Current Weather Conditions

Native American Performs at Long Memorial Hall

March 7-- A sizable crowd turned out last night to hear Native American Preston Tone-Pah-Hote of the Kiowa Nation in Oklahoma perform at the Long Memorial Hall.  Among the high points of the program was Mr. Tone-Pah-Hote's description of the various items of Indian clothing that he was wearing. While pointing to his headdress,  which largely consisted of feathers,  the speaker emphasized that Eagles have always played a central role in Native American culture.  He also shared a number of stories about the myths and legends of the Kiowa tribe. Using a large drum,  Mr. Tone-Pah-Hote chanted out a song while his wife and child demonstrated an example of Native American dances.  The event was presented by the Mineral Area Council on the Arts and funded, in part, by the Missouri Arts Council.  

Flowers Provide First Hint of Spring at our Funeral Home

March 7 --  Having survived one of the harshest winters in the past seven or so years,  the very first flowers have popped out – through the snow no less  --  around the front porch of the Little House next door to our funeral home.  Not surprisingly,  these flowers are hearty Crocuses,  which,  along with a now abundant supply of Robins,  seem to always give us our first taste of Spring.  Now it shouldn’t be long before Tulips begin poking through the top soil of the garden space in front of our facility on Columbia Street.

Mouse Races Bring Large Crowd to Annual Rotary Club Event

March 1-- The St. Francois County Rotary Club's Mouse Races proved to be a large crowd pleaser again this year.  Tonight's performance by five of the little critters at each race drew loud cheers as the performers raced to the finish line.  Other games, plus a bountiful supply of pizza and other refreshments, helped insure the best turnout yet at this annual Rotary Club event according to incoming club president Dan Sanders.  All funds raised at this, and other club events, are used to support various charity projects around the county. 

Work to Resume on Columbia St. When Weather Permits

When the Columbia Street resurfacing work first began, it was warm outside and much of the basic work was completed. The photo above was taken on October 28, 2013.

This photo, taken a little further east as the photo above, was shot on March 3, 2014.

March 6-- Resurfacing work is slated to resume on Columbia Street from A Street to First Street once the weather permits.  For the most part, preparation of the roadbed has been completed and once the temperature rises to the required level, a rough asphalt sub-surface will be applied.  The final phase of the project will be completed with the laying down of the top–and very smooth—asphalt surface.  Because of the rough condition of the sub-section of this part of Columbia St., officials decided to remove the entire old road down to the bedrock.  However, the rest of Columbia St. from Black Knight Drive to Ste. Genevieve Avenue -- is in much better shape, and only the top part of the present surface of these sections of Columbia Street will need to be milled before the laying down of a new asphalt top surface.  A final aspect of this entire project will involve the installation of sections of new sidewalks between Dewey Street and Black Knight Drive.

Work Resumes on Panera’s New Restaurant

February 28 -- After a number of delays due to bad weather,  work resumed this past week on the St. Louis Bread Company’s new Panera Bread restaurant again under construction on Karsch Blvd. across the street from the Walmart shopping center.  Much of the work on the roof seems to have been completed and most of the windows have been installed.  A source familiar with the project told us that work on the facility should be completed during the month of April. 

The staff of the Farmington Post-Note Dispatch and Cozean Memorial Chapel wishes everyone a very Happy New Year Please Everyone Be Safe and Have Fun!!!

Snow is Going, Going . . .  
                        (almost) Gone



December 19 --  By early afternoon the thermometer hovered around 55 degrees and much of the snow that has covered Farmington over the past week had largely disappeared.  To be sure,  our town still has a lot of the white stuff remaining,  mainly in piles along the sides of some roads and around parking lots.  One of the more interesting sights downtown occurred at the former Missouri Natural Gas Building on First Street,  where water running down the spouts had suddenly frozen as the temperature quickly dropped to around 7 degrees last week.  Meanwhile,  more snow (and/or other forms of precipitation) may be on the way around Christmas night although the total accumulation is not expected to amount to more than an inch according to local weather forecasts.

---

Rotary Club Shootout at MAC Draws Crowd

December 14 --  Although the heavy snowfall in the area caused the cancellation of several of the earlier games planned for the 55th annual St. Francois County Rotary Club’s “Shootout” at the Mineral Area College,  the large crowd that showed up at the MAC gym was still rewarded with some thrilling games.  The first game featured an upset in which the favored Central High School boys lost to a scrappy West County team,  73-54.  Next came the Farmington High School girls -- Eureka game with the Knights losing 54-41.  Next, the Mineral Area College women totally swamped the visiting team from Southeastern Illinois,  102-39.  In the final game,  MAC’s men's team topped the visitors from Kansas City Kansas Community College,  74-53.

Major Snowstorm Hits Our Town

December 6--The largest snowfall to smother Farmington in recent years arrived Thursday December 5 in the afternoon and continued through the night and most of the next day.  By the afternoon of the 6th,  more than 9 inches of snow had been deposited on the county seat and the surrounding area.  Some forecasts predicted that the amount of snow would total as much as 13 inches before the storm left this part of the state.  Although the snow probably caused much inconvenience to many area residents,  a strange sort of calm settled on the city along with the snow by early Thursday evening.  Our cub reporter captured this mood in the photos shown below on Thursday evening and again with the arrival of daylight the following morning.  

Large Crowd Turns Out for Christmas Parade

December 4--Farmington residents always turn out big crowds for their parades.  This year’s 6 p.m. Christmas Parade,  sponsored by Krekeler Jewelers,  was a case in point.  The parade route – which extended east on Columbia Street (from A Street),  turning at Henry Street,  and then back up Liberty Street --  attracted an even larger crowd that usual.  Some of the reason may have been the mild weather.  Another reason was the large number of floats and display vehicles.  And then,  there was the spectacle of seeing Mr. and Mrs. Clause arrive via the Fire Department’s large hook and ladder truck.  And,  finally,  there was the post-parade attraction of the opening night for Winter Wonderland at Long Memorial Hall.  The Wonderland will remain open from 6 to 8 p.m. weeknight Monday through Friday until December 21.  Another traditional event at the parade is the chicken and dumpling dinner sponsored by the Christian Church from 4 to 7 p.m.  The Krekeler parade is an annual event which has become the traditional unofficial start of the Christmas season in the Farmington community.

Cozean Chapel to Hold Christmas Memorial Service

Cozean Memorial Chapel & Crematory,  together with BJC Hospice,  will hold its fifth annual Christmas Memorial Service on Tuesday, Dec. 10,  at 6:30 p.m., at the Cozean Chapel.  Family and friends are invited to come forward and place a special ornament on a Tree of Remembrance.  These ornaments can then be taken home after the service.  

                In addition to the ornament presentation,  the service will include guest singers,  a comforting message by Pastor Jeff Brady,  and a special video tribute.  Refreshments will be served following the program.

---

Christmas Trees are coming to town

SHOOTOUT 2013

ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY ROTARY CLUB
presents its
54th Annual Shootout
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14TH 2013
Mineral Area College
TEAM SCHEDULE
9:00 a.m.
West County vs. Central 8th/Boys
10:30 a.m.
Bismark vs. Viburnum (Boys)
12:00 p.m.
Ste. Genevieve vs. St. Vincent (Boys)
1:30 p.m.
North County vs. Hillsboro (Girls)
3:00 p.m.
West County vs. Central (Boys)
4:30 p.m.
Farmington vs. Eureka (Girls)
6:00 p.m.
Mineral Area College vs. Southeastern Illinois (Women)
8:00 p.m.
Mineral Area College vs. Kansas City Kansas Community College (Men)

Consider Donations to the Black Cemetery

November 27--During the past several years an effort has been made to clean up the old Negro Masonic Cemetery on Colony Church Road.  This burial place,  organized more than a century ago,  had become overgrown with weeds until a group led by Bill Matthews recently began calling attention to the needs of this historic black cemetery.  Since then various groups, along with the organization of a formal cemetery care committee, have made marked improvements in the upkeep of the cemetery.  If anyone would like to make a contribution to this worth cause,  they can do so by sending a donation to the Negro Masonic Cemetery fund care of the Memorial United Methodist Church at 425 North Street.

Help the Hungry Bake Sale Nets $41,000

November 25--The 2013 “Help the Hungry” bake sale held Saturday,  Nov. 23,  at the St. Joseph Gym topped last year’s earnings by $1,000 for a total of $41,000.  The event,  as in the past,  brought volunteers from numerous churches,  organizations,  and the general population.  One of the highlights of the event was the clergyman cake sale won by the Rev. Paul Bembower for his masterpiece made with honey from Presbyterian bees and cinnamon from Ceylon.  A close contender was a Catholic Turtle Cake with such exotic hard-to-find ingredients as holy water.  That's a divine recipe if there ever was one!  Another crowd pleaser was a rousing concert of Christmas songs by a choral group dressed in mid-Eighteenth Century English costumes.  For those unable to attend,  the Farmington Post(note)-Dispatch roving photographer tried to capture the festive tone of the occasion with stills offered below: 

Farmington’s Most Interesting House

November 25--One of Farmington’s most interesting houses ---as a matter of fact,  the city's most interesting house--belongs to Vicke Visnovske,  located between 506 and 514 North A Street.  Except for the summer months when she is growing various plants in her yard,  Vicke keeps busy decorating her front porch and the yard around her property with appropriate seasonal themes.  Her Halloween display (seen below) featuring several dozen famous horror characters from books and movies,  plus a creepy cemetery and front yard attack spider,  were enough to nearly scare our roving funeral director cub reporter to death.  Currently her porch is home to Laurel and Hardy of silent films fame dressed in their pilgrim’s best.   Her Valentine’s Day display earlier this year was able to say more than any card could,  and we know she will welcome Santa with an inventive Christmas display.  Keep up the good work, Vicki! 

. . . And,  this was Vicki's Crowd Pleaser for Halloween . . .

A Photo Essay: New Feature To Play at Old Ritz Theater

November 21--The old Ritz Theater,  closed since fire destroyed the entrance and lobby in 1963,  is coming to life again.  Workmen are installing large new rooms for a dance studio inside the old theater auditorium,  which once housed a thousand seats when the theater was built in 1928. Since the new rooms are being built inside the old auditorium,  most of the original walls,  which were damaged by a roof leak at one point,  are being left intact.  However,  once the new rooms are completed,  those original theater walls will be sealed off from light and no longer viewable.  However,  our Post(note)-Dispatch cub reporter was allowed to take exclusive photos of the interior of the old auditorium just before it will be closed off.  Please click on each photo for descriptions.

Brief History of the Ritz Theater

     The year 1927 was important in movie history.  In Hollywood,  Warner Brothers released the first talkie feature movie,  "The Jazz Singer."  In St. Louis,  the Fox Theater was opened as the largest movie house west of the Mississippi River.  

     That same year,  about 65 miles to the south,  Farmington was not about to be outdone when work began on its new showplace,  the Ritz Theater.  To be sure,  the Fox was larger than the Ritz -- but not in proportion to the total population of the two cities.  The Fox held 5,000 seats for a metropolitan St. Louis population of more than 1 million.   The Ritz,  with 1,000 seats,  served Farmington's metropolitan area of approximately 3,000.  George Karsch owned the theater for two decades before selling his chain of eight area movie houses,  including the Ritz,  to Tom Edwards and Harold Harriss,  the latter who soon sold his share of the partnership to Frank Plumlee.  With these new owners,  the Ritz would be the flagship of the Edward & Plumlee theater group.  

     Work began on the Ritz in 1927 soon after its predecessor,  the Monarch Theater,  located across the street (which is now the location of the Ozarks Federal Savings & Loan parking lot)  was destroyed by fire. From the start,  the Ritz was intended to be the showplace for this part of the state.  In addition to its unusually large seating capacity,  the new building featured a 65-foot wide stage along with an orchestra pit, dressing rooms below the stage for Vaudeville actors,  and a large loft above the stage from which scenery could be lowered.  In 1939 a Hammond organ was installed for live music performances following the showing of feature films on Thursday and Sunday nights.  In 1935 the theater's large sign,  featuring a running string of electric lights,  was installed over the Columbia Street entrance.  The theater's grand opening,  complete with numerous vaudeville acts,  was held on April 9, 1928.

     Originally the theater could only show silent films.  Early in 1930 the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system was installed.  That method of producing sound was constantly nagged with technical problems as delightfully noted in the MGM musical comedy film,  "Singing in the Rain."  The following year these problems were solved when sound-on-film equipment was installed.  By the mid-1930s Karsch further updated the projection booth with top-notch projection equipment that increased light output to the screen by 60%. Cinemascope was introduced in 1954.

     Thanks to its large stage,  the Ritz proved to be an important gathering place for numerous  events, including variety shows,  club meetings such as the Roy Rogers Riders group,  square dances,  church services,  and even a monster show featuring a local actor named Bozzie who wore a monkey suit.   During World War II,  Twentieth Century-Fox stars Gene Tierney and Anthony Quinn took the stage to sell war bonds.  

     For years the front part of the building facing Columbia street housed a rental store owned by the theater.  On May 27, 1964,   that store,  occupied then by the P.N. Hirsch Co., was destroyed by fire.  The 5-alarm fire,  one of the largest in Farmington history,  also damaged several other stores on Columbia Street and closed down the theater auditorium because of water and smoke.  The theater never opened again.  Its last show was "Fancy Pants" with Bob Hope.   The historic photos below were provided to us by Jessie Sitzes. 

Help the Hungry Bake Sale Set for Saturday, Nov. 23

November 20--One of the most anticipated events each year in our community is the Help the Hungry Bake Sale,  set for Saturday, Nov. 23,  from 9 a.m to 1 p.m.  First organized in 2005,  the premiere culinary event in Farmington has become a major community-wide effort to help those in need. Last year’s event raised $40,000,  an amount organizers hope to top in its 2013 edition.

               Again this year,  the bake sale will be staged at the St. Joseph Catholic Church gym.  And,  if the past is any indication,  this large auditorium will be filled with booths,  townspeople,  and --  most important  -- lots of cookies,  brownies,  cakes,  pies,  jellies and jams,  a cake auction and a silent auction, and  --  well  --  the list goes on and on.  Across town,  one of the key sponsors of the event,  Auffenberg Chevrolet,  will be selling a BBQ bag lunch with hamburgers and pulled pork for $5 each.

                Among the key events will be the famous Clergy Cookoff,  the cake walk,  the lunch room with coffee cake from 9 to 10 a.m.,  and specialty stands sponsored by many of the churches in town.  Mark Toti,  the inimitable KREI announcer,  will again MC the event.

Work Progressing on Columbia Street Roadwork

November 19--Work is continuing on the first segment of a city project to provide a totally new road surface for Columbia Street from the corner of Columbia and South A streets to Columbia and West First streets.  The project,  which also includes new sidewalks,  will ultimately stretch all the way up West Columbia Street to where the construction recently was completed on the cross-over project at Highway 67.

                So why is the city digging so deep below the surface?  The answer,  as one source told us,  is that the new work will greatly reduce the chances that cracks in the new road surface will develop over time.  In the past,  the city normally tended to just apply a new surface over an old roadway.  But invariably,  cracks on the older surface would quickly work their way into the new surface.  Anyone who drives downtown on Columbia Street can quickly see a montage of cracks and fractures.  Some of those street cracks would also creep into the adjacent sidewalks. 

                In contrast,  residents are invited to see the smooth new section of road on West College Street from North A Street eastward to North Washington Street which was completed earlier this year by the street department.  Construction of this strip of roadway involved total removal of the old surface plus several additional feet of dirt beneath the old road.  Following that procedure,  the resulting trench was filled with numerous truckloads of gravel which was subsequently tightly packed down with compacting equipment.  Residents were then allowed to drive over this new road surface for a month or so to further hard pack the gravel. 

Once the gravel bedrock was determined to be properly compacted,  a new asphalt surface was applied.  The result of such new roadwork was,  amazingly,  well described in an advertisement in a 1919 edition of The World’s Work magazine for the Barrett Co.,  which was promoting their new “Tarvia” process for a “smooth, mudless, easy-traction surface” coal-tar roadway preparation method which they claimed resulted in streets that were smooth enough for roller skating yet durable enough for heavy highway traffic.  Well,  these attributes promised nearly a century ago seem to describe Farmington’s new  road projects on West College Street and now on West Columbia Street.  

Bob Lewis to be Honored by Local Audubon Group

November 18--The legacy of Bob Lewis,  an avid birder and conservationist who was the founder of the East Ozarks Audubon Society here,  will be honored at the club’s regular meeting on November 21 at 7 p.m. at the United Memorial Methodist Church.

                Robert Dean “Bob” Lewis,  who passed away October 21,  was a long-time resident of Farmington,  where his family for many years operated the Western Auto store. Bob graduated from Farmington High School in 1946,  where he served as president of his class and captain of the football team.  He served in the U.S. Army almost immediately following graduation from FHS until his honorable discharge in December 1947.  During that time he married his high school sweetheart,  Joyce.

He attended Central College,  Flat River Junior College and the University of Missouri,  where he received a Bachelor of Journalism degree.  Bob then worked for several newspapers until he returned to Farmington where he took over the operation of  the Western Auto Store until it was sold in1976. Bob then served as a Vice President for Mercantile Bank in his home town until his retirement in 1987.  He was a past president of the Kiwanis Club,  a former member of the Farmington School Board and a member of the Jaycees.  He was an active member of the Memorial United Methodist Church.

 In Farmington,  he became known as the “bird man” who compiled a list of over 600 species identified.  He founded the East Ozarks Audubon Society which met here monthly,  where he served as the organization’s newsletter editor.

He was a good public speaker and was often invited to give programs both at home and around the state – usually on the topic of birds and the importance of conservation.  Bob always had a passion for nature.  He received the highest honor in the Boy Scouts.  He loved canoeing, camping and mountain climbing.  Bob also worked for the National Park Service in the Rocky Mountains and as a naturalist at the St. Francois State Park.

                At the Thursday evening meeting of the Audubon Society,  another long-time Society member, Bill Reeves,  will focus the program on Bob’s legacy and on a proposed plan for enhancements of the Dr. Crouch Nature Sanctuary the development of a wetlands area as a tribute to Bob Lewis.

Cozean Chapel Again Receives National Recognition

October 21—For the twelfth year in a row,  Cozean Memorial Chapel has been awarded the coveted Pursuit of Excellence Award by the National Funeral Directors Association.  In making this year’s announcement,  NFDA President Robert T. “Bob” Rosson noted that the honor bestowed on our funeral home was “In recognition of providing outstanding service to families and the community,  and adherence to the highest professional and ethical standards.”  Only about 2% of approximately 24,000 funeral homes in the nation are honored each year with this special recognition.  Jon Cozean,  president of Farmington Undertaking Co., Inc.,  which does business in Farmington as Cozean Memorial Chapel & Crematory,  was personally given a certificate of achievement by NFDA President Rosson at a special awards ceremony October 21 at the national NFDA convention held at Austin, TX. 

2013 Homecoming Parade Draws Large Crowd

October 12-- Good weather helped to attract a large crowd for the annual High School Homecoming Parade in downtown Farmington on October 12.  As early as an hour and a half before start time, viewers started setting up lawn chairs at choice locations along the parade route.  Among the attractions were the football teams, other sports groups, cheerleaders (both FHS and MAC),  the award-winning high school band,  and numerous school and civic groups.  Parades always go over big in Farmington in part because of the long downtown parade route which flows down Columbia Street and back up Liberty Street--thus providing numerous good viewing spots.

Hawn State Park Photo on Cover of Magazine

October 4 --  A stunningly colorful photo of red Sumac against a background of trees with green foliage at Hawn State Park near Farmington is featured on the front cover of the October edition of  Missouri Conservationist magazine.  The Post(Note)-Dispatch is happy to note that over the years Missouri Conservationist magazine has published numerous photos from the beautiful Hawn State Park.

Big Turnout for Annual St. Catherine Parish Gun Shoot

Sept.  29 --  A large crowd turned out again this year for the St. Catherine’s Parish Fall Turkey and Ham Shoot on the church grounds at Coffman.  Among the many attractions,  in addition to perfect weather,   was a food stand,  baked goods room,  silent auction,  tractor display,  a beautifully restored 1934 Nash sedan,  and –most importantly  --  the popular turkey and ham shoot.   Funds raised at the picnic will be used to repair the 94-year-old church structure which needs new siding,  refurbishing of the beautiful stained-glass windows,  new soffit fascia and siding for the parish hall,  and a face lift for the outside of the rectory. 

Downtown Fall Festival Boosted by Great Weather

Sept. 28--  Near perfect weather for the Fall Festival of Downtown Farmington, held September 28 on a reserved section of Columbia Street,  no doubt played a role in attracting drew large crowds for the annual event.  Sponsored by the Farmington Downtown Development Assn., the festival featured a number of special events which included the Downtown Pound,  a benefit 1-1 ½ mile fun run through the downtown area that benefitted Parents as Teachers.  Another special attraction was the Pet Fest sponsored by the Farmington Pet Adoption Center which featured pets dressed in costumes.

                Another crowd pleaser again this year was the quilt show at Long Memorial Hall that was sponsored by Threads of Friendship Quilt Guild that featured 40 quilts made by area quilters.  From 9 a.m. to noon the Library hosted a story time on the courthouse lawn.

                Various venders set up craft stands over a two-block area and a musical group, the Rhubarbarella trio,   performed at the Court House.  A number of downtown merchants again this year displayed clever outdoor manikins with a Halloween theme.   Later that day, another musical group met at The Factory to assist with the opening of The Influence Show, which was an art exhibit.

Winter Baseball in Farmington??

September 24--Picture this.  It’s mid-January and you are walking in front of the old Farmington Motor Co. building (where the bicycle shop is located) at 117 West Liberty St.,  when you hear someone yell out,  “Strike Three,  Y’r Out!.”  No,  you’re not hearing a rebroadcast of an old St. Louis Cardinal ball game.  But the sounds you hear are coming from the new Liberty Street Cages,  located directly behind the bike shop,  where batting practice will be a year-round business.  ­

            Opened by Tom Benz,  the four hitting nets surround pitching machines in the new facility that can throw just about anything that the batter at the other end of the cage could call for,  which includes sliders, knuckle balls  fast balls and curve balls.  One of the two mechanical pitching machines can pitch balls from 20 to 50 mph.  A second,  larger machine,  can handle pitches up to 105 mph.  The equipment works for both baseballs and softballs.  The facility includes portable pitching mounds in a climate controlled environment.  One of the cages is regulation size to make the atmosphere more realistic for local baseball and softball players.  But don’t be discouraged.  If your hitting abilities are on a par with those of this writer,  the facility can also offer you T-ball options.  A half-hour session is priced at $15,  while an hour costs $25.

            The new venture,  which took about five months to construct, is designed for the whole family to use.  Walk-ins are welcome,  said Benz,  who bought the building in 1994 from C.  E. Wade,  owner of a Ford dealership in the building for many years.  Benz believes,  however,  that most users of the cages will probably be baseball players from the Mineral Area College and from high schools in the surrounding area.   The only other batting cages of comparable size are located in the St. Louis area. 

            Rod Denman,  longtime baseball coach at Bismarck High School,  is the manager of the cages.  Working with him will be Stan Walton,  former head Baseball Coach at Mineral Area College and Craig Gibbs,  a baseball coach at Farmington  High School.  This staff will offer team and one-on-one training sessions on request.  During September and October the facility will be open seven days a week.  Call in for exact times of operation.

            Additional information is available on Facebook,  or www.libertycages.com, or by calling 573-631-6585.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like . . . Halloween

September 23--The signs are unmistakable around town.  Halloween is just around the corner and many stores are getting ready for this annual event.  A store,  devoted entirely to that fun Fall celebration,  is set to open in the old Value City building at Maple Valley.  On North A Street,  a large trailer is loaded with “Pie Pumpkins.”   And at Richard’s Produce on Potosi Street,  a wide variety of items –including a 200-pound pumpkin—are on display.  (Wonder how many pies could be made from that monster?)  Richards is offering a wide variety of Fall items for those getting ready for the Halloween/Fall season

Two New Japanese Restaurants Getting Ready to Open

September 23--Get ready for a wide variety of Japanese-style fish dishes which should be available soon at the two new restaurants at Maple Valley.  We will keep you posted on the opening dates.

Funeral Association Holds 125th Anniversary Celebration at Cozean Facility

September 13-- Nearly 100 funeral professionals from around Missouri gathered at the Cozean Memorial facility September 12 to help celebrate the Missouri Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association’s 125 anniversary.   Guests  spent the late afternoon touring the funeral home facilities and crematory.  Also on display were numerous antique mortuary items including a number of Nineteenth Century caskets  and old embalming equipment.  Several old hearses  were on display in the parking lot.  A meal and a program followed at the new First Baptist Church auditorium which is across the street from the funeral home.

                The Cozean facility is one of three locations around the state where MFDEA is celebrating its anniversary.  The other two will be held on September 19 at the Shadel’s Colonial Chapel at Lebanon and September 26 at Heritage Funeral Home at Chillicothe.

Near Capacity Crowd Welcomes 1138th Back Home

A near capacity crowd welcomed home the Missouri National Guard 1138th Engineer Company from active service in Afghanistan at an impressive ceremony September 8 at the Centene Center.  The unit,  which is based at the armory in Farmington and includes soldiers from other parts of the state,  had left for the Middle East on July 6, 2012.  All members returned alive.  While deployed there,  the Guard members had traveled approximately 14,000 miles searching for roadside bombs in the Kandahar Providence.  The large crowd that welcomed the soldiers home included family members,  friends,  and a large turnout of local Patriot Guard members.

Cozean Memorial Chapel Again Honored by National Association

 August 28-- For the eleventh year in a row,  the National Funeral Directors Association has given its coveted Pursuit in Excellence Award to Cozean Memorial Chapel.   This award,  now in its 30th year,  was designed by NFDA to honor funeral homes around the nation that are “committed to providing outstanding service to families and the community they serve and dedicated to achieving the highest professional and ethical standards.”   In its notification of the award to the Cozean staff,  NFDA President pointed out that  “. . .  you have shown an ability to create premiere services and programs that go beyond expectations.”  The award,  which is given each year to about 200 of the 24,000 member funeral homes,  will be given out at a special ceremony at the association’s annual meeting to be held in mid-October in Austin, TX.

---

Old Value City Building to Come to Life Again for Two Months

August 28-- For just two months,  a new store,  Halloween City,  will operate out of the old Value City building in the Maple Valley Shopping Center.  While many local residents had longed for a permanent tenant in the building,  it will be nice to see activity once again in this top shopping center location.

First Photos of Knights at  2013 Jamboree at Hillsboro

Knights Prepare for Football Season

August 22-- Who is this Phantom Knight?

Click Here For 2013  Knights Football Slide Show

Have the talk of a Life Time.

Four New Restaurants Headed to Town

August 22-- Unnamed sources have told our reporter that four new restaurants are coming to town.  First is the Hibachi Buffet & Sushi,  which is now remodeling the old Ryan’s location.   A Shogun Restaurant is planning to occupy the old Warehouse BBQ building.  Both are in the Maple Valley Shopping Center.  Next will be Panera (St. Louis Bread Co.) which will locate where the car wash now stands across the street from the KFC building on Karsch Blvd.  Work is slated to begin on that new building “sometime before the cold weather sets in.”  And finally,  lovers of Italian food will want to visit a new Fazoli's Restaurant which will be located on the parking lot between the White Castle and Walgreens locations.  Work on that project is scheduled  to begin sometime in 2014.  

First Look at Farmington Knights Football 2013

1st Row L/R: Garrett Duncan, Aaron Maize, Nicky Creco, Coby Moon, Tyler Wade, Trey Amsden, Jake Taylor. 2nd Row: DJ Hardy, Hunter Corcoran, Tim Braddy, Quinn McIntosh, Devin Nagel, Justin Boehm, Adam Maple, Payton Napoli, Robert Jackson, Johnny Barton. 3rd Row: Tommy Wilfong, Ken Pham, Ethan Barron, Brayden Bohn, Trent Wideman, Tyler Finch, Conner Forsythe, Scotty Roberts, Collin Huitt, Alec Stavern, John Barr, Charles Rhodes. 4th Row: Matt McCarthy, Blair Boyd, Devin Savage, Noah Patterson, Zach Williams, Jared Nickelson, Landon Rigdon, Chase Montgomery, Jason Harrington, Chris Smith, Sam Reid. 5th Row: Braydon Slade, Garrett Meder, Logan Dotson, Nick Bertram, Brayden Krause, William Seibert, Kalob Kathcart, Dealano Joe, Brandt Busenbark, Lance Johnson, Justin Wade, Trevor Keith. 6th Row: Michael Wright, Nick Cassimatis, James Hamlett, Mason Savage, Jacob Cluck, Zac Weber, Brendan Ferris, Austin Files, Dillion White, Zac Rowley, Camron Haines. 7th Row: Jessica Heberlie (Mgr) Chad Winch, John Ames, Scott Hibbits, Erik Kruppe, Josh Hoehn, Derrick Eaves, Jake Whitener, Talon Camden (Mgr.)

2013 Seniors- Trey Amsden, DJ Hardy, Coby Moon, Tim Brady, Justin Boehm, Nicholas Greco, Rob Jackson, Garret Duncan, Aaron Maize, Jacob Taylor, Tyler Wade, Adam Maple, Payton Napoli, Johnny Barton, Quin McIntosh, Hunter Corcoran, and Devin Nagel.

From left to right: Chad Winch, Derrick Eaves, Josh Hoehn, Erik Kruppe, Scott Hibbits, John Ames, and Jake Whitener.

Qdoba Opens to Big Crowds on August 5

July 5- The fresh-Mex restaurant Qdoba  opened today with the type of large crowd that usually greets a new restaurant in town.  The store,  located at the Walmart shopping area,   offers customer-built dishes that represent literally thousands of options along with 120 different soda flavor combinations. 

Relay for Life Has Collected $110,000

July 27--With 26 teams participating this year,  the  17th annual St. Francois County Relay for Life at the Mineral Area Campus on July 26-27 raised a total of $110,000.  The Turner Chevrolet/Cadillac group raised the largest team amount with $33,400.64.  The Team Walgreens won the “I Can Spirit Award” with the most people participating in the theme laps.

UPDATES

July 29-- The new Qdoba is expected to be open within a week as construction of their new building on the Walmart lot is virtually complete.

The city’s new parking lot behind Botaniques and 12 West is ready for use.  Only the shrubs (and possibly flowers) remain to be planted.

Farmington Host State Baseball Tournament

Crowds were in Farmington this weekend for the 2012 Missouri Babe Ruth 13-15 Year Old State Tournament.  Teams competing in the event were from Caruthersville, Mineral Area (National), Quad Cities, SW Ozarks, SEMO South, Dexter, Sikeston, and Mineral Area (American).

PERFECT WEATHER

With the perfect weather (not too hot, lots of rain),  our city and the surrounding area finds the grass is green,  home gardens are growing corn as high as an elephants eye,  and the flowers in full bloom surrounding the court house

Summer Sun, Water and Fun

---

June 21 -- Students at the Truman Kindergarten Center had a lot of fun in the sun this afternoon when members of the Fire Department sprayed part of the school's playground with cool water.  With the outside temperatures near the 90 degree mark,  the spray saved the day!

City Busy Paving Streets Around Town

June 15 -- Street Department crews have been quite busy in recent days with paving projects around the city recently. Given the fact that the temperature of the asphalt that comes out of the paving machine is about 280 degrees, workers often are on the job early in the morning and again late in the evening. Among the streets that have been paved up to this point are Cayce, South Potosi, West College, Ruby, Clay, and West Second. Many other streets are on the list to be reworked during the next few months.

Seen above (from left:)  new pavement on West College,  new asphalt going down on South Potosi Street (3 photos),  West Cayce just before paving,  and paving underway on Clay Street.

Downtown Parking Project Taking Shape with Class

---

June 15 -- Work is rapidly progressing on an improved parking lot at the corner of Harrison and Jefferson streets. Located behind Botaniques on the Square, the Roberts & Roberts law firm, and 12 West Bar and Grill, the lot, when completed, will be surrounded on the west and south sides by new sidewalks. What will make this lot distinctive, however, are the islands that have been created for the planting of small trees and perhaps flowers and shrubs—which no doubt shows the thoughtful influence of Jeannie Roberts, who has been a long-time advocate of downtown beautification. The lot should provide much needed parking space in the downtown area. 

Don't Blink . . .

Because these pictures  will be quickly changing

June 7 -- Thanks to a large and determined group of construction workers,  the new Qdoba restaurant is quickly taking shape at the Walmart shopping center location.  The concrete floor of the structure was poured on May 28 (see related story on that date below),  and in less than two weeks the top of the building has been nearly framed out.  Meanwhile,  the original part of the building has seen its first tenant move in -- an American Family Insurance agency.  The restaurant is expected to be open by mid-July.

Bad Weather Didn't Dampen Downtown Fun

---

June 4-- Despite some heavy rain Saturday morning that thinned the crowds and caused the cancellation of such morning events as the parade, the Diaper Derby, the car show and the antique tractor display, Country Days was able to attract large crowds by the afternoon and evening as the dark clouds disappeared. Some of the performers on the Accent Marketing/J-98 talent show were back on the main stage Saturday afternoon and the first place winners were invited to sing with Route 67 on the large stage Saturday night. This year’s Mr. and Mrs. Country Days were Tim and Marsha Azinger.

Country Days 2013: First Look

The Prayer Breakfast

May 31-- Although there was a hard rain of two inches a few hours before daylight, a nice crowd turned out this morning at 7:30 for the traditional Radio J-98 Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast—which is the official opening of Country Days. While some in the crowd were enjoying coffee and breakfast rolls,  Emcee  Louie Seiberlich had a chance to interview Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Doug McDermott,   Mayor Stuart Landrum, Jr., and other notables. The main program began with remarks by the Mayor followed with music by Stormy Bennett and remarks by the Rev. Roger Hogan,  who spoke on the importance of prayer.

Photos from left to right:  Featured speaker Rev. Hogan;  J-98 equipment van;  Stormy Bennett  (who is a perfectionist on the guitar);  Louie interviewing McDermott;  the seating area occupied early in the morning by Kelly Brooks;  employees of First State Bank arriving at the park as a group;  Mayor Landrum and Bud Norman,  Director of Parks and Recreation;  and a view of some of the crowd.

Setting Up The Midway

Photos left to right;  the main stage for Country Days activities being set up at Long Park; and other attractions going up.

Happy (Country) Days Are Here Again

May 28--If you’ve been waiting all year for the next Country Days, your dreams are about to come true! This year’s big event in town is just three days away and the excitement is in the air. Many of the most popular highlights from years past will be back again. On May 31, things get started with the KREI Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast at the Long Park Gazebo from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Much of the time during the rest of the day will be spent with rides and amusements being set up in the downtown area. On Friday, Country Days will be in full bloom. Highlights include the famous “dogs and suds” event in front of First State Bank’s downtown location. Also lemonade is available at Ozarks Federal Savings & Loan, and across the street look for Kettle Corn & Drinks at the U.S. Bank. New Era Bank is offering its famous cotton candy stand and the Printing Co. has a snow cone cart to tempt you. Unico Bank will have a Blue Star Saloon Beer Garden at Long Park starting at 5 p.m. and again starting at noon on June 1.

Concession venders will open up on Friday at 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. (and again on Saturday, June 1, from noon until 11 p.m.) St. Joseph’s Church will be there big time with its pub & grill. From 5 to 11 p.m. (and again on Saturday from noon to 11 p.m.) Other big events that day will be the talent show at the Long Park Gazebo (starts at 6 p.m.), the Old Southern Moonshine Revival (9 to 10 p.m.) and Little Caesar’s Moonlight Bike ride (10:30 to 11:30 p.m.). And you won’t want to miss the Jacob Martin Band at the Long Park Main Stage from 10 to 11 p.m.

On Saturday, June 1, things get started in a big way with a 5:45 a.m. Fun Run, sponsored by Edward Jones, on Carleton Street between St. Joseph and St. Paul schools. Next is the Car Show, sponsored by Sam Scism Ford Lincoln, at Carleton Street, between St. Joseph and St. Paul schools. The huge Country Days parade, sponsored by McDonald’s, will fill the downtown starting at 10 a.m. Next the J98 Talent Show finals, sponsored by Accent, will air from the Gazebo, starting at 1:30 p.m. Meanwhile, KFMO/B104 is offering its “8 to B Great” show (modeled after the TV show Minute to Win) with a $100 prize from 1 to 2 p.m. at its booth at Long Park. Also look for the Eric Zieglar concert at 5:30 p.m. at the Long Park main Stage, and Angie Johnson at the same stage for a concert at 8 p.m. Other special events are the Diaper Derby & Decorated Diaper Contest at First State Bank’s downtown location and the Arts & Crafts Fair on Columbia St. 
(9 a.m. to 10 p.m.). The Presbyterian Church will be offering a quilt show, tea room, and bake sale at their facility from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The group, Route 67, will have a concert at the Long Park Main Stage from 7 to 8 p.m. followed by the Brett Eldredge show at 9 p.m. at the same location. Eldredge’s recent hits include “Don’t Ya,” and “Raymond.”

On Sunday, June 2, St. Paul Lutheran Church will hold a church service at the Long Park Gazebo from 9 to 10 a.m. Shannon Cox and Matt Pratt will take the Gazebo Stage from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a variety of old country favorites. Meanwhile, the rides, amusement and venders will be open from noon until 5 p.m.

Photos of Fun, Food, and Excitement from our past Country Days archives.

First Baptist Church Completes Expansion Project

May 28-- Except for a few minor items, construction of the large addition to the First Baptist Church is now complete. The final segments include the finishing touches to the impressive entrance way that faces Liberty Street, the paving of the parking lot,  the addition of striping, and the area landscaping.
The Farmington Post(note)-Dispatch has been following the progress of this project for more than a year. To see earlier photos and text (and watch the progress) concerning this new addition, please scroll down this page to coverage beginning last Spring.

Two Leading Local Aviators Honored

May 19--Two World War II aviators with strong ties to Farmington were honored at a special ceremony May 18 at the airport by the City of Farmington. The men, Ralph Pingel and Cecil Hulsey, were presented with proclamation plaques by Mayor Stuart Landrum, Jr., who said these airmen represented the best of the “Greatest Generation”-- which refers to the millions of Americans who grew up during the Great Depression in the 1930s and then served in the armed forces during World War II in the 1940s.  

Both Pingel and Hulsey were also called back into service during the Korean War in the early 1950s and both received the Distinguished Flying Cross for their military services. Pingel joined the Army Air Corps just before Christmas in 1942. By the end of World War II he had served in both the European and Pacific theaters of operation, flying B-29 heavy bombers, Douglas C-47 transport planes, and Douglas A-26 medium bombers. Later he flew 75 combat missions over North Korea, where he experienced numerous “close calls” from enemy gunners. From 1962 until the mid-1980s, Pingel managed the Farmington Airport. In honor of his service to the city, the entrance to the airport has been renamed Ralph Pingel Lane.

Cecil Hulsey spent his military career in both wars serving as a flight engineer on the giant B-29—the largest and most technically advanced aircraft of World War II. During that war Hulsey flew more than 30 dangerous missions over Japan during 1944-45. At that time, most larger aircraft were named by their various crew members. Hulsey determined that the “City of Farmington” would look great on the side of his bomber, and –thanks to great respect with which members of the crew held him—Hulsey got his wish. He told the crowd at the ceremony that getting the naming rights was not really a big deal. He said he explained to crewmembers just how wonderful the town and its citizens were—and they went along with Hulsey’s idea. “The town has proven that I was right,” Hulsey added in his remarks at the ceremony, noting that from the 1940s to the 2010 the population of the city grew from 3,300 to more than 16,000.

While both men received much of the applause, the big star of the event may well have been a large model of the B-29 in which Hulsey flew that now hangs from the ceiling of the airport lobby. Built to the exact scale of the real plane, the model B-29’s 14-foot wingspan dominates the room. Taking about four years to complete, the aluminum-coated plane was the handywork of Fire Chief Todd Mecey and others including Rob Nash, Chuck Sitzes, Rod Wofford and Steve Jennings. Indeed, the model plane looks so real that one might think that it is possible to take it out to the airfield, start its engines, and watch the craft as it takes off with a roar.


The public is invited to see the model plane at the airport.

Photos (left to right):  Plane logo "City of Farmington";  Mayor Landrum;  Plaque presented to Ralph Pingel;  Two other plaques presented to Julie Mangold,  daughter of bombardier Paul A. Rietz,  who flew on Hulsey's plane,  and Cecil Hulsey;  and three of the builders of the model B-29,  Todd Mecey,  Steve Jennings,  and Rod Wofford; some of the crowd on hand for the ceremony. 

Spring is Bringing Colors to Farmington

May 25--  Mid-May in town brings out color in the county seat--with merchants displaying festive goods, young robins getting ready for flight, skate boarders flexing their muscles, and yards coming into bloom.

St. Joseph Church Dedicates New Infant Memorial

May 12-- When a young man remarked to Father Rickey J. Valleroy that he lost a child some years earlier and regretted that he had nowhere to mourn, the priest at St. Joesph Catholic Church got an inspiration to build an Infant Memorial. That dream became reality in Farmington on May 12 when Valleroy dedicated an impressive Infant Memorial and Sacred Space area at New Calvary Cemetery. The memorial, located at the northwest edge of the cemetery, consists of beautifully etched monuments and two memorial walls with names or other remembrances of children of the parish who have passed away. Father Valleroy gave special thanks during the hour-long ceremony to the Knights of Columbus and the Deputy Grand Knight, Rob Grindel, and also Kevin Hale, who designed the memorial and was responsible for the etchings of all the memorial stones. Others singled out for special  thanks were Brent Meyer, Tim Maloney, Paul Fortman, Keith Heberlie, Ken Schmidt, and the Fourth Degree Knights, who served as the Honor Guard.

New Multi-Use Building Going Up on Walmart Location

May 28--Work is progressing on an enlarged building on the southwest corner of the Walmart lot,  which will house three (and possibly four) new businesses-- including a new Qdoba Mexican-style restuarant which will be housed in a  yet-to-be-constructed addition to the north side of the original building.  The concrete floor of this new addition was poured today. The entire facility is expected to be operational by mid-July.  The doorway shown in the center photo on the top row will be the entrance for an insurance-agency tenant.

Historian Jack Clay Honored

May 16--Friends of Jack Clay,  noted historian of Farmington and the surrounding area, were on hand May 15 at Camelot Nursing and Rehab Center to see a slide show of the local area that Jack had prepared from photos he had assembled over the years.  While many of the slides depicted buildings and people long gone, the center of attention was Jack himself, whose sparkling comments revealed that his mind is as sharp as ever. Some of his fans expressed the hope that he might be willing to give the same program soon as a St. Francois County Historical Society meeting.

Two New Assisted Living Facilities opening in Farmington

Two new assisted living facilities, Maplebrook and The Arbors at Maplebrook, which specializes memory care, will hold their open house on Thursday, April 25,  from 4:30 to 7 p.m.  These two nursing homes are located at 520 Maple Valley Dr. For more information contact Debbie at 573-883-5999 

Big Turnout for Run/Walk/Ride

A large crowd of participants turned out for the third annual Run/Walk/Ride with Walker April 20 at the Farmington High School.  This event is designed to offer some relief to those who live every day with a sick child or without that child at all.  The organization pulls in participants from area counties which includes St. Francois, Washington, Madison, Iron, Perry, and Ste. Genevieve. The event is named after 14 year old Walker Johns who died November 3, 2011 from cancer.

Jazz BBQ Monday, April 29

The Farmington High School Band department will host a Jazz BBQ Monday, April 29 from 6 to 8 p.m at the Farmington High School Gym. The menu will include BBQ pulled pork, garlic new potatoes, cole slaw, baked beans, potato salad, dessert and drinks. There will be 3 shows during the event. The Farmington Middle School Jazz band will perform at 6:30 p.m., the Farmington Jazz Lab band will perform at 7 p.m., and the Farmington Jazz Ensemble at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 children 5 to 12, and children 4 and under are free. 

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 573-701-1310 ext 2225 or 573-330-4143.

Kelly Miller Circus, Courtesy of St. Francois County Rotary

The crowd has grown so large that Kelly Miller agreed to give us 2 nights for this years Circus. 4 shows in total. 4:30 and 7:30 each night.

Tickets are available at Redfield Collision in Farmington, Hastings Hobbies and More in Farmington, Mike's Market in Bismarck, Belgrade State Bank in Farmington and Desloge AND ALL of the First State Community Banks in Farmington, Park Hills, Desloge and Bonne Terre.

Tickets in Advance are $10.00 for an adult and $6.00 for Children; the day of the event the ticket prices are $15.00 and $7.00.

As always we will be raising the Big Top at 9am on Thursday Morning. Everyone is welcome to come watch the Elephants Raise the Top!

New Building Projects Nearing Completion in Town

The three main building projects in Farmington that the Post(Note)-Dispatch has been covering with photos this past fall are all nearing completion. These projects are a two-structure nursing home facility just north of the Parkland Hospital, a new medical facility behind Burger King, and a large addition to the First Baptist Church.

Americare's two new facilities are Maplebrook Assisted Living Building (top row) as seen in late summer and in mid-January and The Arbors Memory Care Assisted Living Building (bottom row) seen in late summer and in mid-January. 

The new Midwest Health Group building seen late last summer and mid-January.

Work on the Baptist Church addition project is now focusing on the handsome entrance way which will include large glass windows. Above is shown the building's entrance way as it looked in the summertime and as seen today. The entire project is slated for completion sometime in the late spring.

Steeples Make a Point

When you think about it,  Farmington is a town steeped in steeples.  As part of a new series on this topic,  the Post(note)-Dispatch will be featuring many of these majestic structures on our web page – including the first group shown here.  Can you identify each of them?  (Hint,  the oldest one was constructed in 1889.)  The others shown here were erected in 1901, 1908, 1912, 1954,1973,  and 1991.  If you are able to match the names and dates with these steeples,  please send us an e-mail at: cozean2@sbcglobal.net.  [We will provide the answers in a few weeks.]

. . . and Doe Run Steeples also Make a Point

St. Francois County Rotary Club's 0ctober Students of the Month

Beginning October 1,  the St. Francois County Rotary Club began honoring two "Students of the Month" from each of the five public school districts in the county.  This month's group are,  from L-R:  Haylee Gettinger and Klayton Loughary (Bismark) Austin Leach (North County) Jesse Cureton (West County) Garrett Hagerty (Central) Paige Gallogher (Farmington) Kelsey Chapman (Central) Erica Moyers (West County) John McNamara (Farmington).

Homecoming Parade 2012

Updates on Construction Projects Around Town

September 26:  Walker Johns Press Box at the FHS football field should be largely completed in time for the home football game set for September 28 against Cape Central.  [For more information on this story see the report of August 20 below.]

September 26:  Baptist Church addition is showing more progress with the installation of the first roof beams over the auditorium section of the project and the completion of the west wall of that part of the project.  [For more information on this story,  see the report of August 11 below.]

September 26:  The new Midwest Heart & Health Center is rapidly taking shape.  [For more information on this story,  see the report of August 14 below.]

September 26:  The two new Americare’s assisted living buildings are rapidly going up.  [For more information on this story,  see the reports of August 8 and 19 below.]

 

Street work continues on Potosi Street

September 26:  The city has begun upgrading Potosi Street,  including the first of the new sidewalks going in on the east side of the street.  Plans are underway to resurface the highway.  When the old asphalt was removed,  it revealed the original concrete highway built during the 1930s when the street was part of US 67 that ran through downtown Farmington.

Farmington Fall festival

September 26:  Good weather helped bring out a large crowd for the Farmington Fall festival September 22.  In addition to some 40 booth venders featuring crafts and food of all types,  visitors enjoyed seeing this year’s edition of friendly scarecrows.  Farmington Downtown Development Assn. sponsored the annual event.


Pictures below are in a slideshow format viewer can control start and stop. 

St. Francois County Rotary Club's Students of the Month.

Left to Right- Ben Dore-Farmington, Taylor Brockmiller- Farmington, Kylie Fincher-Central, Jessica Bates-West County, Elliot Sutton-West County, Chandler Politte-Bismark, and Jake Jarvis-Bismark. 

Update on Local Building Projects

August 19:  Baptist Church:  With the concrete blocks in place for much of the auditorium,  work should start in the next few days on the roof of that part of the structure.  The first steel girders arrived at the building site yesterday and they will be lifted in place over the next few days.  In addition, laying the exterior brick wall of the auditorium began today.

Walls,  at 27 feet height,  are now ready for the roof girders.

Exterior brickwork going up. 

Girders ready to be lifted into place.

Shawn Blankenship,  with Probst Construction Masonry is one of the many employees working on the project.

August 19:  Americare: The second building being constructed by Americare near Parkland Hospital is rapidly taking shape.  This structure,  called Maplebrook,  will be an assisted living facility.  Behind Maplebrook  is The Arbors at Maplebrook,  which will be an Alzheimer’s assisted living facility.  These units,  being built by Wilco Co. of St. Louis,  are expected to be ready for occupancy in the Spring of 2013.  Americare is also constructing two other nearly identical buildings at the same time at Nashville, Tennessee. 

August 19:  New Interchange:  The Diverging Diamond interchange at State Route 221 and U.S. 67 is slated to be completed and ready to use on September 5.  This will be the second such installation in Missouri,  the other being located at Springfield.  Cars passing through the new interchange will change lanes as they travel through the installation—thus the name “diverging diamond.”  The advantage of this system is that it will allow a smoother flow of traffic through what has long been a traffic bottleneck in this area.

            In order for the final work on the Department of Transportation to be completed,  the exchange will be closed on September 4 from 7 p.m. until 9 a.m. the following day – assuming the weather cooperates.  Several detour routes --one through Westmount and Maple Valley Drive and the other through Progress Drive to Overall Road-- will be available and marked with signs while the interchange is closed.     

Greif Recovery Support Croup Scheduled in Farmington

Boys and Girls State Honored

Fourteen students who attended the American Legion’s Boys State and Girls State at Warrenton this year were honored by the American Legion Post 416 August 20.  This group included four students from the West County High School and ten from Farmington High School.  Honorees are (front row.  left to right):  Grace Barnes, Jessica Bates, Paige Gallagher, Maria Ruiz, Jennifer Gann, and Kristen Greif.  (Second row):  Ryan Wadlow, Ben Dore, Jayson Scruggs, Elliot Sutton, Jesse Cureton,  Nathan Komar, Josh Thomas, and John McNamara

Work Continues on Walker Johns Memorial Press Box

August 20:  Workmen today were placing a rubber covering on the wooden roof of the new Walker Johns Memorial  Press Box that was built August 18 at the high school football field.  That Saturday a group of volunteers assembled the structure,  part of which had been pre-fabricated earlier by volunteers at the old Little Tikes warehouse.  First came the floor,  which was attached to the pre-existing steel beams on the bleachers at the home side of the field.  Next came the building sides followed by the interior framework.  Coming this week will be the electrical wiring,  followed by the finishing work on the interior walls.  The exterior of the building will be of steel siding painted the same shade of tan that is found on the new weight room building at the field.  The press box should be completed and ready to use in time for the first home game August 31 against Trinity Catholic.  

Major phases of construction are seen in the above photo feature.  Additional information about the construction of the press box are noted several articles below this story dated August 16.



It's happening around town

August 16:  Workmen (above) have completed paving of W. College St. in front of Truman Auditorium today.  Several hours later a fire was reported at an alley in the 600-700 block of Ste. Genevieve Ave. (below) where a shed was heavily damaged.

New Press Box Being Built for High School Field 

August 16:  Friends of the Farmington High School football program are at it again.  A few years ago they collected money to purchase an artificial turf to replace the poor-quality natural playing surface at the school.  The new turf not only allowed multiple uses of the field, often at the same time,  but the sponge-type artificial surface also vastly improved safety for the players. 

Some of the same participants in that project are now involved in building a new press box soon to be erected above the home seating area.  The idea for this facility,  to be used by print, radio and TV reporters,  came from  Kenneth James and Kelly Charisse (Walker) Johns as a way to honor their 14-year-old son,  Walker Henry Johns,  a Knights football enthusiast who died in November 2011.  Young Johns had been raised around Farmington Knights Football and was a waterboy for the team at the time of his death.  The Johns family was well aware that the old press box was in a poor state of repair and needed replacing. 

Others quickly volunteered to help.  Among them was Keith Hutson,  who helped raise about $25,000 needed to fund the project,  Brockmiller Construction Co., which contributed to the design and helped supervise construction,  and Gifford Lumber Co. is supplying materials at a discount.  Together with the help of about a dozen Knights fans who are constructing the building,  Kenneth Johns believes the press box should be ready in time for the first home game against Festus on August 24.   

Walls going up at two major building projects

August 14:  Workmen began laying the first concrete block walls at the First Baptist Church construction project this week.

August 14:   At the Midwest Heart & Health Center (approximately one block due north of Burger King on Karsch Blvd.) on West Pine Street workmen began shaping up the roof this week.

Meet the 2012 Farmington Vasity Football Team

Members of the varsity squad met this week for individual and group photos and are beginning practice sessions.  

Knights Football Schedule Link

City Manager discusses street/sidewalk improvements 

Farmington Host State Baseball Tournament

July 27:  Farmington hosts the 2012 Missouri 14-year-old Babe Ruth State Tournament July 26-30 2012 at Wilson Rozier Park. Mineral Area Americans will be playing Boonville this evening for the Championship.  The tournament attracted good crowds for all of the games.

August 8:  Having won the state playoffs at Farmington,  the MABA American all-stars have continued to do well at the the Midwest Plains Regional Tournament at Lamar, Colorado.  With victories in their first three games,  the local team is just one win away from competing in the World Series at Murray, Utah.  Stay tuned.

Good Weather Brings Out Crowd for Relay 

July 23:  Lower than normal (for the past few weeks!) temperatures and a gentle breeze helped bring out a nice crowd for the annual Relay for Life sponsored by the American Cancer Society.  Among those in attendance were 138 survivors and 28 teams, plus many friends and relatives who helped raise a total of $131,078 for the event held July 20 at the Mineral Area College.  The event ran from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.,  with opening ceremonies at 7 p.m.  A highlight of the event was the presentation of a special award to the family of Norma Clauser,  who was one of the first organizers of the Relay for Life in this area.  She died of cancer earlier this year.

Audubon Society Adding to Engler Park Bird Sanctuary 

 July 23:  With some volunteers from as far away as Kansas City,  Junction City, KS,  Phoenix and Bismarck,  the local East Ozarks Audubon Society is adding to its Dr. F. R. Crouch Nature Sanctuary at Engler Park in a project dedicated to the memory of the late Lynne Elenore Winston,  a long-time Farmington Audubon member who passed away February 2012.

Included in the impressive sanctuary expansion will be a tower for chimney swifts,  where as many as 100 pairs of that specie can build nests at the same time.  In addition,  a new butterfly garden that will include native Missouri plants,  flowers and rocks is being constructed.  A new all-metal bench will also be located near the garden.

The Society hopes to have the project completed by July 27.

Shown above top left is the new Chimney Swift tower: also shown above is part of the equipment and the crew constructing the tower. Lower right is part of the work crew taking a break from the summer heat. 

Work Continues on Winston Bird Sanctuary Project 

August 8:  Work is progressing rapidly on the new tower for Chimney Swifts and a butterfly garden at Engler Park.  The project,  which involves more than 30 volunteers from the local area and as far away as Canada,  will upgrade the bird sanctuary operated by the East Ozarks Audubon Society which is headquartered in Farmington.  The driving force behind the project is Chuck Winston of Phoenix, AZ,  who is the grandson of Lynne Winston,  the late long-time valued member of the local Audubon Society.  Young Winston is working on an Eagle Boy Scout special project badge—which is this fine addition to the bird sanctuary.  The project is projected to be completed by the dedication ceremony scheduled for around noon on July 28.

August 13:  Work has been completed on the current phase of the new butterfly garden and chimney swift house at the Dr. F.R. Crouch Nature Sanctuary at Engler Park.  Surrounding the chimney swift house is a kiosk which contains information about butterflies, chimney swifts, and the East Ozarks Audubon club.  The idea for the project came from Charles Winston of Phoenix, AZ,  who was looking for a way to earn another merit badge on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout.  When his grandmother Lynne Winston,  an avid member of the local Audubon Society,  passed away in February,  young Winston thought such a project would be a perfect way to honor her memory.  Other members of the family from all over the country and Canada agreed to pitch in and help on the project,  which took six days to complete.  Also assisting were local 4-H Outdoor Adventure Club members,  who had received a grant for the project from the Missouri 4-H Foundation and the William T. Kemper Foundation.  Surrounding the swift house chimney is a butterfly park,  where various Missouri flowers and other native plants will be added next Spring to attract butterflies.  Also included in the project is a steel bench with cutouts of Lynne’s name surrounded by birds.  The City of Farmington also assisted on the project and will maintain the project

Suggestions for Surviving Hot Weather

Tip No: 1: drink plenty of water

July 20:  Our staff member James Larmer, who spends a lot of time taking care of the fish pond and watering flowers and shrubs, takes time out for a drink of cool water.  Consuming a lot of water when working in the hot sun (it was 101 degrees F when this picture was taken) is highly recommended this time of year.

Tip No. 2:  Think Cold Weather

 When Anna in “The King and I” was sometimes afraid, she said she liked to “whistle a happy tune.”  Well, this type of psychology might also work during hot weather:  think of cold weather!  To help you with this bit of therapy,   we have supplied you with some scenes taken around town during wintertime.  Just remember:  snow could be back in Farmington just five months from now!

---

The American Legion Post 416 installed new officers at its regular meeting on July 16.

Ladies Auxiliary: Left-Right Kathy Stewart-President, Lori Deer-First Vice President, Cindy Elins-Second Vice President, Joyce Jamirson-Secretary, Louise Wieland-standing in for Judy Carriere-Treasurer, Phyllis Kluver-Chaplain, and Linda Kelly-Sgt-at-Arms.

Americn Legion Post 416 New Officers: Left-Right Don Nelson-Chaplain, Fancis Roberts-First Vice Commander, Don Weiler-Adjutant, Tom Rector-Second Vice Commander, Jerry Rawlins-Commander, Terry Williams-Finance Officer, Jim Weiland-Sgt-at-Arms, and  Don Polachek-Historian, Carolyn Penuel-Service Officer.

Building Projects Around Farmington: July

Doss Street Project

July 18:  The City’s Street Department,  under the able direction of Supt. Terry Ferguson (who has been with that department for 36 years),  has been totally re-working Doss Street from North A Street to Potosi Street.  This includes new sidewalks,  which should be completed by the end of July,  according to City Administrator Gregory Beavers.  In addition,  storm-sewer lines are being installed on Doss for the first time.  This line will connect with another new line that runs along the west side of North A and will ultimately connect with storm sewer lines on West Karsch Blvd.  The Doss Street project also includes landscaping along the sidewalks at the western end of Doss.  Sometime in the near future,  Doss Street will be fully repaved.  A future article in the Farmington Post(note)-Dispatch will focus on other sidewalk projects being planned in the city.

New senior housing complex

August 8:  Work continues on the second major building going up for the Alzheimers Assisted Living housing project on Maple Valley Dr.  

Sub-Floor Work Continues at Baptist Church 

August 11:   Work continues on the foundation and sub floor at the Baptist Church building project which includes a gymnasium.  Workers are expected to begin laying concrete blocks around the walls sometime next week.  Expected date of completion is said to be Spring of 2013.

Midwest Heart & Health Center 

August 8:  The Midwest Heart & Health Center (approximately one block due north of Burger King on Karsch Blvd.) on West Pine Street is rapidly taking shape,  with the walls now going up.  

Bicycle Shop Here Helps Put Farmington on the Map 

July 17:  Have you been seeing more bicycles around town this summer? 

 There’s a reason for that:  a new shop at 119 W. Liberty Street, Trans Am Cyclery,  has been putting many of our residents on wheels since it opened on March 1 last year.  Visitors to the cyclery have been finding a full array of bicycles for all ages and accessories -- helmets, gloves, reflectors, mirrors, lights, clothing items, locks and much more. 

Today’s bicycles are a huge improvement over those sold years ago when grandpa and grandma rode around at the turn of the century on a two-seater.  Two-seaters are still being made, but the various models for bikers today are built with lighter yet stronger materials.  Brakes are better and the seats are far more comfortable.  Not surprisingly, computers have even made their appearance on the bike scene.  These little gadgets can keep a biker aware of the MPH, distance, time, heart rate, cadence (RPM), and more.  Other accessories, also available in many other stores, include such as tiny items as radios and recorded music, earphones, and cell phone service.  All of these enhancements are making a bike far more enjoyable than in the days gone by.

Given the wide choice of merchandise available, bicycling in the Farmington area (and around the world) has gained many new adherents. 

The Farmington shop, one of three family-owned stores, carries the “Giant” brand of bikes.  The other two stores in the St. Louis area also stock the “Trek” brand.  At Farmington, manager “L.T.” also stays busy at the store’s repair shop where he uses the latest equipment to keep his customer’s bikes in good condition.

The location of Trans Am conveniently sits across the street from the old county jail which now houses a bicycle hostel on the second floor.  Bicyclists from all over the country are attracted by that facility, where they can take a shower and spend the night.  The register book at the hostel contain the names of bikers who come from the West Coast, East Coast,  and most other parts of the country.  Many of those visiting bikers eat supper and breakfast in our town and make it a point to shop Trans Am before resuming their trips.

These days it’s not uncommon to see a whole family pedaling around town.  Chances are,  Trans Am helped put them there.

Store manager LT holding one of the new mini computers that today's bicyclists can use to make their trip more enjoyable and informative.





Farmington Residents Donate 15,000 Pounds to Recycling Center

July 16:  Farmington residents donated more than 15,000 pounds of old electronic equipment, tools,  appliances and lawn equipment to the Midwest Recycling Center’s pickup Saturday,  July 14,  at the Civic Center.  The total amount collected completely filled two large box trucks during the four-hour collection period.

            Among the items collected included a wide variety of desktop computer devices,  answering machines,  DVD players,  music systems including speakers,  microwaves,  kitchen equipment,  scanners,  power tools,  and gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.

            All items collected were taken to a large warehouse at Park Hills which the recycling center operates in this part of the state.  Each item will be disassembled so that recyclable materials such as copper and plastic can be salvaged.

            The collection firm is registered with the EPA and has been certified by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.  None of the materials salvaged from donated items are sent to landfills.

              Farmington City Administrator Gregory Beavers says the city is thinking about making this type of electronic and appliance collection an annual event. The City of Farmington also operates a center at the corner of Middle and Spring streets where paper and bottles can be dropped off for recycling.

---

City Gives Sendoff to 1138th Engineers 

July 7:  City Officials honored members of the 1138th Engineer Company located at Farmington with an impressive ceremony July 7 at Long Memorial Hall.  The Army engineers, which were scheduled to deploy to Ft. Bliss later in the day for additional training, had a company run from the courthouse annex to the front of city hall for the 7:30 a.m. ceremony.  The soldiers left their company flag with city officials who said it would be flown in front of city hall until the Engineers return from nine months of active duty in Afghanistan.  

FARMINGTON High School Fall Practice Schedule Released

---

fallpractices_2012.pdf
File Size:	39 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---

Amish Mennonite Community Expands in Our Area 

July 26:  The growing Amish Mennonite Community in our area has purchased land at Highway 32 East and Green Road where they are constructing a new church building.  A large track of land is being cleared to also make room for a school building and a ball field.  Members of the Mennonite Church also operate the Ole Tyme Pantry and the Stone Haus Furniture stores on D Highway. 

---

Gay Wilkinson demonstrates his Anvils 

At the Mackley family reunion in Perry County last week  Saturday June 30, 2012,  former Mayor Gay Wilkinson shows us why His anvil shooting Demonstration is such a crowd pleaser.

June 24, 2012 Large turn out for the Annual St. Joseph Parish Picnic

Our roving photographer compiled this photo Montage of images from the parish picnic. Sunny weather helped bring out a large crowd for the event. 

East Ozarks Audubon Society local history

Dr. F.R. Crouch

Dr. F.R. Crouch was the inspiration for the formation of the local six-county chapter of National Audubon Society. 

   Dr. Crouch coached local Boy Scouts and others in bird study.  He had graduated from Cornell University in New York with a Bachelor of Science in ornithology (bird study).  Upon being granted a fellowship he chose to enter the field of medicine.

   At his funeral in 1979 his brother, Dr. Jim Crouch, asked Bob Lewis if he was a member of National Audubon.  Lewis replied that he thought Audubon was too political and that he preferred the American Birding Association which was strictly only about birds.

   “You’d better get political if you want to have a place to watch birds in the future,” Dr Jim replied.  In the spring of 1980 Bob and Bill Reeves attended the spring meeting of the Audubon Society of Missouri which was centered at Weldon Springs that year.  They were impressed with the organization and decided a local Audubon chapter might be appropriate.

   Lewis wrote a letter to National Audubon which was quickly answered by Ed Pemberton of the five-state Midwest region.  The date of September 25th was set for a general meeting at the Civic Room of Ozarks Federal Savings & Loan.  Anyone receiving the Audubon Magazine was automatically a member of the new chapter.  Other nature loving people in the Farmington area were recruited by those wanting to form the chapter.

   Professor Bob Scobee of Mineral Area College was instrumental in recruiting a number of his students and others in St. Francois County.  Activities suggested by National Audubon included:

(1) Chapter meetings including nature films, speakers and business meetings.

(2) Field Trips to natural areas to study wildlife and flora.

(3) Seminars in bird feeding, bird watching and backyard planting for wildlife.

(4) Activities to promote  a quality environment.

(5) Chapter newsletter at least six times a year.

(6) Involvement in Christmas Bird Counts or Big Day counts.

   The first newsletter was dated December 4, 1980.  The first president was Bob Lewis and his vice-president was Bill Reeves who succeeded him two years later.

   By the year 2012 the Chapter has participated in 32 years of Christmas Bird Counts at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge.  During many of those years members Bill Reeves and Steve Dilks has served as compilers of the counts.

   The Chapter has also participated in a Breeding Bird Survey in Madison County for 30 years in which Karen Adams has mostly conducted the 25-mile survey.  The data from this survey is submitted to National Audubon Society which when computerized shows a “picture” of the movements of birds each year.

   Fifth grade students in the area are offered nature programs from National Audubon with a printed newsletter and a teacher program.

   Several members have worked as volunteers at the World Bird Sanctuary at Lone Elk Park in St. Louis County.

   Today the membership in East Ozarks Audubon hovers around 200 families in the six-county area including Iron, Madison, Reynolds, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve and Washington counties.

Meetings are held on the third Thursday of odd months at Memorial United Methodist Church in Farmington.  A refreshment period at 6:30 p.m. is followed by the general meeting at 7:00 p.m.  The general public is invited to attend all meetings. 

   Membership is still automatic for those receiving Audubon Magazine.  However, it is possible to become a “local” member without receiving the magazine.  Local members pay $10 per year to cover the cost of the newsletter and meeting reminder postcards. 

   The Chapter also maintains a bird feeding station at Engler City Park containing 10 feeders which are filled twice each week. Pictures of bird feeding station and watching blind below. 

---

Work Continues on Farmington Cross-Over

The Farmington cross-over only the second one in the state to date is rapidly taking shape.  Work is continuing on the east side of the overpass, and concrete has been poured on one of the exit ramps.  Prep work on the other exit ramps is rapidly progressing.  Check the video maps at   www.modot.gov which has been prepared by the Missouri Department of Transportation to see a visualization of the final result of the building project.  Watch a simulation of the diverging diamond interchange to be constructed at the intersection of Routes 221/W/67 in Farmington video below. 

---

Chinese firm Purchases AMC theaters

According to recent news reports in the national media, a Chinese firm has purchased the AMC chain of movie theaters throughout the nation at a cost of $2.6 billion.  AMC, the world’s largest theater chain, operates the movie theater at the Maple Valley Shopping Center in Farmington.  If the sale is approved by regulators in the U. S. and China, the acquisition would be the largest Chinese takeover to date in the United States.  AMC, with 18,000 employees, is headquartered in Kansas City.  With new capital supplied by Chinese investors, AMC hopes to upgrade many of its present theaters in this country.  The Post(note)-Dispatch hopes that the new owners of AMC would consider adding several more screens to its Farmington theater,  which currently is limited to four films at a time.  How about six screens—or even eight?

---

White Castle Remodels Store

Work is now nearly complete on the remodeled White Castle restaurant.  Among the changes are a much brighter interior with pleasing light orange and blue colors.  A new seating arrangement offers more privacy and the counter area has been enlarged.  A new backlit menu is easier to read than the original one used since the store first opened.  Video screen and WI FI have also been installed and should be put into service soon.  The staff at White Castle works hard to make sure the restaurant is kept clean.  Outside, the staff scrubs daily with soap and water the concrete driveway adjacent the carry-out window.    

Good Weather, Programs, and Vendors Bring Out Country Days Crowds

Perfect weather, mostly cool with a lot of sunshine, helped to bring out crowds for the midway, the parade, and the entertainment at this year's Country Days.  On Friday, large crowds stood in line at the rides and at food stands while the talent show filled Long Park with the sounds of Country Days.  The long parade on Saturday also attracted hundreds of fans on both Columbia and Liberty streets. 

Libertyville Christian Church Celebrates Its 190th Anniversay

On May 20th, the Libertyville Christian Church celebrated its 190th anniversay, which was followed by a potluck dinner in the church basement following the regular Sunday service at 10:30 a.m.  "The grass withers,  the flower fades,  But the word of our God stands forever."  These words from isaiah 40:8 were part of the theme that Rev. Paul Doenthal emphasized as he spoke of the church's long history at Libertyville.  In a handout at the service,  the history of the church and area was noted thus:  "In the latter part of 1799 or the first part of 1800,  a Kentuckian named Nathaniel Cook pitched his tent in this community.  Mr. Cook was a prominent and influential man,  having been a judge at Ste. Genevieve and he was also the first elected lieutenant governor of the State of Missouri.   This community,  which bore the name of Cook's Settlement,  just may have been the first in the County.  Mr. Cook was a surveyor,  and he surveyed and homesteaded a great portion of the community (which is now Libertyville),  and established his home and lived there until his death.  He was buried on what is now the farm of Theodore and John Kiepe just about a mile west of Libertyville.  Mm. People came into this valley to become his neighbors,  including a journeyman carpenter and preacher from Kentucky,  Mr. William McMurty organized the church in May.  The first officers were Samuel Kinkead and E.C. Sebastian,  elders. 

296 Students in 2012 Senior Commencement Ceremony 

 As “Pomp and Circumstance” was being performed by the Farmington High School band under the direction of Band Director Kurt Bauche, family and friends filled the Civic Center on Sunday, May 20,  to watch the graduation of 296 senior students.  Student Council President Jaden McBride welcomed everyone following the National Anthem and the Presentation of Colors by high school AFJROTC Color Guard.  The class valedictorian was Veeshesh Ashvin Patel and Kyle Francis Warren was the class Salutatorian.  The class songs,  “For Good” by the A Cappella choir and “I Will Never pass This Way Again,”  performed by the men of the choraliers under the direction of Sue Bauche,  choir director,  drew a large applause from the standing-room only crowd attending the event.  Guest speakers were Todd McKinney, dean of students,  and Sue Bauche. 



 

---

Building Projects around Farmington: Our Mid-May Report

Midwest Health Group Building 

Work is continuing on the new medical building foundation which will house the Midwest Health Group, owned by Doctors Guy Roberts and Paul Moniz.  This facility will adjoin the health complex at 513 Pine Street where the Ears, Nose and Throat and the Midwest Cardiovascular offices are located. 








 

---

First Baptist Church Auditorium

Work is continuing on a new multi-functional facility at the First Baptist Church.  The building will cover much of the current parking area immediately south of the sanctuary. Depending on weather conditions work is expected to be completed by April 2013. Brockmiller Construction Co. is the main contractor. 

---