifting restrictions related to people who lived overseas when Mad Cow disease was prevalent. As the FDA conducts studies and research, the guidelines are updated and this allows more people to donate.

However, there are some medications that restrict donations and health conditions, so it’s best to check the redcross.org website regarding eligibility.

I encourage everyone who can to take the time to donate blood to help ensure blood is available to save lives.”

The Community Blood Center of the Ozarks organized in 1995 to focus specifically on providing a quality blood supply, in a timely manner and at the lowest reasonable fee, while remaining accountable to the local community, blood donors and healthcare providers. The CBCO operates as a not-for-profit blood center providing blood, plasma and platelets to all 44 hospitals in the 40 counties it serves, which extends to southeast Kansas and northwest Arkansas. That includes Monett and all the Cox Health Systems hospitals, Mercy hospitals in Aurora and Cassville, plus all veterans’ and children’s hospitals in the service area.

“It takes about 200 donations every day, or 60,000 each year, to meet the needs of your friends, family and neighbors in your community,” said Michelle Teter, spokesperson for the CBCO. “We couldn’t do this without

Michelle Teter Spokesperson for CBCO volunteer blood donors. Our local donors help local patients by ensuring there is a strong blood supply for patients who are receiving blood for ongoing health issues like cancer or blood diseases and for when a tragedy or emergency strikes. Emergencies don’t come with advanced notice. It is the blood that has already been donated, tested and processed that hospitals use when needs arise.”

In 2022, the CBCO distributed 401 blood products to Cox Monett Hospital, up 116 percent from 2019, along with 185 blood products.

“At the same time, blood donations have decreased as many organizations and businesses weren’t able to do mobile drives during COVID,” Teter observed. “We also tend to see blood shortages during the summer months, when donations tend to decrease due to the loss of most of our high school and college blood drives. Forty percent of our blood donations are from high school and college students.

“We have seen a 117 percent decrease in community donations in Monett. In 2017 we collected 553

CBCO Service Area Anyone with questions about donation eligibility to call the CBCO at 800-280-5337, or filling out a donor deferral eligibility inquiry online. Scan the QR code:

Map courtesy of Community Blood Center of the Ozarks

blood donations and in 2022 we collected 258 donations. We are working to close the gap between community donations and hospital usage with more awareness, education, community partnerships, and community blood drives. If your business or organization is interested in hosting a mobile blood drive, please contact CBCO at 417-227-5006 or www. cbco.org.”

The need for blood remains great.

On average, someone in the Ozarks

receives a blood transfusion every seven minutes.

The CBCO has distribution departments in Springfield and Springdale, Ark. “Our distribution department is open 24/7,” Teter said. “Hospital blood bank laboratories will call or fax the CBCO distribution department with orders. Once we receive an order, we determine (based on our current inventory levels) the best option for filling the order. The Springdale distribution department is a smaller ver-

sion of what is in Springfield. We have set hospital inventory routine routes to the 44 hospitals we provide blood to. For example, we might drive to a hospital three times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays) to deliver blood. We fill impromptu and emergency orders as well.

CBCO has a component manufacturing lab onsite at the Thomson Center in Springfield. We have an immunohematology (reference lab) onsite in Springfield as well. The reference lab

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 25

Wishing You A Wonderful New Year!

MOST INSURANCES ACCEPTED Dr. Greg Huntress, Optometrist, FAAO Dr. Scott McSpadden, Optometrist, FAAO Dr. Alexandria Holmes, Optometrist

215 4th Street

Outstanding eyecare, exceptional eyewear!

215 4th Street 401 W. College 612 E. Elm MO 65708 Republic, MO 65738Monett, MO 65661 Monett, MO 65708 417-637-2010 417-732-5575 417-235-2020 417-235-2020

Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 5:00 pm Saturdays 8 am - 12:00 pm

www.visionhealtheyecenter.com

FOHN FUNERAL HOME

“Where compassion and experience come together” We can help with Traditional Services, Cremation Services, Obituaries, Flowers, Insurance and Pre-Arrangements. Call on our family to serve yours...

Fohn Funeral Home 1303 N. Main Street Cassville, Missouri 417-847-2141

McQueen Funeral Home 524 Hurlbut St. Wheaton, Missouri 417-652-7268

Todd and Bethany McCoy (Locally Owned and Operated By)

26 | January 2024

can provide antibody workups for hospital patients and compatible blood based on findings, perform DNA typing on both patients and donors to determine extended RBC antigen typing. Samples for blood typing and infectious disease testing are done at an offsite testing facility.”

Like the Red Cross, the CBCO takes pains to keep up with regulatory guidelines mandated by the Federal Drug Administration, which constantly evaluates and updates screening processes and eligibility guidelines for blood donations. Certain medications and/or medical conditions may prevent someone from donating blood temporarily or in some cases, permanently.

“From start to finish, the whole blood donation process usually takes less than 60 minutes,” she indicated.

“That includes paperwork, a medical screening, the actual blood donation (generally about 10 minutes), and time for refreshments after it’s over. Each time you do this, you help save the lives of three people right here in the Ozarks. Donors can donate red cells every 56 days.”

January has particular significance as Blood Donation Month.

“The month of January is commonly a time of critical blood shortages,” Teter said. “People stop donating blood during the holidays and when they get sick during cold and flu season. Blood drives also get snowed out during the winter months. The monthly observance is a way to honor voluntary blood donors and to encourage more people to give blood at a time when more blood is needed.

“Every blood donation tells a story of hope, healing and survival. We are grateful for donors who take the time to provide lifesaving blood donations.

This is a month to honor them. They are the true heroes.” n

Essential for immunity support

GUEST COLUMN

by Manndi Maphies

Amannda (Manndi) Maphies, hometown Monett, Mo., works at the UMKC School of Pharmacy, is a mother to two human boys, two furry boys (dog, Atlas, and cat, Hamilton), and enjoys freelance writing based on her travels, life adventures, and pretty much anything that stands out in life as “story-worthy.”

New Year, New You? Sort It Out Without Regret I have the blessing of celebrating my birthday at the end of the year. December first, to be exact.

This allows me to gracefully (or not so gracefully; we have all had those years, can I get an Amen?) move into the new year with a blank slate, a clean page, a welcome reminder that the balance of years may be tipped one way or another, but every new day is undeniable cause for celebration.

On my most recent birthday, I sat around a restaurant table at the Ozark Mill Restaurant at Finley Farms in Ozark, Missouri, with a handful of special family and friends. This was not a monumental year like turning 21, 30, 40, or another decade year. Rather, it was my 44th birthday. I asked those seated around the table how they handled the big ones; did they ring those years in with the celebrity prowess of a newly minted 16 or 21-year-old? Or did they hide under the covers and vow to, once again, perhaps for the fifth year in a row, celebrate the same standard 29, 39, or 49 years of age?

One of my friends mentioned a Netflix Original show she enjoys watching. In the latest season, my friend embraced a quote that stood out to her from this very show. It went something like this: “Everyone gets to experience being young. But not everyone gets to experience growing old.”

I was stricken speechless by the quote when she shared it and

Personally, I feel New Year Resolutions provide a neon-green light to a defeating feeling of failure.

have thought about it over the days since that birthday dinner.

How very true this is. We are all born, and hopefully get to experience a beloved childhood, full of special memories we carry with us throughout our lives. But not everyone is gifted the blessing of growing old. Therefore, I would like to reflect on the new beginnings we are given every single day, not just at the start of a new calendar year…

As yet another year draws to a close, we look toward a brand new, clean slate of 365 days of calendar-defined possibility. The year 2024. Some will make lofty resolutions, only to watch them fail before the pages of the calendar turn from January to February.

Others will steer clear of reso-

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 27

lutions altogether and see New Year’s Day as an opportunity to eat black-eyed peas and hope for a better outcome in the new year than the previous year they have journeyed.

The truth is, some years are difficult, some are glorious. Some are defined by heartbreak, while others boast extravagant pleasures galore. This life is marked by balance. If last year was a struggle, chances are good that this year will look a little brighter. Here is hoping, anyway.

Cheers! Clink, clink…

One thing I have learned in my decade of forties is this. Despite what life throws my way, whether good, bad, happy, or sad, my attitude is the key to that glorious inner peace and level of happiness I so desire.

I can be in a truly devastating season of life, but still manage to walk daily in joy, peace, and excited anticipation of “this too passing,” opening the door to a new season of less distasteful experiences.

This insight, no doubt, comes from my faith. I am a believer in a Savior that welcomes new beginnings.

In addition, He welcomes forgiveness, peace, friendship, cheerful giving, and full reliance on Him. As the popular band, “Semisonic” sang, in their cult classic, “Closing Time,” - “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end”. As one full year folds dutifully to a close, another fresh, exciting, blank canvas is born.

The possibilities are endless. But only if you have the courage to try new things and fearlessly adopt a mentality of hunger for different experiences. Each person is only given so many years on this earth.

Gratefully, we do not know that

28 | January 2024

magic number.

So, while today could be it, or we could call this planet home for several more years, it is the responsibility of every single soul to grab the absolute most that this life has to offer. Travel, meet new friends, connect with old, avoid toxic relationships like the plague, enter healthy unions, start dating again, renew those wedding vows, take the trip, take time for yourself, attend a concert, write a story, send that letter lying in the upper drawer of your bedroom dresser.

The possibilities are endless.

Personally, I feel New Year Resolutions provide a neon green light to a defeating feeling of failure.

However, the older I get, the more aware I am of the pendulum of life swinging away from my tender years of youth, and more toward... well, “the other side” of middle-age. My idea of soaking up the most life has to offer is doing at least one new thing every year (better yet, several new things).

Traveling to a place I have never been, taking a solitary holiday, joining a book club, adopting a new pet, indulging in a new and unique type of authentic cuisine.

Again, the possibilities are endless.

Grab a friend and embark on a new adventure. Or, do something solo. There is true fulfillment in learning to love spending time with oneself, and you don’t have to argue over what to do, you get to choose.

It has been said that most folks, at the end of their life, rarely regret the things they did, as much as they regret the things in which they were too fearful to do. Thus, I sprinkle these magic words across the valued readers of the Ozarks…

Carpe Diem! Seize the Day! You do not have to wait for a new year

to start over. Every new day we are given is a blessed opportunity to add some vibrant paint to each collective canvas of life.

And if you do enjoy setting those New Year’s Resolutions, please do not beat yourself up too much if they get hijacked by your daily routine, lack of sleep, busy-ness with kids, time-demanding projects at work, etc. Just because one new desire doesn’t fully stick, there is no reason to totally throw in the towel. Try again. And again, and again, and again. As many times as it takes. Until….it takes. (It takes at least 30 consecutive days to change or form a new habit). And then, once you get that particular mountain climbed, try something new. Any day of the year will work.

After all, you will never see this particular day in history again.

Happy New Year, dear readers!

Make 2024 one for the history books. After all, each day we wake up to a new day, we are given the glorious opportunity to make it count, or simply get through. Let’s vow to make each day count.

That is a resolution I believe we can all get behind. n

Travel, meet new friends, connect with old, avoid toxic relationships like the plague... take the trip, take time for yourself, attend a concert... send that letter lying in the upper drawer of your bedroom dresser.

Recipes

To Start the Year Off Right

Buffalo Chicken Dip Ingredients 2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1 cup Ranch dressing 3/4 cup pepper sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot) 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces 1 (8 ounce) box chicken-flavored crackers Directions

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

Pecan Chicken Salad Ingredients ½ cup mayonnaise ½ cup plain Greek yogurt 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar ½ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon Park Hill maple pepper (such as Savory Spice Shop®) 2 cups chopped cooked chicken 2 stalks celery, sliced ⅓ cup chopped toasted pecans 2 tablespoons minced red onion Directions

1) Mix mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, vinegar, garlic powder, thyme, and maple pepper together in a bowl until well combined. Add chicken, celery, pecans, and red onion; stir well to incorporate.

2) Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 29

Easy and Quick Halushki Ingredients 1 pound bacon 1 onion, diced 1 (16 ounce) package egg noodles 1 head cabbage, sliced salt and ground black pepper to taste Directions

1) Snip bacon into small pieces with a scissors and cook in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Cook and stir onion with bacon until translucent, about 5 more minutes; set bacon and onion aside, leaving drippings in the skillet.

2) Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook egg noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Drain.

3) Transfer bacon and onion mixture with drippings into the pot used to cook the noodles and cook and stir cabbage until coated with drippings. Cover pot and cook until cabbage is tender, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Gently stir in noodles and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Sunday Brunch Casserole Ingredients 1 ½ pounds thick sliced bacon ½ cup chopped sweet onion ½ cup chopped red bell pepper 12 eggs 1 cup milk 1 (16 ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon dried dill Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

2) Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes.

Drain bacon slices on paper towels; reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in the skillet. Crumble bacon and set aside.

3) Cook and stir onion and bell pepper over medium heat in reserved drippings until tender, about 5 minutes; remove with slotted spoon.

4) Whisk eggs and milk in a large bowl. Fold hash browns, Cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, dill, onion mixture, and crumbled bacon into egg mixture; transfer to prepared baking dish.

5) Bake in preheated oven until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes.

30 | January 2024

California Melt Ingredients 4 slices whole-grain bread, lightly toasted 1 avocado, sliced 1 cup sliced mushrooms ⅓ cup sliced toasted almonds 1 tomato, sliced 4 slices Swiss cheese Directions

1) Preheat the oven broiler.

2) Lay the toasted bread out on a baking sheet. Top each slice of bread with 1/4 of the avocado, mushrooms, almonds, and tomato slices. Top each with a slice of Swiss cheese.

3) Broil the open-face sandwiches until the cheese melts and begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. Serve the sandwiches warm.

Gourmet Mushroom Risotto Ingredients 6 cups chicken broth, or as needed 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 pound portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced 2 medium shallots, diced 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice 1/2 dry white wine 4 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Directions

1) Warm broth in a saucepan over low heat.

2) Meanwhile, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add portobello and white mushrooms; cook and stir until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid to a bowl; set aside.

3) Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the saucepan. Stir in shallots and cook for 1 minute. Add rice; cook and stir until rice is coated with oil and pale, golden in color, about 2 minutes.

4) Pour in wine, stirring constantly until wine is fully absorbed.

Add 1/2 cup warm broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, yet firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes.

5) Remove from heat. Stir in reserved mushrooms and their liquid, butter, chives, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 31

The Bowyer Archery class led Cubby Hoover to start making hunting bows by hand. Now it’s his full-time profession

I

n 2019, Cubby Hoover was invited by a friend to attend a course in primitive archery. He never dreamt the experience would lead him into a new career.

“A friend of mine … was getting into archery. He had his grandpa’s old bow, and he found a course that was teaching primitive archery in Fayetteville, so he asked me if I wanted to go.

“And I was like, ‘Yeah, that sounds cool.’ I didn’t have a bow or anything, (and) I wasn’t a hunter at the time.

(But) I went to this class … and I just fell in love with primitive archery from that point. But I didn’t have a bow, and those are expensive.”

While he didn’t have a bow, Cubby did have an extensive background in carpentry, so he decided he would build his own. He read The Bowyer’s Bible and watched videos on bow making.

Then he built his first one.

“It was a Red Oak board bow,” Cubby said. “It was just a board that I bought from Lowe’s, and I made it into a bow and it worked. And so, that’s where I started, and that just kind of led into this obsession.”

Since then, Cubby has become a professional bowyer, or bow maker. He makes his bows by hand from the Osage

32 | January 2024

Story by Steve Chapman

Check out the business page Cubberson’s Traditional Archery

trees which grow on his parents’ property in Seligman, where he and his wife, Sydney, live. He has also started his own business, Cubberson’s Traditional Archery.

To make his bows, Cubby will cut down a tree with a chainsaw (the only power tool he uses). Then, he will split the wood into what he calls “staves,” which he will seal with polyurethane or a similar chemical to prevent the wood from drying too rapidly. After that, he will store the wood for at least a year to season it.

When the wood is ready, Cubby begins to carve it, removing the cambium, or outer layer of the stave to get to the heartwood. From there, he decides how long the bow is, and whether it will be a recurve bow or a long bow, and then determines the center line and what

the ends of the bow will be. Next, he will carve off the excess wood and bring the stave into the shape he wants, after which he will use a cabinet scraper and sandpaper to smooth it out.

Next, he said, is coloring the bow to camouflage it.

“Whenever you first make (a bow),” he said, “the wood is … almost golden.

(It will) darken up over time … with UV light whenever the sun hits it, but whenever you first make it, it’s bright yellow. And in the woods, a bright yellow bow is going to stand out.”

To darken the bow, Cubby will either paint it or decorate it with snakeskins.

“Copperhead skin is one of my favorite things to use,” he said. “And I tried to find copperheads that … match up really well, (because) usually each bow takes about two copperhead skins.”

Besides decorating his bows, Cubby will also strengthen them by adding deer sinew to the back of each one.

“That deer sinew adds a lot of structure to the back of the bow for the (bow’s) tension,” he said. “Whenever you pull a bow back, those fibers on the belly of the bow are going to compress, and you want to add something on the back to give it structure to spring back to where it’s supposed to be, and so that’s why I use deer sinew.”

Other enhancements include mule deer antler tips for the bowstring and rabbit fur string silencers, and a buckskin handle wrap.

While the process to make each bow is the same, Cubby said each of his bows are unique, because no two pieces of wood he uses to make them are the same.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 33

Now iN MoNett aNd Cassville!!!

417-665-1522 Cassville

468 HwY 76

Cassville, Mo.

417-354-8633 MoNett

601 s. KYler street

MoNett, Mo.

Feeder calf sale every Tuesday 10am, slaughter cows to follow Bred cows/ pairs every Tuesday 6pm

“Where we work hard, so you can get the most out of your work”

417-835-3000 34 | January 2024

Copperhead skin is one of Cubby’s favorite materials. Each of his bows are unique, because no two pieces of wood he uses to make them are the same.

“Every bow that I make is totally different,” he said.

“I think it (was) Michelangelo (who spoke) about how you’re not making a statue out of the marble; you’re looking at the marble and seeing what the marble wants to be.

“And that’s the … way that my bows are. Each individual bow stave has its own character and so it’s going to be different.”

How much each bow costs depends on the level of detail a customer asks for. A basic bow, Cubby said, will go for $750, while a bow that has been decorated with copperhead skin, strengthened with deer sinew and has deer antler tips, rabbit fur silencers and a buckskin handle will cost about $1,500. However, Cubby said he believes in his workmanship, and if a bow breaks under normal use, he will repair or replace it.

In fact, before he sells a bow to a customer, he will test shoot it 200 times to make certain it’s up to par.

“If (my bow) breaks while you’re shooting it, I’ll replace it,” he said. “I’ll fix it if I can, or I’ll replace it. And that’s a lifetime warranty on my bows, and I do that because I stand by my craftsmanship.”

For more information, or to order a bow, call Cubby Hoover at 479-2655860, email him at cubbersons@gmail. com or visit the Cubberson’s Traditional Archery page on Facebook. n

The D&R Railroad

T

here is an old proverb, attributed to the Greek philosopher Plato, which states “Necessity is the mother of invention.” This was the case for Dennis Rayon, of Monett, and Tom DeGeere, of Springfield, who decided to build a new railroad display that would be quicker and easier to set up than the one they were already using. The result was the D&R Railroad, a G-Scale Railroad display that depicts a turn-of-the-century mountain mining village.

Dennis explained the circumstances which got the two of them started on the display.

“Tom and I both love model railroading, but more than that, we love to build things,” Dennis said, “and we belong to a club that has another trailer, except it is very time consuming and difficult to set up, and we wanted to build one that was simpler to set up.”

G-Scale Railroad project turns into big production

Story by Steve Chapman | Photos courtesy of D&R Railroad

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 35

The two of them began working on their own display in February of 2020. At the time, Tom, who was retired, worked on the display full-time, while Dennis, who owns Denray Machine in Mt. Vernon, divided his time between working on the display and his business. A month later, however, the pandemic hit Missouri, and Dennis found himself with some extra time on his hands, enabling him to

36 | January 2024

put more hours into the project.

“COVID hit,” he said. “(It) shut my business down, (and) that enabled me to (work on the railroad) full time.”

Dennis said that he and Tom put up to nine hours a day, five days a week, building the display.

“We’ve got about 1,800 hours in this,” he said. “That’s not counting 3D printing time.”

To make the various parts for the display, Dennis said, he would draw out the components he wanted for the display, and then print them out on a 3D printer.

“I (drew) all that in the evening,” he said. “I had two 3D printers running probably 10 to 15 hours every day, printing out parts.

“And then I would bring them in, and Tom would paint them.”

Tom and Dennis completed work on the D&R Railroad midway through August of 2020, about six months after they began working on it. The finished product had 256 figures of people and animals, 56 LED lights, dozens of structures built from hundreds of 3D printed components, three model trains operating on the display simultaneously and sounds of a mine, a saloon and a hillbilly band. To simulate grass, they took 200 paintbrushes and cut the bristles off of them, painted them different colors and placed them on the display.

Dennis said that, unlike the display he and Tom worked with previously, the D&R Railroad can be easily set up or put away as needed.

“Within two or three minutes, we can be completely shut down,” he said.

“The other trailer usually took three guys almost two hours to set up. So you wouldn’t set it up easily, and you didn’t set it up very much.”

Additionally, Dennis said, the display can be altered if they want to give viewers something new to look at.

For example, they recently made a fall scene.

“We (added) pumpkins and apples and apple butter for sale,” he said, “and all these little … selling stands (are set up) where people are selling their apple butters and stuff. This gives (people) something new to see.”

Photos by Steven Chapman

The D&R Railroad has been displayed at a large number of functions, including Steam-O-Rama, the National Garden Railroad Convention in Nashville, a regional convention in Des Moines, and many more. Wherever it goes, Dennis said, the D&R Railroad attracts a lot of attention.

“People (are always) oohing and aahing,” he said, “and they’re saying that this is the most fascinating thing that they’ve ever seen. We’ll go to a train show, and people will say, ‘Wow, this is worth the cost of admission by itself.’”

Sometimes, people will spend hours looking at the display.

“We had one young man at (SteamO-Rama) (who) spent a total of two and a half hours there,” Dennis said, “and his mom was there with him the whole time. And we got (to) talking to her, and she said, ‘This is his main attraction. He wants to come (here) to see you guys.’

And we’ve gone to the Miller Fall Festival, and… (the) parents tell us

that the kids say, ‘I just want to go see the train; that’s all I want to see, and here we are. And just as soon as we’re done here, we’re going home.’ And you know, that’s fine. I mean… we’re not trying to be the only place that they see, but it’s always nice to hear that we are a… desired attraction to see that people will spend hours looking at (the railroad).”

For more information on the D&R Railroad, including future display dates and locations, visit their page on Facebook. To request an appearance by the D&R Railroad at a function, call or text Tom DeGeere at 417-860-7145, or Dennis Rayon at 417-849-0598. They can also be reached by email at tomdegeere47@gmail.com or denray4046@ yahoo.com. n

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 37

CUTEST PET

January 2024 contest winner

Porkchop is a Corgi and the fur baby of Brooke Cox of Pierce City

Porkchop Email your pet’s photo to: monettcommunity@gmail.com If you think your furry or feathered friend is the cutest in the area, let us know! We invite you to share a photo of your pet to be featured in Connection’s Cutest Pet contest. Photos should be sent in the original JPG format at the highest resolution possible.

Remember to include your pet’s name, city of residence and your contact information.

38 | January 2024

RESCUED, MY FAVORITE BREED

Heatworm treatments help preserve life

by Christa Stout

A Little More to Go On Towards the latter part of September, and before Muffin, I was doing some short-term fostering for dogs that needed a temporary home before going to a rescue or shelter.

That was the case with Kevin, a Border Collie who was blind. He stayed at my house a few days and during that time learned the house, steps, who Rudi was and especially the long walks around the yard.

He was a loving dog, extremely smart and deserving of a good home. He was on his way to a good home when he was diagnosed with heart worms, but he was still accepted by MoKan Border Collie Rescue, and he even got an airplane ride to their facility. I will let Kim, intake coordinator at MoKan tell the rest of his sad story: “I posted this on our rescue page, but decided to share it here as well.

Maybe Kevin’s story will educate even one person on the importance of heart worm prevention and potentially save another dog from his fate.

We, and other rescues, often get criticized when we turn down adoption applicants because they don’t use heart worm preventative.

Let me tell you why we are insistent about this, and why lack of heart worm preventative usage is not consistent with responsible dog ownership.

This is Kevin. Kevin had a really crappy start to his life. He was

found discarded at a storage facility, emaciated and full of ticks. Blind, starving and scared, he also tested positive for heart worms.

failure, having to be hospitalized away from his foster family at the emergency vet clinic.

When he was well enough, Kevin started his heart worm treatment which consisted of a series of three intramuscular injections into his back muscles that kills the adult worms in his heart. Sadly, he had a lot of those, dogs feel like crap during their painful heart worm treatment and Kevin was no exception. He rallied though, and was a fighter.

This morning we received the dreaded and heartbreaking phone call that he had gone into cardiac arrest. Kevin did not survive. It’s likely he had so much damage to his heart from the high load of heart worms that he just could not recover. He may also have had pieces of the dead and dying heart worms dislodge and go to his lungs, making it much more difficult for his heart to pump blood.

Kevin completed his series of shots two weeks ago, and we all breathed a tentative sigh of relief that he was through the worst. But soon afterwards, he developed a cough. Last night, he went into fulminant heart

Kevin died of a preventable disease.

Kevin went through hell because somebody didn’t love him enough to take care of him and provide basic veterinary care. Kevin was loved and cherished by his foster family.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 39

Winter Can Be Dangerous

At Ken’s, it’s all about the details

You know Ken’s Collision as The Area’s Finest Collision Repair and Glass Facility, and now Ken’s is proud to offer Professional Auto and Truck Detailing. Our experts bring back that New Car Feeling inside and out, cleaning and polishing your vehicle with the same attention to detail that we give every carwill andTow truckyour we Vehicle, repair. Assess Ken’s Collision Center another we work for you, the Collision and theJust Damage, andway Provide the area Finest customer, make surecar your car with is fixed Glass Repair.toWe fix your right the Right Parts to right, Specifications to Factory Specifications the Factory

by Trainedwith Technicians. by highly trained technicians.

Weright helpparts, you deal with the Insurance Company and assist you through theCollision Claims Process you Excellent Ken’s Centerproviding – Customer Quote Completion when it’sService time tofrom focus on tothe details!

712 W. 10th St., Cassville, MO 65625 • 417-847-1200

www.kenscollisioncenter.com

Happy New Year From Our Family To Your Family!

1304 Bond Street, Monett, MO. 65708

(417) 235-6311 www.DougsProLube.com Leave the safety and reliability of your car to us.

40 | January 2024

He was on his way to a life of love, adoration, fun, security and toys.

All the toys. That was stolen from him because someone didn’t love him enough before. We loved him, and boy did his foster mom love him. I cried with her this morning when she got the news. She is grieving for him and will never forget this affectionate, funny, blind little dog.

We won’t forget Kevin either. And we hope you never forget him and his story. Check to be sure your dogs are on heart worm preventative every single month. Not just in the summer, every month. There’s even a once a year shot. Go check now. Call your vet tomorrow. It could save your pet’s life.

We love you, Kevin. See you at the bridge some day.”

I am sitting here crying while I type these words. Thank you Kim for letting us share. I promise we will not forget you, Kevin. And I hope every one of our readers will not forget Kevin and make sure their dog receives important basic care. An annual vet visit, heart worm preventative, flea and tick treatment and vet recommended vaccinations, as well as spay/neuter service.

If you need a little help, contact a rescue, shelter or pound – they are more than willing to give you some suggestions, but don’t abandon a pet or abuse it by not providing care. Make 2024 a happy and healthy year for all pets!

Here is MoKan’s information, if you would like to help out or leave them an encouraging word: Go to the MoKan official website

Advertiser Index

AireServ............................................ 8 Aurora Motor and Machine.......13 Barry County Farm Bureau........21 Barry Lawrence Regional Library... ..................................................... 3 Bruner Pharmacy..........................13 Circle M Meats............................... 8 Clark Community Mental Health... ..................................................... 2 CoxHealth......................................44 Doug’s Pro Lube...........................40 Edward Jones.................................. 5 First Christian Church.................21 First State Bank............................43 Fohn Funeral Home.....................26 Four Seasons Real Estate...........21 Four States Stockyards...............34 Freedom Bank...............................18 Friendly Tire...................................21 Hornors Frame and Collision.....12 Ken’s Collision...............................40 Lackey Body Works.....................41

Expand Your Options, Increase Your Business!

A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE OZARKS

Lil Boom Town Event Center.....20 My Best Friends Closet...............20 Ozark Methodist Manor.............18 Paladin Law...................................12 Peppers & Co................................10 Quick Draw Gun...........................34 Rusty Gate Flea Market................ 6

Marion Chrysler

Security Bank.................................. 6

Monettadvertising@gmail.com

Shelter Insurance.........................43

Cell: 479-244-7082 • Office: 417-235-3135 ext 108 Fax: 417-235-8852

Spears Dental................................10

Let me...

Generate campaign ideas and strategies

Tomblin Jewlery............................10 Trogdon Marshall.........................41 VisionHealth..................................26 White’s Insurance........................13

Target your audience

$40 A YEAR

Call me and ask about our special pricing on advertising in the Connection Magazine

Subscribe.

Call today!

Marketing, Advertising & Online Media Specialist

417-235-3135

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 41

PARTING SHOT

Lake Lucerne, Rutli, Switzerland | Photo by Pete Rauch

“Color is simply energy, energy made visible.

Colors stimulate or inhibit the functioning of different parts of our body.

Treatment with the appropriate color can restore balance and normal functioning.”

- Laurie Buchanan, PhD

42 | January 2024

Merry Christmas

Start your new year with a new insurance plan for you and your family. Your Shelter Insurance® Agent can help you get organized for a fresh start! Call today!

A A parade, parade, an an event, event, a a festival, festival, a a fair fair – – when when we we gather gather together, together, Shelter Shelter is is proud proud to to be be there. there. .ereht eb ot duorp si retlehS ,rehtegot rehtag ew nehw – riaf a ,lavitsef a ,tneve na ,edarap A namlhoR yblehS teertS yawdaorB .E 225 80756 OM ,ttenoM 9326-532-714 moc.ecnarusnIretlehS@namlhoRS

Grant Baker Grant Baker 101 tE. dnOlive arB ydnA 101 E. Olive Aurora, 0Aurora, 6 ywH SMO U E 558 MO 417-678-5404 OM ,ttenoM 417-678-5404 GBaker@ShelterInsurance.com

GBaker@ShelterInsurance.com 3065-532-714 moc.ecnarusnIretlehS@tdnarBA

Chris Hammen Chris Hammen 106aneCortney mmaH sLn irhC 106a Cortney Ln Crane, nL yeMO ntroC a601 Crane, MO 417-723-5394 OM ,enarC 417-723-5394

Chammen@ShelterInsurance.com 4935-327-714 Chammen@ShelterInsurance.com

moc.ecnarusnIretlehS@nemmahC

Andy Brandt Andy Brandt 855 EreUS 60 kaBHwy tnarG 855 E US Hwy 60 Monett, MO evilO .E 101 Monett, MO 417-235-5603 OM ,aroruA 417-235-5603 ABrandt@ShelterInsurance.com

ABrandt@ShelterInsurance.com 4045-876-714 moc.ecnarusnIretlehS@rekaBG

Shelby Rohlman Shelby Rohlman 522 E. Broadway Street 522 E. Broadway Street Monett, MO 65708 Monett, MO 65708 417-235-6239 417-235-6239 SRohlman@ShelterInsurance.com SRohlman@ShelterInsurance.com

We’re We’re your your Shield.

Shield. We’re We’re your your Shelter.

Shelter.

.retlehS ruoy er’eW .dleihSShelterInsurance.com ruoy er’eW ShelterInsurance.com moc.ecnarusnIretlehS

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 43

LET COMPASSION DRIVE YOU. Health care is more than science and medicine. It’s compassion for others. At CoxHealth, positions are open now, and we’re looking for all kinds of skills and talents to bring the best care to the Ozarks. So if you believe in the power of a kind word and a helping hand, we’ve got a job for you.

coxhealth.com/careers