Connection November 2022

YOU’RE INVITED TO VISIT THE FUTURE.

THE NEW MONETT LIBRARY is the FLAGSHIP facility that will lead the way into the Future of the entire Library District. Starting November 14th, you can see this fantastic new library branch.

THIS LIBRARY INCORPORATES FRESH IDEAS with spaces tailored to modern programs and better ways of serving our community. Drive-through services, inspiration kitchen, and an innovative Children’s Library space are only a few examples of the unique features of this incredible building.

IN THE FUTURE, we will strive to bring the same excellence embodied in this new facility to every branch of the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library.

STARTING NOVEMBER 14TH, Monday - Saturday, from 8:30 to 5:30.Located at 2200 Park St. on the corner of Park St. and Old Airport Rd. You can also visit the project online at blrlibrary.com/new-monett-library or scan the QR code below. blrlibrary.com/new-monett-library

Forever Embedded in My Mind

Happy November to each and everyone of you! This column may be different for this particu lar month, as we usually begin thinking about the upcoming holidays, what we will cook for our huge Thanksgiving feast and most of all being thankful. As I was trying to think about what I could write about with out being repetitive, I was thinking about what events affected me either as a child or adult and immediately one thing in particular popped out of my memory banks that happened in November.

I was seven years old and really did not have a care in the world except for the upcoming food that would be served at my Grandma Atwell’s house on Thanksgiving and making up my mind as to what I wanted from Santa Claus for Christmas. Oh, and of course, when Christmas vacation would begin.

Now I am sure all of you realize this, but basically I was much too young to care about politics, I was not a Democrat or Republican, but I will admit that I thought President John F. Kennedy was a very handsome man and had charisma. So in saying that, I definitely knew who he was and when he would come on television he would catch my attention.

November 22, 1963 began like any other school day. Whining about getting out of a nice warm bed, what mom was serving me for breakfast and another day of school. It was a few years ago so I am not sure about the details or in what order they played out during my sevenyear-old day, but I know it is a day that has been burned into my memory banks.

It was announced that the President of the United States had been shot. I cannot remember if we were in formed at that time if he had died but of course later in the day I know I found out, how I cannot tell you.

The bottom line was that our 35th president of the United States, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the youngest president to this day, was shot during a

motorcade drive through downtown Dallas, Texas.

Earlier in November the president felt the importance of winning Florida and Texas and made plans to visit both states in the following two weeks. Mrs. Kennedy would accompany him on the swing through Texas. On Nov. 21, the president and first lady departed on Air Force One for the two-day, five-city tour of Texas.

On Nov. 22, 1963 the procession left the airport in Dallas, Texas and traveled along a route that would go through downtown Dallas on the way to the Trade Mart where the president was scheduled to speak at a lun cheon. I personally remember watching our black and white television when the news would show recordings of the crowds of excited people who lined the streets to get a glimpse of the Kennedys and wave to them. I believe they were known as the couple from Camelot. There were so many people that it reminded me of the Macy Day pa rade. Probably because of the time of the year as well.

The car turned off Main Street at Dealey Plaza around 12:30 p.m. As it was passing the Texas School Book De pository, gunfire suddenly reverberated in the plaza. Bul lets struck the president’s neck and head and he slumped over toward Mrs. Kennedy. The car sped off to Parkland Memorial Hospital located just a few minutes away but little could be done for the president and at 1 p.m. John F. Kennedy was pronounced dead.

At 2:38 in a brief ceremony that took place on Air Force One, Lyndon B. Johnson took the oath of office and became our 36th United States president.

Also Lee Harvey Oswald was taken into custody and was being held for the assassination of President Kenne dy. Oswald was shot and killed the following day by Jack Ruby.

Lisa Craft is Regional Advertising Director of Connection Magazine, The Monett Times and Cassville Democrat.

She can be reached at lcraft@cherryroad.com

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Connection is a publication of the Cassville Democrat, The Monett Times and CherryRoad Media.

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Happy Thanksgiving

A lot happened in a two-day time period. When I ar rived home after school on Nov. 22 I watched the news intensely. I was devastated by the death and what was happening so I finally sat down at my redwood student desk that I had at home, found a Steno pad that held green pages at that time and began to write.

I wrote a seven-page letter of condolence to Jacqueline Kennedy. I wish now I would have thought to copy it. My parents made sure that it was mailed but I am sure they felt that she would never read it.

The days went on, as always, and life continued to calm a bit (maybe) and get back to normal. One day when I got home from school I was greeted by the news that I had received mail. I had received a card from Jac queline Kennedy. It was not a hand written note but it was in her handwriting and signed. I was so excited that she acknowledged me and at that time in my life you could not have convinced me that she had not read my letter. In my mind, she read every word.

This may not be a normal November column, but just like September 11, this event makes November stand out to me.

The staff of Connection Magazine wish all a very hap py Thanksgiving. We are very thankful for your com ments, your readership, your ideas and your continued loyalty!

Craft

Advertising Director,

Rejoice

Find your thankfulness this Thankgiving season with the friends and family that matter to most. Then, say grace, and take a page from the reflections of our Thanksgiving feature.

Read more on page 9.

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

Magazine?

THANKFUL NOVEMEBER

we find ourselves gathering around

around the country, it is wise to stop

what should we be

MONETT MEMORY LANE

a

through the past with

Mary Spivy’s

hand

NATIVE PLANT RENAISSANCE

the

of

STORY: KEEPING SECRETS

four

Lisenby

behind the badge with the hard working

men and women of Monett Police Depart ment in a ride-along exclusive

SAVVY SHOPPERS SHOP CROSSLINES

local thrift store has a way of giving back

community that keeps shoppers returning

another spin down the aisles

STS OUTDOORS IN CASSVILLE

Goade brings his business back to his roots

in time to help hunters get their next shot

game for the freezer

Kathleen Farrally, of Monett, has created a quiet haven in her backyard, filled with native Missouri plants and trees, along with walkways, secluded niches for sipping her morning coffee and enjoying a frequent Monarch visitor to her garden.

What Are You Thankful For?

Thanksgiving looks different in every home. Some families travel, whereas some families invite their family to their home. Some families spend hours cooking a turkey, sweet potato casse role, green bean casserole, rolls, gravy, and pumpkin pies, while some families have a less traditional meal.

However, one thing most of these families have in common is to gather around those close to them and be thankful.

A Thanksgiving tradition is often to go around the table and say what you are thankful for. Kids might be thank ful for their gaming systems, moms might be thankful the turkey didn’t burn, and dads might be thankful their favorite team is winning the football game.

As I said before, every home and family is different, and right now, I am thankful that I spent an afternoon at the Cassville Senior Center gathering some of those stories for you.

by Jordan Troutman

Gather ‘round the Table

A mother and daughter duo from Seligman talked about the staple item in their home that brings people together and brings out talks of every nature — the kitchen table.

Dot Karrick is 91 years old, and her daughter, Sandy Simmons, is 58.

The two have lived in Seligman for four years after moving from Florida.

Dot said they moved to the area because she had a brother and sisterin-law living here.

“For Thanksgiving, we usually have about 30 in the house,” she said. “Anyone who wants to come by is welcome. Family or not, if you are hungry, come join us.”

The ladies did say they don’t always have a traditional Thanksgiving spread.

“Last year, we had shrimp and lob ster,” Sandy said. “One year, we had prime rib.”

Dot said if they have a traditional meal, she gets the biggest turkey she can find.

“Every year, we mix it up a little,” she said. “Some of my favorite sides are sweet potato and green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, and the rolls.”

However, for dessert, Dot makes her famous fruit cake.

“I don’t usually like fruit cake,” San dy said. “But her fruit cake is so good.”

Dot also makes pumpkin crisps in place of the traditional pumpkin pie.

“We always watched the Macy’s Day Parade and the football game,” Sandy said. “We are Bucks and Gators fans.”

No matter what the holiday celebra tions are, one thing stays the same, the kitchen table.

“We always decorate it so beauti fully,” Sandy said. “It always has nice linens on it.”

For Dot, her round kitchen table is a prized possession both physically and emotionally.

“We have been sitting around that round table for more than 60 years,” Dot said. “If my table could talk, there would be so many stories. Many people have sat at that table, and there have been many confessions through the years.”

Dot said that her table is something everyone wants after she passes away.

“I got the table from a woman who said it was an antique,” she said. “That was in 1962. I refinished it, and it has looked the same ever since. We use that table every day.”

Dot raised three children, and San dy raised two children.

“One thing is we always say grace,” Sandy said. “Nobody leaves the house without sitting down and eating some thing.”

“When people come into the house, they go straight to the table,” Dot said. “I have comfortable recliner chairs, but everyone loves the table.”

Honor what matters — God

Sandea and Jim Clay have been married for 20 years. They have lived in Cassville for 12 after moving from Eagle Rock.

Sandea is from Oklahoma; she and Jim are both widows.

“I went to church with his daughter in Oklahoma,” Sandea said. “That is how we came to know each other.”

In 1989 Jim founded the Lighthouse Church in Eagle Rock.

“The last few years, it has just been us for Thanksgiving,” Jim said. “All togeth er, we have ten children, but they live all over the place.”

The couple usually goes to a restau rant to celebrate Thanksgiving.

“We used to set up a large family dinner,” but it’s difficult with everyone all over the place,” Jim said. “Christmas is the same way.

As far as watching football games goes, the family is split.

“One son is a Brady fan, and our daughter-in-law is a KC Chiefs fan,” Jim said. “So you can’t pick a side, or it’s a dog fight.”

Sandea said the big difference be tween now and when the children were young was she doesn’t have the frustra tions of all the cooking — which is nice.

“No matter what the holiday was, our son had to have baked beans,” Sandea said. “He has passed away, but we have had a couple of big dinners since then, and we always have baked beans.”

For Christmas, Sandea says, ‘Christ was born in Bethlehem, and every heart is at Bethlehem when Christ is born within.’

“No matter what holiday or meal you are having, you pray,” Jim said. ‘Wheth er you are at home or out to eat. Our advice for the holidays is to honor God. God is the only thing that matters.”

“Christianity is not a religion; it is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” Sandea said.

Thankful for Family

Robert and Kathy Evans have lived in the area for more than 70 years.

“We usually host Thanksgiving,” Kathy said. “Depending on how many kids and grandkids come, we might have 30, or we might have 70 people at the house.”

Usually, the Evans put out a tradi tional Thanksgiving meal, but this year will be different.

“This year, I am doing a charcuterie board,” Kathy said. “We will proba bly have some traditional side dishes, though, and of course, desserts.”

In the past, most of the recipes were Kathy’s mom’s recipes.

“Unless I tried to do something dif ferent, which she encouraged me not to do,” she said. “As my parents aged, we felt it was time for us to host. We lived next door, so that was easy enough.”

The Evans have six children, 14 grandchildren, and three great-grand children.

“Our advice is to be thankful that everyone is there and healthy,” Kathy said. “Be thankful for your family.

“We will pass the torch on hosting Thanksgiving dinner when we think they are ready for it. A couple of our kids have hosted in the past.” n

“No matter what holiday or meal you are having, you pray. Whether you are at home or out to eat. Our advice for the holidays is to honor God. God is the only thing that matters.”

by Meagan Ruffing

Meagan Ruffing is a freelance parenting journalist living in northwest Arkansas. Visit her on Facebook at writermeaganruffing. Leave her a message and let her know how you ended up saving money. You might just inspire her to try something new!

Ways to Save for the Holidays

As a single mom, I have to get creative with ways to save. Whether you’re a one income household or two, I think saving money is something we all have to do at some point throughout our lives. Recently, I came across a video on TikTok about how to save $5,500 in 100 days. It intrigued me and so I de cided to take the challenge. This challenge prompted me to find other ways to save money before the holidays and since I am at the end of my 100 days, I thought I would share with you how I saved quite a bit of money in a relatively short amount of time.

The Shoebox Method

This is the money saving hack I saw on TikTok that my kids and I had a lot of fun doing together. Grab a shoebox and 100 enve lopes. Label each envelope one thru 100 and mix them up. Pick one envelope a day and put that amount of money inside. At the end of 100 days, you will have saved $5,500. Start now or be proactive and start in August next

year to have a good chunk of change right before the holidays.

In an effort to ‘find’ as much extra money laying around as possible, I sold things around the house on Facebook Marketplace. I also went through my kids’ clothes that were too small and toys they no longer played with and sold them at resale stores. It was fun to see what we could gather up and get out of the house while seeing that money go straight into the shoebox. The kids and I all put our heads together to decide what we wanted to do with the money. I am currently planning a family trip for the four of us and my kids asked for an Oculus Quest 2 (Virtual Reality Headset) to share. Any money leftover is going to pay for our new fence in the backyard. It’s a win-win for all of us.

Turn Your Hobby into Money

Is there something you current ly do that could bring in extra money? I have a friend who does woodworking and picks up extra jobs on the side. He usually has one project going at a time but each project is enough money to make a substantial dent in his savings.

My daughter Hannah, sews. She’s still learning so she takes on little jobs here and there and earns a couple of dollars each time. This isn’t a lot for an adult but for a kid, a couple of dollars adds up and can be the beginning of a great foundation for money man agement.

Do you pet sit? Babysit? Do you clean homes? Maybe you know how to play an instrument or speak another language.

View blog online

Think of something that you may be doing already and let it make money for you. Be careful not to take on too much, as you don’t want your hobby to turn into something you dread.

My bachelor’s degree is in jour nalism and so I write. I’ve been freelance writing for 17 years now and I schedule enough writing pieces and sign enough contracts with publications that I can use that “extra” money for something outside of my main bills.

Are you good at wrapping pres ents? With the holidays coming up, you might consider wrapping other people’s gifts and charging a certain amount per box. The money you earn from that can go towards gifts for your family or a nice holiday meal. Come up with tiered-pricing and have an idea in mind of how much you would like to earn. See if you can hit your goal.

Get a Second Job

If all else fails and you find your self in a situation where you need more money but ideas one and two don’t work out for you, check online and see what your options are. If you currently work fulltime, maybe you pick up a parttime job at night? I have seen some remote jobs still advertised for call centers and medical coding. Point being, there is more than one way to save money and bring in extra income. You might have to be creative. Make it fun and something that doesn’t stress you out. The idea is to get you out of debt (stress-reliever), and have extra money to spend for things you really want to do (stress-reliever). You might be sur prised at how good you feel when you can pay cash for your next big purchase. n

Taitum Sterling Koehler, 9-month-old daughter of Cameron and Kandace Koehler, of Cassville.

Congrats Taitum

Email your child’s photo to: lcraft@cherryroad.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.

Monett Memories with Mary Spivy

Mary Spivy in the Monett Historical Society. She enjoys sharing her memories about life in Monett to preserve our local history.

The St. Joseph’s Grade School Band. Spivy is in the front row, third from the left.

Living memories revive bygone times

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Mary Spivy and was enthralled by her stories of life in Monett. She has seen Monett flourish and seen it struggle.

The daughter of John and Kathleen (O’Neill) Birkenbach, she and her sib lings Sam, John, and Lois experienced living in town and in the country.

Through it all she’s loved the town and its people. Below is her story told the very best way, in her own words.

“I was born in 1928 about two and a half blocks from where I live now. I remember when 9th Street north of Cleveland was a dirt road.

I was born at 1006 9th Street. I at tended first grade at St. Joseph’s Cath olic School. The church was established in 1892, and the Sisters of St. Joseph from Concordia, Kansas established the school in 1895. My mom and dad both went there.

At the school they had four nuns: two were for teaching, one for mu sic, and one housekeeper. We had an all-school band. The sisters made us uniforms. They were cloth capes and garrison caps. The nuns could make something out of nothing and they were very creative.

I remember that I could play “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” As we got a lit tle bit older, the nuns taught us how to twirl, and we had a twirling group. That was when I was almost through grade school.

When I was in the fifth grade, my family moved to the country between Monett and Pierce City.

I attended the country school for one year until in 1939 the Monett School District purchased their first school busses. So, we got to ride the bus back to Monett and go to St. Jo seph’s. Since it was a public school bus, and we were parochial students, we had to pay a dollar per month per child to ride the bus.

The Monett High School and Junior College as Spivy remembers. (right) Spivy graduated from Monett High School in 1946, seen here with her brother.

I experienced the eight-party tele phone line in the country. It was busy all the time. One of my classmates in town and I would get on the phone late in the evening to do some homework. And we got in trouble with my uncle. He lived across the highway from me. He’d say, ‘You girls get off the phone. I gotta make a business call.’ I knew he was calling his girlfriend. We’d get off and make him happy.

We didn’t have playdates back then. We just played with our brothers, sis ters, and neighbors. If we had sidewalk, chalk, and a rock, we’d play hopscotch. We also enjoyed games of tag, board games, checkers, jigsaw puzzles, and Old Maid.

Summer nights in Monett were really something. Everybody went to town on Saturday night. The stores were open. I could visit with friends, and my parents could visit with their friends. Everyone parked on Broadway. It was a big night.

Once the school year was finished, it was time for strawberry picking. There was a lot of strawberry picking. We picked for our grandfather, Dave O’Neill. I was lucky. The first eight years of my life on 9th Street I lived next door to my maternal grandparents. The next eight years of my life, I lived across the road from my paternal grand parents. Eighteen years of living by my grandparents.

When picking strawberries for my grandfather, there were two rules. You picked on your assigned row and you don’t pull them off the stem. You pinch them off with about a ½ inch of stem. Because they’re going to be culled, gone through, packed and iced down. They’re going to go out by rail. And if you don’t have a stem, they don’t stay as nice if you leave a little stem.

I used a six-quart carrier. You didn’t just pick it flat because when you took it to the berry shed, those are dumped

out. And my grandmother would be the one that did ours. We’d take out anything that was unsuitable, so the overflow made up for that. I never did do this, but I know that in some places some of the boys would put a turtle, if they found one, in the bottom of the box and fill it with berries. They’d dump it out and there’s a turtle.

After berry season, after school was out, would be the Jaycee Carnival. It was held between 6th and 7th on Bond, across from the Monett Library. They had games, penny toss, hamburger stand, and merry-go-round. They had a picture booth. You always had your picture taken at the picture booth. You met your friends, and there was just lots of things to do or play.

(above) A group of men at the annual Jaycee’s Carnival. Through her work with the Monett Historical Society, Spivy has identified most of the men in the photo.

When I was in the eighth grade at St. Joseph’s, my cousin Emma was a senior in high school. So, she decided that I should visit high school because I’m go ing from a class of five to a class of 70. She said that you could change class es and get the idea of it because you’re going to be there next year. We decided on December 8 because it was a holy day for us at St. Joseph’s and we were out of school. Well, it didn’t work out because on December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. I went ahead and met her. It was chaos, utter

chaos. The boys were all going to enlist or they were going to be drafted. And the girls were crying because all the boys were going to have to go to war. I didn’t get much out of it that day.

Two years later, when my husband was eighteen, he received his draft no tice his senior year. He got to stay home until after Christmas, then he had to leave. He went to basic training, and came home. And Mr. Camp, who was the superintendent at that time, pre sented him his diploma before he went overseas. That was a procedure they did

At the 1939 Jaycee Carnival, Spivy’s father attached his tractor to the merrygo-round to create a more exciting ride.

(below) Spivy’s 8th grade graduation from St. Joseph’s. Spivy is the first girl graduate from the left.

back then. If you had a fella enlisted or was drafted then their basic training counted towards their credits for gradu ation. He left right after Christmas.

In the war years there was a lot of patriotism, and a lot of sadness and a lot of sacrifices. There was rationing of gas, tires, and so many things. Even nylon hose because they were used for the parachutes. We saved tin foil from our gum wrappers and made balls and turned them in. Later, I found out they were used in the aviation industry.

We had paper drives. Monett High School had no yearbook, or annual, from 1941-1945 to save on paper. We had scrap metal drives, victory gardens. We seldom got letters, but when you got them, you’d get a whole bunch at one time. You didn’t really know what was going on at that present time. There was no technical communication like we do now. All you had was a letter or a telegram, and a telegram would have bad news. You’d either been injured or there’d been a death.

Four of my classmates lost brothers in World War II. One was Betty Erick son. I remember the day she was called out of class. She was a really good friend of mine. Her parents had just gotten word that her brother, Herbert, had been killed in Italy. Bob Hubbard of the Foggy River Boys in Branson was my classmate. He lost his brother Bud. He was a pilot and he was killed in a train ing mission. And then, Helen Harrison lost her brother, James, in the Battle of Coral Sea. And James was a member of the St. Joseph Band when he was in grade school.

Another classmate, Earline, lost her brother Seba at Pearl Harbor. I don’t think they recovered his body.

Football was popular in 1943 and 1944; especially those were the war years. It was someplace to go and everybody went. We had really good teams that played in the Ozark Bowl in Springfield. That was a Big 8 Conference. At that point, Aurora was our big rival.

We always played Aurora on Thanksgiving afternoon. My husband was a player. Floyd Stewart was our teacher. He was a radio announcer and he wrote for the Times. Every game that we had, Floyd would re-play the game in the paper. He gave the play ers names, like Little Leo Costley. My husband was Gentleman Gene Spivy.

We walked everywhere. Nobody had cars. We didn’t have any gas to put in them either. While we were at tending church at St. Lawrence during the war, we had a 1930 Chevrolet sto len while we were in church. And the same time they stole our car, they stole a car from in front of the Methodist Church. And it was the car of my sis ter’s best friend, her family car. Her dad was the manager of the railway.

They never recovered either car. So, we didn’t have transportation. At that time, my dad had three milk routes go ing into Carnation Plant in Mt. Ver non, now it’s Schreiber’s. There were six in my family, and you can’t go very far in the cab of a milk truck, so we just did the best we could. In 1946, the Chevrolet agency got in some cars and we were able to get a car. At that time, he sold his milk route and we moved back into town.

I graduated with the class of 1946, attended Monett Junior College, got a job as a stenographer at the First National Bank, and that was the end of my growing up in Monett. I had a good growing up, a wonderful family and friends, and a great town.” n

by Courtney Middle

Fuel the Best You

There are always so many questions about proper nutrition before, during, and after any physical exercise.

Answers to these questions, how ever, are not so clear. No matter what website you read about nutrition, you will continue to get different answers. This article is meant to clear up some questions and concerns you may have about exercise and proper nutrition.

Most importantly, it is worth not ing that you cannot gain muscle simply by eating more protein. You MUST add resistance training to your workouts to build muscle. This can include weightlifting, resistance bands, or weight ma chines.

It is also important to understand when, what, and how much pro tein you should consume to get the best benefits from a workout. Eating 3-4 hours before a work out is preferred, so you would want to include some protein in your meal along with carbohy drates. The protein will help slow the digestion of carbs so you can use those carbohydrates as ener gy during the workout.

During exercise, it is recommend ed to not consume any protein because it could cause gastro intestinal discomfort. The most crucial period for sufficient pro tein consumption is 15 minutes

to 1 hour post-workout because it will have the greatest effect on protein synthesis to promote the growth of muscle.

The types of protein sources are an important factor to consider when replenishing and repairing muscles. Proteins called “com plete proteins” or “higher quality proteins” will give you the highest protein synthesis because they contain all the essential amino acids.

Amino acids are just broken-down proteins that repair and build muscle. Some examples of complete proteins include eggs, beef, chicken, and dairy products— mostly proteins that come from animal products.

Say YES to carbs! Although carbohydrates get a bad reputa

tion, these are important macro nutrients to consume with your exercise. Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for all necessary bodily functions, as well as an immediate source of energy when exercising. Carbo hydrates are broken down into glucose which is the main source of fuel for your body.

Additionally, glycogen, which is a storage form of glucose, is stored

Your diet is well-rounded when it consists of proteins, carbs, and healthy fats.

Tomblin

in your muscles and is used as a quick source of energy during a short, intense workout. Therefore, consuming different types of carbohydrates through out the day is important for superior workouts.

For 3-4 hours before a workout, carbs like bread, rice, and pasta (if it is mixed with protein) are a good source of fuel. Howev er, if you are eating within 2 hours or less before a workout, simple carbohydrates such as fruit, sports drinks, and energy bars would be a good source of instant energy.

After a workout, remember to eat a variety of carbs to replen ish the muscle glycogen stores. Sports drinks such as Gatorade, Powerade, and Body Armor will also provide a good amount of carbs as well as electrolytes and fluids that were lost during exercise.

Although fat and exercise are not talked about as much as carbs and protein, we must be including healthy fats in our diet as well. Fat is the primary fuel for light to moderate intensity workouts. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the healthier kinds of fats that don’t increase the risk of cardiovas cular disease and decrease your cholesterol. Some examples of healthy fats are avocados, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils (olive, canola, sunflower).

To conclude, it is important that your diet is well-rounded and it consists of proteins, carbs, and healthy fats. Each one of these macronutrients plays an essential role in exercise bene fits, overall health, and recovery. Following a strict diet is never recommended as an athlete, so just make sure your meals are balanced and delicious. n

Multi-colored florals combine with lowgrowing ground cover and other native Missouri plants and trees line the steps and boardwalks of Kathleen Farrally’s back yard, where she has created a peaceful haven along one of Monett’s busiest thoroughfares.

Going Native

Photo by Melonie Roberts

Monettans encourage planting native species

When Kathleen Farrally moved here several years ago, she looked out on her back yard and vowed to make changes.

“I dug up everything,” she said. “The former owner had crisscrossed the back yard with fences, and I took those down to open up the back yard. I started with my Japanese corner, because I was excit ed about Japanese gardens. I got over whelmed with flowers and bushes.

“Then I started switching to wild flowers,” she said. “I lived in Missouri all my life and have always grown wild flowers. The butterflies love the sedum, and the skippers love them. I love the butterflies, honey bees, all of them.”

Then Kathleen ran into Karen Rich ardson at the Monett area YMCA, and they started talking gardens. Karen had

previously worked on the pocket garden across from the Monett Historical Mu seum on Broadway, seeding the space with native plants sure to attract polli nators such as butterflies and bees. The ladies found their mutual interest in dirt to lead to a new friendship, and for Kathleen, a switch from the Japanese

garden to natives.

“During the pandemic, I worked on my downtown garden, which is all na tives,” Karen said. “Kathleen has helped keep it watered throughout the hottest summer months. But the plants are pretty hardy. They are meant for this climate.”

Story by Melonie Roberts

Native gardening enthusiasts

Kathleen Farrally, left, Anna Groskurth and Karen Richardson inspect some of the flowering species in Farrally’s back yard retreat.

Photo by Melonie Roberts

For more details go to the website: MoWildflowers.net

Ann Groskurth lived in Joplin, and went on a wildflower walk at Prairie State Park, where she became en chanted with native Missouri plants.

“I took some native home to Jo plin, and then moved some of those plants to Monett when I moved here,” she said. “It was rainy when I moved here, so I could plant then.”

Ann has also been attending native plant sales, usually hosted by the Mis souri Department of Conservation.

“But Ozark Soil has some really nice natives, too,” she said. “Joplin also has a plant sale.”

The ladies have dug and planted and planned and gone to buy more plants to fill in small niches in their flower beds or to surround a native tree or water feature.

“I have several beds,” Kathleen said. “I’ve planted coneflower, am aranth, butterfly milkweed and my grandma’s chives. I keep a list of all the butterflies I see.”

Karen has hosted Jeff Cantrell, an education consultant with the Mis souri Department of Conservation in

Neosho, to speak at the museum on the benefits of planting native.

“Native plants attract birds, butterflies, dragonflies and bees that help pollinate the plants,” he said. “Just remember, pollinators equals food equals economy.”

In addition to beautifying the yard, native species plants are hardy and drought resistant. With the many va rieties of micro-environments located in southwest Missouri, green thumb enthusiasts have several choices in what kind of natural landscapes to encourage on their own properties.

Nesting cover for wildlife can be provided by adding shrubs or small trees with compact, multi-stemmed branches, or some species that have thorns, according to Cantrell. He recommended haws, dogwoods, haw thorns, elderberries and hazelnut trees as excellent choices.

He also noted that hummingbirds love golden currant trees and birds love the fruit from elderberries, while wild plum attracts songbirds. Thorned species repel snakes and other bird

A frequent visitor to Kathleen Farral ly’s back yard garden is this delicate Monarch butterfly, that enjoys flitting from flower to flower while Farrally sips her morning coffee.

(below) Ann Groskurth, of Monett, has a patch of native Missouri prickly pear, which displays showy large yellow flowers from May to July, then fol lowed by red edible fruits. Groskurth and several other Monettans have formed a group that encourages gar deners to plant native Missouri plants.

Photo by Melonie Roberts

Ann Groskurth, of Monett, has created a backyard haven featuring native Missouri plants, such as this white fringe tree, abloom with long fleecy panicles that release a fragrant scent that lightly perfumes the spring air.

predators a plus for those who are not fond of Mr. No Legs. Better, yet, these are multipurpose plants that don’t need water or fertilizer after they are established in the yard.

Some plants to consider include butterfly milkweed, aromatic aster, sand phlox, yellow coneflower, pur ple poppy mallow and Indian Pink, which are all powerful performers, according to Cantrell. Hummingbirds are attracted to Indian Pink.

To add to the appeal, Cantrell ad vises building three-dimensional gar dens or creating frames and views, and adding resting places.

Karen, who has rescued butterflies for the past five years, said native spe cies are crucial to their survival.

In the meantime, Kathleen contin ues to enjoy her little slice of heaven every day.

“I eat all my meals out here,” she said. “It’s so peaceful and relaxing.”

Richardson plans to host Cantrell again, hopefully in the spring, when gardeners can get an early start on their own little patch of paradise.

For more information, visit www. mowildflowers.net or call Karen at 678-641-6153. The group, just now forming, will meet periodically to plan, dream and, surely, purchase more plants for their living expres sions of art. n

Previously in Keeping Secrets, 15-year-old Paige’s mom, Alice, abruptly returned to her life. Paige learns that Alice is a spy and that her dad has been kidnapped. Working with Alice’s friend, Tom, they locate Piper, the double agent who has turned on Alice. Disguised as a pizza delivery driver, Paige, Alice, and Tom head out to rescue Paige’s dad. Things don’t exactly go as planned…

Keeping Secrets part four

By Annie Lisenby-Smith

Piper Glenn is nothing like what Paige could have imagined. This conniving, double agent should be tall and strong, like a bear. But she’s not that at all. Piper Glenn looks more like a chipmunk. She is petite and perfectly styled from her blonde hair to her stiletto heels.

“Hello, Alice,” Piper says, her voice squeaking like a clarinet with a broken reed.

“Just let us all go, and we’ll walk away from this,” Alice says, her hands up in surrender.

“Tom, you can come out too,” Piper walks to the SUV. “Now, you all know the drill. Anyone have weapons? Just hand them over.”

Climbing out of the back seat, Tom pulls a handgun from his waistband. Alice removes hers from her ankle hol ster. They each pass them to Roberto who shoves them into his suit coat pockets.

“Mom?” Paige asks frozen with her hands at ten and two on the steering wheel.

“Are you kidding me?” Piper opens the front passenger door and smiles at Paige. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Leave her out of this,” Alice scowls.

“You actually brought your 14-year-old daughter to a hostage rescue?” Piper laughs, doubling over dramatically. Behind her, his gun still pointed at the car, Roberto chuck les. “I mean, Alice, I knew you weren’t a real agent, but seriously. This is not bring your kid to work day.”

“I’m not a kid, I’m fifteen,” Paige says opening the driv er’s side door. In response, Roberto swings his pistol to aim at Paige’s chest. At the same time, Piper pulls a gun from behind the waistband of her cream-colored slacks and aims it at Alice. Two more bulky men in dark suits tumble from the doorway also ready to shoot.

“Stop! Everyone, stop!” Alice screams.

Piper holds up a hand, freezing her men with their fin

gers still on their triggers. “Get out of the car,” she com mands Paige. Pushing the ignition button, Paige silences the SUV.

Fumbling to slip the key fob and her phone in her pock et, Paige carefully steps out.

“Hands up,” Piper adds. Paige complies as a cold shiver zips down her spine.

“Can we just put the guns down?” Paige’s voice wavers, matching her shaking hands.

“No!” Piper yells. “We cannot just put our guns down until I get what I want. And, Alice, you know what that is.”

Alice sighs, looking defeated. “Okay, Piper. You win.”

“Well, I knew that already. I’ve been winning all along. Did you really think that you, your kid, and Tech Guy Tom could beat me?” Piper smiles maniacally, like a tiger ready to pounce.

“Actually, they’re calling me Dumbledore now,” Tom says from behind Alice.

“I could care less,” Piper sneers.

A flash of lights breaks down the street, stealing every one’s attention. Frozen in positions, they watch the lights turn down the next street and disappear.

“Boss, we should take this inside,” Roberto says, his gravelly voice void of any emotion.

“Great idea. Let’s take this party inside. That’s where we have our special guest,” Piper waves everyone toward the doorway with her gun. Before stepping inside, she looks over her shoulder and smiles, “And it’s not Santa Claus.” Her cackling laughter echoes as she steps inside.

“Move it,” Roberto nods to Paige and drops his gun. Paige is more than happy to run to her mom’s side. They grasp each other’s hand and clench tight.

As they march inside with Tom on their heels, Paige leans over to Alice. “Is Piper crazy? What was that Santa

Claus thing?”

Alice takes a quick breath, biting her lip. “I don’t know anymore, Paige.”

“Yes,” Tom whispers. “She’s fallen off the deep end.”

“Get inside,” Roberto shoves Tom. He falls into Alice nearly knocking them both to the floor.

Ahead of them, Alice’s voice rings through the vast open industrial building. Stacks of wood palates block their view from seeing across the room lit with sporadically placed hanging single light bulbs. The putrid scent of years of dust and layers of rat urine made Paige’s breath catch. She takes quick breaths trying not to imagine what disgusting germs might be getting into her lungs.

“Wakey-wakey, Mr. Melbourne,” Piper sings making Paige’s heart skip.

“Dad?” Paige calls out. “Dad?”

They follow Roberto around a large stack of discarded boxes and Paige sees him. He’s sitting in a chair, his arms tied behind him, and his head is drooped forward.

“Nathan,” Alice gasps. Paige’s dad lifts his head, squint ing his eyes.

“Dad!” Paige breaks from the others and runs forward, her sneakers slipping on the dusty cement floor. She ignores the screams of “stop” bouncing around her and falls to her knees at Nathan’s feet. “Dad are you okay?”

“Paige?” he looks at her, confusion in his eyes. “What are you doing here?” He blinks like he’s just woken up from a bad dream. Leaning forward, his arms tied behind the chair backstop his motion. Paige can tell that he’s been drugged.

“Stop! I said to stop!” Piper aims her gun at Alice again. Alice stops in her tracks before she can reach Nathan.

“Just let them go!” Alice yells. “I’ll give you whatever you want. Just let my family go.”

“Then do it,” Piper challenges. “Now. Give me the flash drive.”

Paige tears her gaze from her father’s dirt smeared face to her mom. Alice’s expression is strained. She’s still trying to find a way out of this, Paige can tell.

“Mom?” Paige says. “Shouldn’t we just end this now? She’ll let us go if we give it to her.” Paige turns to Piper. “Right? You’ll let us go, all of us, if we give you the flash drive?”

Her eyes softening and a gentle smile filling her face, Piper coos at Paige, “Of course, I will.” A flash of mal ice crosses Piper’s face so quick Paige almost misses it. But it’s there. And Paige knows in a heartbeat that she cannot

trust Piper, not at all. She rubs her hand over the Lego brick necklace with the hidden flash drive. It hangs from her neck, hidden under her t-shirt. She knows what she has to do.

With a side-glance at Alice, Paige stands. “I have it,” she says. “And I’ll give it to you if you promise to let all of us go. Mom, Dad, me, and tech guy Dumbledore too.”

Piper scoffs. “Okay,” she sighs. “Quit drawing this out and let me have it then.”

Trying to remember everything she’s seen on spy and cop movies, Paige wracks her brain for what she should do next. Unfortunately, her dad hadn’t allowed her to watch rated-R movies yet, so most of what she knew about in volved a cop with a dog or a kid with superpowers. That wasn’t helpful here.

“I have it in my pocket,” Paige says taking a deep breath. “I’m going to take it out of my pocket now.”

“Get on with it,” Piper lowers her gun in annoyance.

Lifting her lifeless phone from the pocket of her shorts, Paige holds it out. Piper motions with her chin for Roberto to retrieve the phone. He hurries over and delivers it to Piper.

“Now, untie him,” Paige commands, barely able to hide the quiver of terror in her voice.

“Fine,” Piper says, pushing buttons on the phone. The two guys in suits abandon Alice and Tom and open pock etknives behind Nathan. They quickly saw at the plastic zip ties that bind Nathan’s wrists. As soon as they pop free, Nathan lunges forward, wrapping his arms around Paige. Alice races forward to join their embrace.

They quickly saw at the plastic zip ties that bind Nathan’s wrists. As soon as they pop free, Nathan lunges forward, wrapping his arms around Paige.

Alice races forward to join their embrace.

“Wait a minute,” Piper says, her voice again ringing with annoyance. “This phone is dead.”

“I know,” Paige says, standing quickly. “It only had a lit tle battery left. We met Tom just in time for him to upload the files on my phone.”

Piper gazes around the room, taking in each person try ing to detect if any of them are lying. Her scrutiny makes Paige’s heart race and sweat coat her palms.

“Yeah,” Tom says coming forward. Tension fills the room. Everyone is very close and there are more guns than Paige ever wanted to see her entire life. “She’s right. Alice showed me where it was on the cloud, so I downloaded it to Paige’s phone and purged the cloud data.”

“Come here,” Piper motions to Paige. Legs shaking, Paige crosses the short distance to Piper. “What’s your pass code?”

“Stop playing games with me!” Piper shouts. She kicks a metal trashcan that flies, crashing into a tall stack of pal ates. She zeroes in on Alice, grabbing her by the arm and lifting Alice to meet Piper’s gaze. Their noses are inches apart, and when Piper speaks, her breath blows Alice’s hair back. “Tell me the truth, and tell me now. Where is the data?”

“It’s on the phone,” Alice spurts. A sheen of sweat glis tens across her forehead. “Like Tom said. We put it on the phone.”

Holding her gaze on Alice, Piper studies her. She’s like a dog toying with its prey, drawing out her next move. The others around them wait breathlessly in the silence to see Piper’s next move.

“I might believe her,” Piper points at Paige, “but I do not believe you, Alice.” She shoves Alice back making her collide with Tom. The pair tumbles to the floor.

“Mom!” Paige screams, lunging for Alice, but she’s stopped short when Piper clenches on to her arm. Piper’s sharp fingernails cut into Paige’s skin as she struggles to

“Paige?” Nathan says, still blinking and trying to stand on shaky legs. He falls back to the chair.

“Roberto, evacuate,” Piper commands. In a flash, Ro berto is at her side lifting Paige and throwing her over his

“No, put me down!” Paige screams punching and kick ing, trying helplessly to break from Roberto’s hold. “Mom!

“Paige! No! Stop!” Alice scrambles to her feet. She’s stopped short by Piper’s goons and their guns aimed at her heart. “Stop! You can’t do this!”

Slipping through a side exit, Piper disappears with Ro berto as Paige’s screams fade outside.

“Don’t move,” commands one of the goons. “Or you’ll never see your daughter again.”

“You can’t do this!” Alice screams.

A horn honks outside, and the two goons rush for the side door. Alice is on their heels and breaks into the night air in time to see the doors slam shut on a bulky, black van. Its tires squeal as it speeds down the street. Paige’s screams

“No!” Alice cries. She doubles over, crying. “This can’t

“Alice, we have to go,” Tom says from the doorway where he’s helping Nathan navigate woozy steps.

Her gaze still on the empty street, Alice’s breath is ragged with sobs. “But Paige.”

“She’s gone,” Tom says. “We have to go get her.”

“Paige is gone?” Nathan asks, his voice slurred.

“Let’s get him somewhere safe and then we can make a plan,” Tom says. “Come on, let’s get the car.”

With a final glance at the space where she last saw her daughter, Alice wipes her face and marches past Tom. They work their way back through the warehouse and out to his SUV still stopped on the street. With Nathan buckled in the back seat, Tom and Al ice climb in the front. He moves papers from the center console and digs in the cup holders.

“Do you have the keys?” Tom turns to Alice.

“No, Paige had them,” she replies.

“I think she still has them,” Tom says. “And that means I know exactly how to find her.” A smile of triumph fills his face as Alice’s heart clenches with hope.

“Then,” Nathan says from the back seat, the fog in his eyes starting to clear, “let’s go get our girl.” n

From 5 p.m. to 5 a.m., Day in Day Out

The Night Shift

We’ve all been there at one time or another - whether it was a late-night emer gency, leaving the late shift or an early - morning departure to catch a flight: the streets are empty, the golden glow of streetlights cast an eerie glow at regular intervals and an errant opossum or cat darts across the street.

It doesn’t matter where you’re from, or how big of a community you’re in, late nights and wee hours of the morn ing provide a different prospective. It’s quiet. It’s dark. You’re alone – usually.

While most of us are asleep, com fortable and warm in our beds, nearly every community in the nation has a night watch – the men and women of the police force’s graveyard shift.

Story by Mike Gervais

In Monett, that’s the trio of Skylar Berry, Blake Sperry and Jalynn Horner.

From 5 p.m. to 5 a.m., day in and day out, these three are on the road, patrolling the streets and roads of Monett, responding to emergencies, checking on travelers and keeping us safe.

While Monett may not be consid ered a large city, there are miles upon miles of roadway to patrol, through residential neighborhoods, industrial areas and the local business district.

As a rule, the three officers on night watch keep tabs on each other, noti fying their teammates whenever they conduct a traffic stop or respond to a call for service. You will likely never see a squad car alone in the dark in Monett during a stop.

Skyler Berry, Jalynn Horner and Blake Sperry, from left, make up the Monett Police Department’s night shift.

The weekend before school returned to session this September the weather was just beginning to cool off. As the sun sank low to the horizon, the night shift headed off to work.

While Monett is no stranger to crime, one might be surprised to see the day-to-day activities of local officers - they cruise up and down residential streets with a keen eye for suspicious individuals lurking in the shadows, searching for unlocked cars in residen tial neighborhoods, but only find a few youngsters enjoying one of their last nights off before the school year starts.

While the officers are patrolling the entrances and exits to town to slow down speeding motorists or possibly intoxicated drivers, they make a couple quick warning stops to check on drivers with expired registrations.

But it’s still early. Families are still barbecuing to celebrate the impending end of summer. Maybe later there will be some action.

At one point, as I cruised the streets with Skyler, he explained that he tries to keep tabs on all reports of vehicle breakins, so he knows which neighborhoods to pay special attention to in the wee hours of the morning.

Just then, an older gentleman ap pears on a sidewalk with a hand in the air. “Is he flagging us down?” I ask.

“No, you know if they’re trying to get your attention. A lot of people just wave at us. They’re friendly,” he said.

As we head to the west side of town, crossing 37 on Cleveland, I spy a kid, maybe in third or fourth grade, riding a scooter down the highway. I consid er asking if that’s OK, but decide Bar ry knows what he’s doing, and it’s best if I don’t interfere. Before I finish the thought, he sweeps onto a side road, an other left turn and another and we pull up behind the youngster as he scoots his way into a gas station parking lot.

Skyler rolls down his window. “Hey

Above, officer Blake Sperry tests a small amount that was recovered from a resident arrested on a warrant.

buddy,” he says with a tone reserved for young kids. “If you want to skate, that’s OK, but not on the highway there. It’s just too busy.”

“Yes sir. Thank you,” and off he goes down a side street.

The mean streets of Monett, indeed.

Berry, Sperry and Horner are each a bit younger than one might think. In their 20s, for sure, but some questions you don’t ask. Berry and Sperry joined the Monett Police Force a little more than a year ago. Horner, the senior of ficer on shift, is a decorated shift leader who has been credited with a number of daring arrests, and last year received a commendation from Chief George Daoud for saving the life of a local over dose victim.

When asked if they work the night shift on patrol because they’re the new est officers in the department, each re sponded that might be true, but each also said they enjoy the shift, and the crew they work with.

As the sun sets, we’re listening to the

chatter on the police radio as we patrol the streets. We make a stop for expired registration. I sit and observe from the patrol car as Barry talks with the driver. He comes back and explains the mo torist is heading home from work and simply had forgotten to pay the regis tration. “I think he’s telling the truth,” he says. “He looks like he just finished work, it looks like he’s taking his dinner home, and he’s going the right direc tion. We’ll just give him a warning.

Next we stop to assist Jalynn as she speaks with the driver of a vehicle with no tags. As we arrive, she tells Berry that the subject seems a little nervous. He chats with the subject as she runs his information and looks up the vehicle identification numbers. Soon enough, he’s sent on his way, and we’re back on the road.

As night settles in proper we spot another set of expired tags. As Skyler runs the information through his in-car computer, a long list appears. “See?” he says. “She’s been stopped several times

Any time the police department recovers a substance believed to be methamphetamine, they conduct a chemical test to verify.

in the last few weeks for these tags. But she keeps driving. You can only give someone so many chances.” That motorist received a citation.

Then I get passed off to Sperry to spend a couple hours with him. His patrol car is a little newer, and he has a ra dio that catches law enforcement chat ter from across the region. He said he likes this radio because it allows him to keep tabs on situations outside of Mon ett, and he can typically tell if he’s going to get called in for a mutual aid response before dispatch makes that call.

It also gives him a sense of what’s happening in nearby communities, if something is happening.

As Blake explained the two different patrol routes — he covers the east side of town and Skyler patrols the west, with Horner floating in-between — we get the call that Horner has made a traf fic stop and we pull up to assist.

When most of us think of intoxicat ed drivers, our minds conjure images of young party animals making poor decisions, or someone in the grips of addiction. But sometimes it’s not as ne farious. We encountered a resident who takes prescription medication that pro

hibits the operation of a motor vehicle. The driver was cordial, polite and apol ogetic. They recognized that they had blown right through a stop sign. Horner knows the subject from a previous in fraction - similar in nature - and the two have an interesting relationship.

The officer is unapologetic as she cuffs the subject for transport to the hospital for a blood draw, but there is also no judgment. She uses the driver’s first name, helps them in and out of the vehicle, and steadies them as they walk to the hospital. As the Phlebotomist at tempts to draw blood, Horner conducts her interview about the incident with the subject, distracting them as the nee dle goes into their arm.

As an outsider, it’s an interesting re lationship. Despite what we may see on television, there is no animosity here on either side. Even while being placed un der arrest, everyone is surprisingly nice to one another.

And that carries on. As the subject is booked, Horner goes to great lengths to contact a family member to ensure her charge goes home safely and can continue taking their prescribed medi cation, rather than having to spend the

Police work isn’t always fast car chases and foot pursuits. It’s also a lot of police work. Before each shift, officers sign in on their laptops, check their systems, and often re view the activities of the day shift to see if there are any particular areas of concern before they hit the road.

For some it all seems so routine, but for an out side observer, there’s a relationship that exists in the room that you might not expect.

Mettlach

night in jail. She even sends another offi cer to a relative’s home when phone calls don’t work to make sure a ride is available.

While I accompanied Horner to the hospital, Sperry and Berry got a call of a subject attempting to break into a home. Horner explained that the department has what they call “frequent fliers,” peo ple who aren’t necessarily “bad guys,” but who have frequent encounters with law enforcement.

This particular individual is an admit ted addict and has had troubles in the past. When the officers made contact, she admitted to having meth in her posses sion, and a run of her name turned up an arrest warrant.

She was taken to the police station without further incident, then began the long booking process, including finger printing, mug shots, and inventory of her possessions and a test of the narcotics she disclosed to be sure it was indeed meth amphetamine.

Once again I’m taken aback by the pro cess. There doesn’t seem to be any anger in the processing room in the jail. All three officers are there, along with two subjects. Everyone is polite and cordial. The officers laugh at the subjects’ jokes. For some it all seems so routine, but for an outside observer, there’s a relationship that exists in the room that you might not expect.

“It’s not always like this,” Sperry says when I ask. “Sometimes, I’m sure you know, people aren’t this nice.”

Taking a ride with Monett Police De partment’s night shift isn’t what I thought it would be. I’m not sure what I expectedbut what I learned is that the officers parol ing our neighborhoods from sundown to sunup may encounter some strange activ ities, but they’re out there each night with the community’s best interest at heart. When they stop you, it’s not because they want to, it’s their job. With a little respect and kindness from both sides, each stop can be a pretty painless experience that makes our community a little safer. n

Helping Budgets Balance

Looking to dress up an outfit with a statement accessory? Crosslines has a variety of cos tume jewelry items that can be used to pull together an evening ensemble or be worn with casual attire for a finished look.

For those looking for a bargain on household items, gently used clothing or furniture to set up a college dorm room, Crosslines of Monett may just have what you’re looking for.

The store accepts a variety of knick knacks, decor, books, costume jewelry and other items as well, rounding out an abundance of items one can browse at their leisure between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Fri day.

For those feeling an economic pinch, there is rent and utility assis tance.

“We work with landlords and utili ty offices,” King said. “There is a limit to the amount each family can receive each year, but in most cases, where utilities have been shut off, they can be restored within a few hours. This program can also help with water and electric deposits.”

Crosslines of Monett is more than a thrift store

While shoppers may walk away with a bargain, proceeds from thrift store sales are funneled back into the com munity in numerous ways.

“We are a not-for-profit organization that has operated in Monett for more than 50 years,” said MaLinda King, director. “We serve families living in Monett, Purdy, Pierce City, Freistatt and Verona through a variety of assis tance programs.”

photos by Melonie Roberts

The food pantry may be what the organization is most known for, offer ing not only shelf-stable items there at the store, but diapers, formula, toilet ries, personal hygiene items, soap and other necessities.

“We also offer food vouchers to Price Cutter for perishable items, such as meat, milk and eggs,” she said. “We also have bags of food and necessities for the homeless in our area.”

Clothing and household items ben efit others in more ways than one.

Proceeds from the sale go back into the community and used to aid those in need through a variety of community outreach programs.

“Some people shop here for affordable clothing and household items,” King said. “But we offer clothing vouch ers to those in our community who may need clothing, and household vouchers for families that are just starting out or who have lost everything in a catastroph ic event, such as a fire.”

Those who require steel toed boots or shoes for starting a job can bring paper work from their employer stating when the individual is due to start and the need for reinforced footwear.

When winter winds blow cold, or summer’s sweltering heat proves difficult to manage, the organization offers heat ers and fans for community members without adequate HVAC in their homes.

“We can help with gasoline for those starting a new job or having medical appointments out of town,” King said. “We also offer assistance for those needing medication refills, new prescriptions, or for getting needed medications before being dismissed from the hospital.”

They cannot assist with pain manage ment medications or narcotics.

Foster families in the area are eligible to receive free clothing, diapers, personal care items or other items when they take a new foster child into their home.

In addition, Crosslines hosts a num ber of special events throughout the year, including Easter baskets containing food for a holiday meal, as well as supplemen tal food for other meals. When available, volunteers pack eggs and dye kits in with the baskets as well as other items to make them special.

Each year, volunteers pack back-toschool items in back packs according to grade level at various public schools.

“Students also receive a clothing voucher, and older students receive personal hygiene bags with personal care items,” King said. “This year, we were able to hand out a new pair of shoes to each student returning to class.”

In late October when temperatures start to drop, workers hand out hats and gloves to each child trick-or-treat

er who goes into the store, along with candy.

Perhaps the best known programs to the community are the annual Thanks giving and Christmas food baskets, and the adopt a family program for holiday gifts.

“We work with area schools to make sure the same family is not adopted twice,” King said. “Children who are not adopted will still receive gifts for Christmas. We get the children’s wish list, and when someone adopts those children, they shop and return the gifts here, and we call the families to pick them up.”

The holidays are perhaps the most hectic time for King and a host of vol unteers who help prepare the baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“Last year, we distributed 500 box es,” King said. “Our most pressing need at this time is shelf-stable items to pack those holiday baskets for families in need. Boxed items, canned goods, pasta and sauces are always welcome.

Crystal Erter, left, and MaLinda King, director of Crosslines of Monett, admire the detail of a Seth Thom as mantle clock that was recently donated to the organization. Gently used clothing, household items and furniture are donated to Crosslines by community members, and resold to others looking for a bargain.

Instant oatmeal or pancake mix and syrup, and fresh fruit and produce are also included in each basket. We give families Price Cutter vouchers for perishable items.

“We are so busy collecting donations and organizing the adoption of children in need of holiday gifts, that after Christ mas, I usually need a couple of days va cation,” she laughed. “We also make holiday bags for the homeless that we dis tribute through a liaison who works with them. We generally pack peanut butter, tuna, hats, gloves, socks and a Christmas treat.”

But then it’s back to work, when Janu ary rolls around and donations start slow ing down.

“That is when we usually see a rise in the number of people needing assistance, post-holiday. There are a lot of extra de mands on individuals at the holidays, and they see the shortfall in January and well into February. Donations of items for the store also drop off, and it is difficult to maintain funding.”

Stacey Ray, foreground, and Kari Crouch head from the front of the thrift store to the back room to sort the latest donations to Crosslines in Monett.

Need crutches? A cane? a walker? Crosslines of Monett carries a limited supply of mobility aids for those feeling the aches of arthritis or the botheration of broken bones. Most are adjustable to the needs of the customer.

Gently used clothing is offered at Crosslines for a bargain price. Everything you need to outfit men, women and children can be found in the thrift store, located a 510 E. Cleveland In Monett.

King said many area churches and industries help toward the holiday ef fort by hosting food drives.

“We sort and count the food so we know what we will need to order before we put the food basket together,” she said. ‘Last year, we only had to purchase a few items as the community stepped up to help us fill those boxes. We pack them out a couple of days before the distribution, with the help of the Purdy AmeriCorps Reading Coaches and oth er volunteers.”

Sign-ups for holiday baskets begins the first week of November. Those who wish to sign up will need to bring their identification and a current utility bill. Recipients will be asked to fill out an application listing information such as household income and the number of people living in the home.

Along with that information, a sepa rate sheet is used to sign children up for Christmas gifts. Individuals will need to provide Social Security cards or guard ianship papers for each child.

Monett is a town that cares for, and takes care of its own.

“I love that over the past couple of years, families who received gifts in the past have returned to adopt other fami lies as a way of giving back,” King said. “We are lucky to live in such a generous community.” n

Joe Goade, owner of STS Outdoor Guns & Archery in Cassville, with his son Michael Goade, left, and Ed Carothers, manager, right, is happy to be back in business in Cassville.

Joe Goade, owner of STS Outdoor Guns & Archery, is a Bowtech dealer and has merchandise from Diamond and Bear Archery.

Explore Hunting Galore

Joe Goade, owner of STS Outdoor Guns & Archery in Cassville, is a businessman and an inventor. Here, he shows his deer harvest using his deer lure that he also invented called KillerXpress.

STS Outdoor Guns & Archery reopens its doors in Cassville

As hunting season is in full swing, many people are looking for the perfect equipment to get their prize kill.

A Cassville man has recently opened the ideal place to find that equipment.

Joe Goade, the owner and operator of STS Outdoor Guns & Archery in Cassville, said on November 15 that he would be open for two months — but this isn’t the first business he has had.

Joe Goade has been in this business for 30 years.

“I’ve had multiple shops in Cassville over the years,” he said. “But, I also had a big store in Tennessee.”

Joe Goade isn’t just a businessman; he is also an inventor.

“I am the patent holder for the STS (Shock Terminator Suppressor) String Stopper which is standard on all bows now,” he said. “But, my first invention was in 1991.”

In the mid-90s, Joe said he was known as the ‘Stabilizer Guy’ in the pro circuit.

“A stabilizer is a tube on the front of the bow,” he said. “Mine, however, had a hydraulic unit that helped absorb the vibration. Most of the others are just weights.”

Joe said the STS String Stopper is a rubber stopper that catches the string’s vibration when it is shot.

“It makes the bow smoother, quieter and faster,” he said.

Joe Goade was born in Monett, then lived in Cassville, and his family has a long history of business ownership in Cassville.

“My grandpa and grandma Dryer owned the old Dryer Shoe Store on the Cassville Square,” he said. “My dad worked for JC Penny and traveled a lot, so growing up, we moved around every six months.

Joe Goade, owner of STS Outdoor Guns & Archery in Cassville, has more than 30 years of experience in the business. His Son, Michael, got a 225-pound hog with a 44-pound bow and one arrow in July 1998, on his 13th birthday.

“When I got out of the military, my mom and dad were back in Cassville and owned the old Rapid Roberts.”

That was 1991; Joe was married and returned to Cassville, where he opened a Bodyworks Gym shop and started doing archery out of the same space.

“I was here until 1998 when we moved to Tennessee,” he said. “In Tennessee, we had two large stores, and the kids were always running around. As they got older, they helped out. People would come in to have arrows built, and I would say, ‘Give them to the girls.’ Their faces were always in shock because they were like 11 years old, but I would say, ‘They have built more arrows than anyone else around.’”

In 2011, Joe Goade moved back to Cassville.

“I moved back to help my dad before he passed,” he said. “I opened bullets and bow and ran that until 2019. After that, I moved to Springfield for a bit. I got the building that another Dryer Shoe Store was in for 73 years. In fact, all the shelving and counter in the shop came from the old Dryer Shoe Store.”

This year, Joe decided to come back to Cassville after a severe health concern from COVID-19 and some other per sonal tragedies.

“Cassville has always been home,” he said. “My grandparent’s house went to my parents, and now me, my brother, and my son live there.

“I wasn’t going to open another shop, but I couldn’t stop. When you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.”

Joe said many people have said they are happy he is back and opened a new shop.

“How can I not keep going,” he said. “I try to help people shoot better. I take the time to tune and coach. No other shops do that.”

Joe said while he does occasional ly hunt, he is more into tournament shooting.

more details scan one of the following QR codes:

first time I went hunting, I was probably 20,” he said. “I went with a friend of mine, and I killed a nice doe with a bow. I have also hunted with guns, and my kids would go hunting too. My kids also did a lot of the tournaments, but hunting season was always a busy time at the shop, so I didn’t get to do that a lot.”

Right now, STS Outdoor Guns & Archery has everything needed for a bow setup, but Joe sent in the paperwork for guns as well.

will take 30 to 90 days for that to be processed,” he said. “But currently, I am a Bowtech dealer, Diamond, and one of my new favorites, Bear Archery Leg end Series. I can do an entire bow set up for half the normal price with the Legend Series.”

In addition, STS Outdoor Guns & Archery can finance anything they sell.

“Once someone is approved, as long as they pay it off in 24 months, they can get no interest and no money down,” he said. “My firearm license is a manufacturing li cense. That means I can custom build just about anything.”

To legally purchase a long gun, the buyer must be 18, or 21 years old for a pistol, but there is no age limit for a bow.

“When you buy a bow, I will tune it and set it up for you,” he said. “Then you get one year of tuning and work. I feel like if I do that and something minor happens, my customers feel comfortable coming back to me.

“I did all the bow work for Joella Pres son, a five-time IBO champion. She was the first woman in history to kill an Asian Buffalo with a bow.”

Joe Goade said his daughter, Nichole Goade, took third in the world at the ASA pro-tour, and she was the youngest Bowtech staff shooter at 14 years old.

Joe Goade appeared on Ozarks To night in 2019, where he discussed more of the process of coming up with the idea for the STS String Stopper and patenting his inventions. n

“The launch of the 988 crisis line will establish a more streamlined and effective resource for Missourians in behavioral health crisis,” Gover nor Par son said. We know that when individuals are experiencing crisis the sooner we can connect them to suppor t and provide assistance the better.

ANNOUNCES

SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE

The 988 line will be the fir st step to engage individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. There are seven crisis center s in Missouri responsible for answering 988 contacts for the state. The trained crisis specialists at each center will listen, wor k to under stand how the individual’s problems are affecting them, provide suppor t, and connect them to resources.

On July 16, 2022, the newly designated 9-8-8, three-digit number, will route individuals to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, where compassionate, accessible care and suppor t are available 24/7 for anyone experiencing a mental health, suicide, or substance use crisis. The 988 line is confidential and free for all. The Lifeline number, 1-800-273-8255, will continue to function. After July 16, 2022, both numbers will connect individuals to the same ser vices.

“The launch of the 988 crisis line will establish a more streamlined and effective resource for Missourians in behavioral health crisis,” Gover nor Par son said. We know that when individuals are experiencing crisis the sooner we can connect them to suppor t and provide assistance the better.

If you or someone you know needs suppor call or text 988 or contact The Clar k Center 417-235-6610

Resiliency Co mmunity Re

While 988 is a national initiative, it is up to each state to ensure crisis ser vices are available to anyone, anywhere, and anytime. After near ly two year s of planning and preparation, Missouri’s 988 center s are prepared and ready to answer the projected 253,000 contacts (calls, texts, and chats) expected in the fir st year of the 988 implementation.

Need to talk or get immediate help in a crisis? Help is available. If you or a loved one needs assistance, please reach out by calling or texting 988, or chatting at https://988lifeline.org .

The 988 line will be the first step to engage individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. There are seven crisis centers in Missouri responsible for answering 988 contacts for the state.

The trained crisis specialists at each center will listen, wor k to understand how the individual’s problems are affecting them, provide suppor t, and connect them to resources.

While 988 is a national initiative, it is up to each state to ensure crisis ser vices are available to anyone, anywhere, and anytime. After near ly two years of planning and preparation, Missouri’s 988 centers are prepared and ready to answer the projected 253,000 contacts (calls, texts, and chats) expected in the first year of the 988 implementation.

Need to talk or get immediate help in a crisis? Help is available. If you or a loved one needs assistance, please reach out by calling or texting 988, or chatting at https://988lifeline.org

Free Screening. 1-800-985-5990

Cosmo is the fur baby of David Sperandio of Verona.

Cosmo

Email your pet’s photo to: lcraft@cherryroad.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.

by Christa Stout

FFAA supports furry friends with support

This month’s visit took me back to where it all started at Faithful Friends Animal Advocates in Neosho, Mo.

Although I had always been an animal lover, growing up with a cat in Germany and then having multiple dogs and cats wherever we lived, until Faithful Friends, I didn’t know how hard animal shelters and rescues work, nor how much they depended on vol unteers to help keep the animals fed, clean and happy.

I’ve said it before and can’t say it often enough, you meet the nicest people in animal rescue, whether employed, volunteering, transporting or fostering.

I met with FFAA’s director, Cynthia and her kennel manager, Kara. Both of them took time out of their busy days to take me around and show me what’s old, what’s new and even let me get my kitty fix (as you know, I have a German Shepherd who is not real thrilled in having to live with a cat, so I am somewhat restricted). I even got to see an old-time friend, Qira, who I had transport ed back from Kansas City where she had been sent for evaluation, since she was very scared of most humans. Here is Qira’s story: Qira is a sweet Boxer/mix that came to FFAA in March 2017 when she was 11 months old.

After being at FFAA for 995 days, she was finally adopted in Feb ruary 2020. Her dreams were answered; she had a family of her very own. But after having a home for a couple of years she was let down yet again when her family surrendered her to Animal Control.

FFAA was called to see if they would take her back, which they gladly did, but they are heartbro ken for this sweet girl. She has now been back at FFAA for 168 days. She is 6 years old and blind in her left eye, but she doesn’t let that slow her down at all. She loves to go on walks, play with toys and play fetch. And most of all she is always ready for some snuggles.

In my conversations with Cynthia and Kara, I heard the same sto ries as other shelters, not enough room and too many animals who

need it. They are very much upset that they have to turn down owner surrenders because there simply is no room for them. They don’t want to contemplate the fate of many of these animals. The owners are informed that they will be put on a waiting list and will be notified when space becomes available, or alternate ly, they are given a list of other shelters, rescues and pounds, but the chances of finding room there is pretty slim. Everyone is fighting the battle of insufficient kennel space.

Although Faithful Friends has some strict adoption rules, they too have had an unusual number of owner surrenders and some returns. They put much effort into their adoptions and love long visits by potential adopters. Espe cially when there is a dog already in the family.

I found my old friend Qira at Faithful Friends Animal Advocates.

Visit their Facebook page

Donate to Faithful Friends Animal Advocates

MEME , the tabby. Meme is a 3 ½-year-old sweetheart! She is very affectionate and loving and would be a great addition to a home. She came to FFAA as an owner surren der because the dog in the house hold was being too rough with her. She would do best in a quiet home setting. She has been with FFAA for 176 days and is ready to find the purrfect family!

MAGGIE has been at the shelter for 313 days. She’s a 2-year-old Rottweiler mix that’s full of life and love that she would love to share with someone. She does great with other dogs and children. She has lots of energy to spare, so she’s hoping to find someone who can give her lots of playtime and make her an active part of their life. She would love to go hiking in the woods, splashing in water and cuddling on the couch!

KALIE has been at FFAA for 532 days and is ready to find a lov ing family. At three-years and 5-months, she is 67 pounds of amazing sweetness! She is a smart girl, has lots of energy, and loves people, but not so much other dogs or cats. This is why she needs to be the one & only! She is a fast learner and will be her best self with someone who will give her lots of mental and physical exercise. She would love to go on runs, walks, adventures and then lounge around and be a cuddle muffin. Since she is super athletic she would be able to keep up with someone who has an active life style.

Kara pointed out to me that how a dog or cat behaves in the shelter is not necessarily how they behave when brought into a home environment; they gener ally are much happier and being given the necessary adjustment time, will make the best pets.

However, the adjustment period may be as long as three months and all adoptive parents are given information about what they can expect from their new family member to avoid returns.

Kennel stress is something that all rescues fight, being in a noisy environment with so many other

dogs is very detrimental to many dogs and therefore, the shelter came up with arranging one day visits with experienced people. A home visit helps a cat or dog back on track. And remember, “Fostering is Love”.

When we arrived at the kitty condos, we found many playful kittens and cats. Ironically, Cyn thia said that this year, adoptions of cats have been faster and they tend to spend less time at the shelter. It used to be that dogs were adopted quicker than cats. The why is not known and speculation tends to point to

the economy or fear of another pandemic.

I asked Cynthia and Kara what they see as a potential solution and like anyone involved in ani mal rescue or shelters, they point to spaying/neutering the animals. It is a small cost in comparison to unwanted kittens and puppies that under the best of circum stances wind up in shelters and at the worst are dumped and/or euthanized.

The message is the same: PLEASE GET YOUR ANIMALS FIXED!

And as always, please help, with time or money, volunteering or fostering.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE ADORABLE ANIMALS AT FAITHFUL FRIENDS:

A

Jewelry

Aire

Animal

Aurora

Barry

Barry

Bruner

Cassville

Clark

Coldwell

Property

CoxHealth

CS

Doug’s

Edward

Factory Direct

First State Bank

Fohn Funeral

Four

Freedom

Friendly

J

Ken’s

Lil

My

Pictured above, from left, are Keith and Brenda McCracken, Jane Rogers and Linda Patton who enjoyed a trip to Saratoga Springs, NY racecourse. The group attended the 158th running of the Grade 1 Travers Stakes horse race Midsum mer Derby and were guests of Centennial Farms, LLC.

Rusty

Ode to the West Wind

O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn’s being, Thou, from whose unseen presence the leaves dead Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing, Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red, Pestilence-stricken multitudes: O thou, Who chariotest to their dark wintry bed

The wingèd seeds, where they lie cold and low, Each like a corpse within its grave, until Thine azure sister of the Spring shall blow

Her clarion o’er the dreaming earth, and fill (Driving sweet buds like flocks to feed in air) With living hues and odours plain and hill:

Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere; Destroyer and Preserver; hear, O hear!

- Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1792-1822

Pete Rauch

Western Nebraska Windmill

Get the Right Care, Right Now.

When you need care, it’s not always easy to know where to go. Primary care, urgent care, a virtual visit? What’s best for your symptoms? Your schedule? Our Care Finder tool at coxhealth.com can help.

Search for your symptoms or view common conditions, and we’ll point you to the care that’s right for you. coxhealth.com/carefinder