Daily Dunklin Democrat: Columns: Bud Hunt

And so it ends (09/23/12)
I started this writing roughly 25 years ago in Osceola, Ark. at the weekly Osceola Times. At that time the newspaper there and Blytheville were owned by Park Communications-Rust now owns those newspaper properties. Park bought the newspaper from a group that included Phil Mullins. Mr. Mullins wrote a column called "Moonbeams." It was a takeoff of the old Moon Mullins cartoon character and a nickname that had been attached to Mr. Mullins...

Back to school time (08/05/12)
Shoppers in Missouri will be scooping up bargains this weekend in part because of a sales tax holiday. The state is waving its 4.225 percent sales tax in an effort to help consumers save a little bit on clothing and other school supplies (including computers). Merchants will also see a benefit as their sales should bump a bit, given the history of such "holidays."...

Time to get back in the saddle (07/29/12)
I've been traveling for a couple of weeks - business not pleasure - and most of that travel has been later in the week when I would normally be working on this muse. True story Several weeks ago I reminded readers that one sure fire way to ensure a rain was for former scoutmaster Dennis Bracey to organize and go on a camping trip. That probably generated a couple of chuckles. However, as reader Jill Rickman pointed out to me in an email there's something to the Dennis Bracey legend...

Learning at a young age (06/24/12)
Most of us can recall a certain Christmas gift we received and most of the time we can recall who gave us that gift. Gifts stand out for various reasons -- most likely because we were the recipient of something we really wanted or really needed. A couple of weeks ago I learned about just such a case...

Ready to stock the salt water pond (06/17/12)
Cement pond update A couple of weeks ago I noted that Randy Caldwell and his neighbor, Mark Moore, were putting in a salt water pond in Mark's backyard. I offered several suggestions as to the various types of fish they might stock since it's a little difficult to get fresh seafood this far from the coast...

Fishing rodeo in Westgate (06/03/12)
Fresh seafood When you don't live on or near the coast getting fresh seafood can be a problem for folks who enjoy such treats. A couple of local guys feel that way and so have decided to take matters into their own hands. Mark Moore and Randy Caldwell are putting in a saltwater pond. It's not unusual for folks to have a saltwater tank, but it's tough to stock something that small with saltwater fish...

Jackson homecoming isn't a TV show (05/20/12)
Rainmaker Remember the last time we had a decent rain of any measurable amount? It was on a Monday and I think it was a couple of weeks ago. That afternoon I ran into Rita Orr who said she was so happy to see the rain she, "almost went out and played in it." Almost? If we get the rain promised Sunday evening or Monday morning I'll bet there will be several folks who will go out and play in it this time...

'Chimney-corner' Lincolnisms (05/06/12)
A great American said ... Some time ago I mentioned Abraham Lincoln in this space and a regular reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, sent along a quote attributed to the 16th president. In this election season our reader friend thought it might be appropriate to repeat those words in this space...

Catching up from vacation (04/22/12)
Sometimes, but not often, a vacation can seem like it's more trouble than it's worth. Such was definitely not the case last week, although I did come home to a lot of catching up to do. My wife and I slipped off to the Caribbean for a cruise stopping in several ports we had not been to before. These are always interesting learning opportunities...

Politics and gunfighters (04/01/12)
Priorities A couple of bills making their way through the Missouri legislature caught my attention. In an AP story this week I read where one House member has introduced a measure calling for the jumping jack to be named the official state exercise. Sounds a little silly but there's some rationale behind Rep. Pat Conway's bill...

Political news of current and bygone days (03/25/12)
Redistricting Has the re-districting of Missouri`s Senate and House districts left you totally confused? The panel charged with re-drawing the lines couldn`t get it done to the satisfaction of some and so re-drawing the lines ended up being done behind closed doors. Even that didn`t resolve things and the whole thing ended up in the courts -- where the lines were changed again...

Off to San Antonio (03/11/12)
Business called last week to San Antonio and so never having been there before my wife and I went a couple days early to see the sights. Right away we found a, sorta, Kennett connection. Leaving the lot at Hertz with our rental car the fellow checking us out made a comment about Kennett...

C'mon spring (02/26/12)
Another sign that spring time is just around the corner -- a lot of dust in the air. Dust from the winds and it seems we're going to get the winds this time of year when the temperature gauge starts climbing. Farmers are also contributing to the dust in the air, but that's a good thing...

A little late love (02/19/12)
I had intended to run this last week but was out of town and didn't get back in time. Still, we're close enough to Valentine's Day that you probably remember it so I'll go ahead and ask the questions. Answers are at the end of the column. Were you among those who sent roses to someone last Tuesday?...

Local weather girl still on the job (02/05/12)
Follow up Last week I told you about seeing Debra Hughes going outside in the rain to check the rain gauge at Baker Farm & Hardware. I suggested that Debra went back in and reported to everyone that according to her rain gauge it was indeed raining...

Technology is great... (01/29/12)
...when it works. That's the story a couple of our local fellows were telling last week after they had done a little "texting" one evening. A text, for those unfamiliar with the term and think maybe these two guys were throwing books at each other, is a short message sent between cell phones. The message has to be limited to 140 characters although I have no idea who decided 140 characters is the right length to be considered short...

What do words really mean? (01/15/12)
It is my sad duty to report that winter has finally made an appearance. As a kid growing up in Tampa, Fla. we would poke fun at folks known as "snowbirds." About right now I'm thinking about how much pleasure I would take in being called a "snowbird." No longer do I see that as a derisive term, instead it looks more and more like one of endearment...

Change can be good (01/01/12)
It's that time of year when some of us take a look at where we are, what we're doing, how we're doing it and why. Having done so many of us decide it's time to make a change, mostly, hopefully, for the better. Often times these are referred to as New Year's resolutions or "Resolutions" depending on how big of a change we're attempting to make...

Santa is making the rounds (12/25/11)
It's that time of year again when we have to help ol' St. Nick fill up his goodie bag for the big boys and girls in this part of the country. I know it's hard to believe, but some of these folks have just been too busy to sit down and write that letter to the North Pole this year and it's our humble responsibility to take care of them. The list is long, so let's get started...

Method to the madness (12/11/11)
Tradition continues Most folks who are interested know that the University of Missouri Tigers will be playing the University of North Carolina Tarheels in the Advocare Independence Bowl later this month in Sherveport, La. This isn't the first time the two schools have played each other in football. However, it is the first time in a little over 35 years and Mizzou owes a large part of its tradition to the Tarheels. Or, maybe Ohio State...

Santa could get 'sooty' this year (11/27/11)
Can you hear me now? It's deer season and for a lot of folks around these parts opening day of deer season -- and we've talked about this before in this space - ranks right up there with the opening day of baseball season or maybe even their wedding day for a couple of fellows who will go unnamed to protect the guilty...

Guess we're not so scary now (11/20/11)
I suppose we don't look like avatars anymore to our granddaughter. The last time (September) we were in St. Louis to see little Aubrey we had been reduced to communicating by means of a video call. When she saw us in person after a month of doing so it took her a while to warm up to us. Not so last weekend...

It's all about the youngsters (11/13/11)
Last week Eason Heath Allgood arrived and none too soon for his patiently waiting parents. Eason arrived, per the text that showed up on my phone at 3:33 in the afternoon. The text from his grandpa Mark Moore actually read, "Domino @ 3:33." So do you think Eason's lucky number is going to be "3?" Consider also that his birthday is November 9, or 3+3+3. I think Mark should have gone out and bought a lottery ticket with a bunch of three's on it...

Getting cotton to market (10/30/11)
It's cotton pickin' time in the Bootheel. Actually, it's almost past cotton picking time but there's still some out in the fields. Cotton picking must have been on Vivian Helton's mind recently as she dug up this gem of a column by Whit Thrower from the May 9, 1950 edition of the newspaper...

They should call it the 'Walking City' (10/23/11)
I slipped out of town for a few days to attend the Inland Press Association meeting in Chicago. My wife went along because she had never been to Chi-Town and it's been a little over 25 years since I've been there. We opted for a drive to St. Louis and hopping on the Amtrak from there to Chicago. Lee had never ridden a train before. My one experience on a train was when Judy Earnest loaded a bunch of dads up for a Girl Scouts father-daughter weekend trip to Kansas City from St. Louis...

News makers, some unintentional (10/09/11)
Headlines from last week that caught my attention for various reasons. "Scholastic to close Moberly facility, costing 135 jobs" in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch told of sad economic news for the publisher of "September 12: We Knew Everything Would Be All Right," the book published by Darlene Robertson's first grade class at H. ...

Fall has arrived (10/02/11)
After almost 20 years I still haven't figured out if the Delta Fair brings in the fall-like weather or if the weather brings in the Fair. Either way they both seem to arrive at about the same time. Meg Benson pulled off her first parade and it went rather smoothly. One thing's for sure, the parade is gonna happen. The trick is to make it happen as it's planned. There's always going to be a couple of snafus but everyone seems to make it from one end of the route to the other...

He's shown a lot a staying power (09/18/11)
Appropriate recognition It was fitting at the end of its annual breakfast held Friday, Sept. 2 that the University of Missouri recognized longtime Delta Research Center director T.E. "Jake" Fisher by renaming the facility in his honor. As the new sign was unveiled Jake was, at least for a few minutes, speechless. I know, those of us in attendance were all surprised, too. It didn't take him long to recover though as Jake expressed his thanks...

Some things we just can't control (08/28/11)
I noticed that the local Rotary Club had an impromptu program a couple of weeks ago about the new light bulbs, or as I like to refer to them the "Al Gore Light Bulbs." It was suggested that the new bulbs will last for years and that they will use 70 percent less electricity. My thought is that it's a good thing in both cases, because I don't think they burn as bright so that means we're going to have to buy twice as many of them to get enough light...

A little bit of everything (08/07/11)
News of note An ABC News story, "Afghanistan War: Hobbyists' Toy Truck Saves 6 Soldiers' Lives" tells the story of a remote control truck a soldier's brother sent him as he serves in Afghanistan. Soldiers send the remote-controlled truck rigged with a camera, out ahead of them as they patrol searching for Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). ...

Summer time fun (07/31/11)
On the golf course Congratulations to Dr. Steve Pu on his first ever hole-in-one. Steve had his ace last Saturday at the local golf course on hole number 8. The hole was playing about 155 yards that day and I think Steve may have hit a 9-iron from the tee box...

Neat attraction at the Campbell Fair (07/24/11)
Road work In this space a couple of weeks ago I asked readers how many more speed bumps they thought MoDot would be able to put in along Highway 25 between Holcomb and Bernie. Repair work had begun on that stretch of highway and the initial phase involved fixing some of the more serious breaks in the pavement. Some of those repairs, particularly around Clarkton, came close to resembling a speed bump...

Back in the saddle (07/17/11)
Headlines over the past several days as we enjoy early "Dog Days of Summer" that usually don't show up until August. These two headlines haven't received much attention from the national press mostly because they don't add to the hysterics being bandied about of gloom and doom from a government shutdown...

How will Democrats celebrate the Fourth? (07/03/11)
Headlines From the Kansas City Star: "Westboro Baptist speakers spark change in FBI policy" The group of lunatics best known for its protests at the funerals of fallen military service members has been sending speakers to the nation's top law enforcement training sessions, per the Star. Reportedly the speakers were to help the FBI be better able to deal with groups with which it disagrees. Once the sessions became public knowledge they were halted...

Not sure why some of these are even stories (06/26/11)
Headlines news "The NYT (New York Times) promises to intermingle news and opinion" This was the headline over a story from the Nieman Journalism Lab. Most folks would wonder why it's news, suggesting that the newspaper has been doing this all along...

Revisionist history claim shakes quake beliefs (06/19/11)
Our earthquake About ten days ago a story came out of southern Illinois about the 1811-12 earthquake, known around these parts for making the Mississippi River run backwards, formed Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee and had Charles Richter been around a hundred years or so earlier, would have measured it at 8.0 on his scale by most estimates...

More questions than answers (06/12/11)
A few questions to ponder as we enjoy the warmer temperatures melting away memories of the long (really long) cold winter: How many more speed bumps can MoDot put in on Highway 25 between Holcomb and Bernie under the aegis of repair? Will Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan send U.S. ...

Sporting developments make one think (05/29/11)
Questions to ponder as we get ready for the summer season that's finally arrived. Who will be the first NFL player arrested this fall because of the professional football lockout? None of us should be surprised when that happens because Baltimore Ravens linebacker, Ray Lewis, pretty well told us crime would be going up if owners and players can't get together on a new collective bargaining agreement...

Sometimes life isn't fair (05/15/11)
Good deeds My neighbor, Dee Privett, has been putting in a lot of hours lately. To be more correct, Dee's been putting in a lot more hours lately. Dee works for Bunge in Caruthersville. So while he would normally be busy in the spring as farmers are returning to their fields, Dee's been even busier this spring because of the flood. Dee and his co-workers did a lot of sandbagging and moving dirt around trying to stave off the mighty Mississippi...

Twain knew the river well (05/08/11)
Mark Twain is reported to have said some 100 years ago, the Mississippi River "cannot be tamed, curbed or confined.....you cannot bar its path with an obstruction which it will not tear down, dance over and laugh at." Most folks on this side of the river, and likely most on the other side as well, would have preferred to remain blissfully ignorant of what it would mean to breach the levee at Birds Point. ...

A time of celebrations (04/24/11)
Happy Easter For all the pomp that surrounds Christmas had there not been an Easter morning it's likely the celebration of Christmas would have been little more significant than celebrating the birth of a great prophet or saint. Easter is a lot more solemn occasion for Christians than Christmas Day and that is probably because most folks associate Easter with the death of Christ that actually took place on Good Friday. Easter morning is the re-birth, not just of Christ, but of all mankind...

It's all about perceptions (04/03/11)
Perceptions Steve Willis saw the photograph in last weekend's Parade magazine of Mickey Mantle taken before Game Five of the 1964 World Series (which the Cardinals won in seven). The writer was Roger Rosenblatt, a typical New York native, who actually wrote "...which the Yankees lost to the Cardinals in seven," obviously thinking that the most important thing was that the Yankees lost the series...

Miscellaneous ramblings (03/27/11)
It's not as if there has been a lack of news lately, but some weeks there are just a lot of random thoughts that come across my mind. That was the case last week as I read through different news stories from a lot of different sources. For instance:...

Artist had a vivid imagination (03/06/11)
I tried A newspaper conference forced me to spend the last full week of February out of town. Sponsors of the conference made it easier by having that conference in St. Petersburg, Fla. I had a vague memory of 80-degree temperatures and yes, it's just as pleasant as I remember...

News from the past (02/20/11)
"The Campbell Independent has been resurrected by Editor Mable and is again sailing smoothly along as a republican sheet. During its sleep the material was used to publish a democratic campaign sheet, but the primary is over and the 'suckers' having moved further up the creek, the Times retired. This office has not been honored by a visit from the new Independent."...

A tour of the White House (01/30/11)
Pulling rank Several of our local folks journeyed to the nation's capitol a few weeks ago. Even the cold temperatures couldn't keep them from doing a little sight-seeing. A "must see" on any Washington, D.C., trip is obviously the White House. As you can imagine security at the home of our nation's president is a high priority. ...

Get ready for some big times (01/23/11)
Save the date February promises to be a busy time in these parts. On Feb. 12 local VFW Post 5443 will be holding its annual Cruise Party fund raiser. The event will be held at the Post's hall on the South Bypass. Tickets are $100 per couple and include the dinner, entertainment and an opportunity to win prizes. To purchase a ticket see any VFW member. Gene Lemonds has been known to have an extra ticket or two available. If you can get away with it, that's can be a nice Valentine's Day dinner...

History was made (01/09/11)
First vote As luck would have it I was surfing the web last Wednesday when I landed on the Fox News site that was live streaming video of the U.S. House of Representatives voting for their new speaker. I clicked on the site just after the voting had started and decided to watch for a few minutes as history was being made. As the clerk called, "Crawford," I saw Rep. Rick Crawford, (R-Ark. First District) cast his first vote as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives...

Starting the new year right (01/02/11)
According to some the idea of making New Year's resolutions goes all the way back to 2000 B.C. According to Lia Steakley Dicker, ancient Babylonians celebrated the spring and autumn equinoxes with festivals that included paying off debts and returning borrowed goods. (Note to Randy Caldwell; I'll get your books back to you soon)...

She's here! (12/31/10)
Last Saturday morning Roxie, the four-legged master of our house, bounced out of bed a clear indication she's ready go outside and perform her morning ritual. My wife got up to let her out. I stayed in bed for a few minutes. The day's schedule was pretty well set. We were heading to Cape Girardeau to spend the day with our daughter celebrating her birthday...

A lot to be thankful for (11/28/10)
Giving thanks It's that time of year when folks start taking a little bit of inventory about all they have to be thankful for in their lives. Most of us, when we take a few minutes have a lot more going right for us than not. In my case I'm thankful for my neighbor, Earl Spencer...

Veterans enjoyed breakfast on Rotary (11/14/10)
Last week I had the pleasure, and it was a pleasure, of attending the Rotary Club meeting at the invitation of Carl Williams. It was a special morning for a couple of reasons. Todd Lindley, District Governor of Rotary International District 6060 from Webster Groves, Mo., was in for his annual visit. ...

Only a few more days (10/31/10)
'Tis the season Nah, not that season, not yet. It's the political season and fortunately it is winding down. It will end next Wednesday morning. Although as John Adaway, head honcho at the local Plaza Tire store, pointed out when I mentioned that to him, "There will just be something else right after that." Thanks for the encouragement John...

Fall (and magic) is in the air (10/10/10)

Things we learn from history (09/26/10)
Mailbag Actually, this comes from the electronic mailbag, but then again most of the mail coming my way these days comes electronically. As an aside, junk mail received via the postal carrier does not compare to the amount of junk mail delivered to the inbox on my computer...

It's cotton pickin' time in (09/16/10)
"The first bale of ... cotton ginned in Dunklin County, the informal 'opening gun' of the harvest, was brought into Kennett Wednesday afternoon at 1:10 after having been ginned at about 11:30 that morning by the farmer who grew it. "James Johnson and James Johnson, Jr., father and son of Frisbee, brought the bale to the Dunklin County Compress and Warehouse Co. ...

Field Day was time for home folk to shine (09/05/10)
Annual event Last Thursday morning I stopped in at the Jake Fisher Bash, an annual event hosted by the University of Missouri Delta Center and held in Rone Exhibition Hall. It is also sometimes billed as the Delta Center Field Day. As always there's a little politicking going on, good food, networking between ag producers (formerly known as farmers) and suppliers, and an opportunity for the scientists at the Delta Center to share innovations in crop production...

"Our State Fair is a great state fair" (08/28/10)
Those lyrics from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical written for the musical "State Fair" sure seems to fit the Missouri State Fair. Last week my wife and I attended our first Missouri State Fair. Saturday was designated as Kennett Day at the fair and was capped off by a concert from our own Sheryl Crow (sorry Wendell and Bernice, but we get to claim at least a small part of her). More on that later...

Some weeks it doesn't pay to get out of bed (08/15/10)
Mr. Lucky There are days when it doesn't even seem like getting out of the bed was worth the hassle. Then there are times that make you appreciate those days. Like when the day stretches into a week. Take this local fellow for instance. I think it all started last Friday evening when he walked out of the store and got into his car. ...

And now we know (08/08/10)
Quick trip My wife and I spent an abbreviated time in Eureka Springs, Ark., at the annual newspaper publishers' retreat. It was an interesting time and as always, a learning experience. I learned that it still takes five hours to get there, and to get here from there, unless you stop in Hardy and Mountain Home and Harrison along the way. That can make it an eight hour trip. Still, it was interesting to browse through some of the antique shops in Hardy...

Catching up on the (e)mail (07/25/10)
Catching up Most weeks I drop a blurb in from the pages of bygone editions of the newspaper. Vivian Helton has been very diligent about providing me with copy and I appreciate her doing so. In an effort to catch up to her efforts I thought it might be interesting to run several, shorter, blurbs from those pages...

Getting out of the dog house (07/19/10)
Clarification Last week's column shared some of the experiences of our trip to Mexico and the less than pleasant experience we had with Delta Airlines getting there and back. My wife, who is normally my proofreader, did not get to read the column until it was in print. ...

South of the border (07/12/10)
Last week my wife took me on vacation. This year's trip was an all-inclusive resort located in Playa del Carmen, south of Cancun. It was our first time to that area. Cancun is a popular spot for some of our friends who have commented favorably on their experience so we were looking forward to our trip...

Local golf outing was fun for most folks (06/27/10)
Highlights ... ... and a few not so "high" lights from the member-guest golf tournament held last weekend at Kennett Country Club. This is a time for families to get together, old friends to reunite and maybe even occasionally make a new friend. Matt Poole and Matt Jackson paired up for the two days. Actually, it was the first Matt Jackson has teed the ball up in some 18 years. I guess he was just waiting on a worthy partner...

Revisionist history claim shakes quake beliefs (06/19/10)
About ten days ago a story came out of southern Illinois about the 1811-12 earthquake, known around these parts for making the Mississippi River run backwards, that formed Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee and had Charles Richter been around a hundred years or so earlier, would have measured it at 8.0 on his scale by most estimates...

Tracking down people and places (06/13/10)
Mystery solved In the May 28 edition of the DDD there was a story about a photo album that appeared to have been unintentionally left in a book dropped off at the Kennett branch of the Dunklin County Library. Literally within hours of the story about the album appearing in the newspaper library director JoNell Minton received a phone call. ...

News from the past recalls glory days (05/30/10)
Last week's missive about the KHS golf team from bygone days sparked some interest from at least one individual who had firsthand knowledge of the event. An email made its way to me through the World Wide Web from a fellow wanting a little equal time...

A little Christmas present on the way (05/23/10)
A little prayer "Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his Grandmother's house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When Little Johnny received his place he started eating right away. 'Johnny! Please wait until we say our prayer,' said his mother...

Happy Birthday (05/17/10)
Belated Happy Birthday greetings to Nancy Faulkner. Actually, I had the opportunity to extend those greetings to Mrs. Faulkner several days ago. She and several of her friends were enjoying lunch and celebrating her birthday when Lanny Geary decided we (members of the Almost Downtown Quarterback Club) needed to treat her to a round of the "Happy Birthday" song...

Keeping up with folks who get around (05/08/10)
When friends travel most of the time we don't hear from, or about, them until they return. It's a little easier in this age of cell phones and laptop computers, but we get away for a reason so contact on vacation is usually kept to a minimum. Staying in contact while traveling overseas can be especially difficult...

A little rain won't dampen their spirits (05/02/10)
Great cause Most folks are aware of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. It's difficult to criticize any organization that targets such a dreadful and wide-spread disease. Indeed, we all know individuals affected by cancer. For more information about the ACS and its financial data I suggest you check out a website called charitynavigator.org and draw your own conclusions. The site includes a lot of good information about most all charities...

Out of the mouth of babes (04/18/10)
Matthew 21:16 says, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, 'from the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?" "Praise" is one way to describe what the little darlings come up with on their own. Parents might have a different take on what their offspring offer up at times. Take last Sunday during the children's moment with the preacher at First United Methodist Church...

An Easter conversion experience (04/11/10)
Quick trip My wife and I slipped out of town last week for an Easter dinner with our son, Adam and his wife, Andrea, in St. Peter's. Of course we stopped off in Cape and picked up Haylee too. Another reason for the trip was to attend the confirmation service for Adam as he formally converted to Catholicism. Adam's wife was raised in the Catholic faith...

Madness may continue into next year (03/28/10)
Bracket busters Just about everyone who participates in one of these NCAA basketball tournament brackets, alternately referred to as March Madness and the Big Dance, has had their choice(s) for national champion drop by the wayside. Several of the top rated teams have fallen to lower ranked opponents and smaller schools...

Murphy probably has a rule about that (03/21/10)
Jinxed Last week I talked a little about our latest venture, webcasting of Kennett High School basketball games. In mentioning some of the success we had at the local gymnasium and the additional playoff game held at the Bearcat Event Center in Dexter, I probably jinxed our efforts...

Notes from the Gulf Coast (03/14/10)
I slipped off for a few days along the Gulf Coast, specifically, Biloxi, Ms. Having been there last year and seeing what Hurricane Katrina had wrought in 2005, I was curious as to what progress may have occurred over the last 12 months. Many of the concrete slabs where motels, restaurants and shops once sat are still there and are still just slabs. ...

Names we know in the news (02/28/10)
As reported by the Post-Dispatch -- "In a move made without public notice, Fred Hanser has left his role as Cardinals Vice Chairman, Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. confirmed today. "Hanser, among the original group of investors which purchased the club from Anheuser-Busch in March 1996, oversaw legal matters and MLB compliance issues as well as operations of the club's holding companies and subsidiaries. ...

Questions to ponder, as we wonder ... (02/21/10)
... how low can they go? CNN Has Lowest Viewer Night in 4 Years; Lowest Demo Night in Nearly 9 Years (Source: mediabistro.com) anyone who was around these parts last fall cannot be surprised by that story. ... which Rotarian will be the most tired after this week's auction?...

Spring needs to hurry (02/07/10)
Correctible error This won't necessarily be a fun column this week, but I need to get a few things off my chest. It's sorta in keeping with my mood of "I'm tired of winter and it's time for it to end' groundhog or no groundhog." By the way, does anyone know what Bootheel Bob, the Boll Weevil had to say about the end of winter?...

Two local guys tackle the big issues (01/31/10)
Undercover We fell it's only proper to give Mike Mowrer proper credit for his continued efforts at investigating healthcare reform from the inside. Regular readers will recall Mike first launched his investigation last year just after he, apparently, fell out of favor with his new friends. ...

With friends like this who needs enemies (01/24/10)
Follow up Last week we reported on the Case of the Missing Grill that had "Little Towny" Sparks chasing all over two counties looking for his Ed Morrow-made, four-foot grill. After almost a week of searching and reaching out to anyone that knew him; that had ever sent him an email, that was in law enforcement (or even thought about wanting to be in law enforcement) the grill turned up right where he left it. Albeit, painted and shined up courtesy of his friend, Charley Hilburn...

Massive effort on to locate Towny's grill (01/17/10)
Stop thief! Towny Sparks, affectionately known as "Little Towny" to distinguish him from his dad known just as affectionately as "Big Towny" has made quite a name for himself over the years with his cooking prowess. Specifically, cooking on his grill...

Life does get better with a little help (01/10/10)
Questions to ponder as we anxiously await Al Gore's global warming thing to hurry up and get here. How bad is it? - I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail. - I ordered a burger at McDonald's and the kid behind the counter asked, "Can you afford fries with that?"...

Will this invention be patented? (01/03/10)
L I'll B ... ... MRDucks Another way to say that is, "Well, I'll be. Those are ducks." We just tend to say things a little differently in Swampeast Missouri. In this story, though, that's not a duck. A good duck hunter will set out duck decoys on a pond or in some cases just a field in an effort to fool real ducks into joining their friends. Sometimes hunters will try to get creative with their decoys...

Some 'friendly' suggestions to help others in 2010 (12/27/09)
Well it's that time of year when the newspaper guy tries to do his part in helping some of our local folks improve themselves for the next 12 months by offering a resolution or two. Looking back on those suggested for last year it looks like most of those suggestions went unheeded. Some folks just can't be helped, I guess...

Filling up Santa's sleigh (12/20/09)
It's that time of year when we once again turn our attention to helping out Ol' St. Nick as he prepares to make his rounds through the Bootheel. We've got a few suggestions to help him find the right gift for some of our area folk. The Trend -- It's time this group of talented musicians were "discovered" Santa Claus. ...

'Tis the season... (12/06/09)
OYW Award The nominees for the Outstanding Young Woman of the Year Award were announced last month. "The award is given annually by the Kennett Jaycee Wives and is co-chaired this year by Joan Cunningham and Paula Calhoun. "Nine women have been nominated by clubs and organizations throughout the city for this year's honor.....

Which is the better treat? (11/29/09)
Questions to ponder as we rush headlong into the Christmas season. Will Clyde Wood help his wife take down all the Christmas lights she put up, all by herself, once the holidays are over? Will CNN make it back here for the annual Community Christmas Party held next month when some 1,800-2,000 families will be treated to dinner and gifts from our local churches? I think this question has already been asked and answered, see Eky Combs for more details...

Fortunately, it was only CNN (11/22/09)
Apple a day The proverb, true or not, that "An apple a day, keeps the doctor away," must not apply strictly to humans. John Robertson enjoys a mid-morning snack and has decided his snack should be an apple. He even takes his apple along on Saturday mornings when he goes to the golf course...

One Terry(i) too many in the Rotary Club (11/15/09)
Unintentional funny Last week I mentioned Terry Berry running off to Washington to straighten out the politics of the country. It was also noted that Terry found some time to do a little early Christmas shopping. One item in particular caught her eye, the Hope Diamond...

A tribute with class and dignity (11/08/09)
All's well Last week the local Rotary Club got word that things will be improving quickly in the country. Rotarian Terry Berry journeyed to the nation's capitol last week with a pretty full agenda. We're not sure of all the things she said and did, but the local club is optimistic government will be squared away in a very short time...

It could always be worse (11/01/09)
Enough already I doubt there are any among us who are concerned about drought conditions in southeast Missouri or northeast Arkansas right now. One farmer, who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty, made the comment last week that it occurred to him he had been watching a lot more college football this year than he could remember in the past. Then it also dawned on him why that was the case...

Another quarantine looming? (10/25/09)
Not my fault The third annual Kennett Cup was played at the local course last Sunday. The event is held as a benefit for the Delta Children's Home. We've covered it in the newspaper and KAIT television station actually found its way here for a good news story...

She's a potential Gold Glove champion (10/18/09)
Sucker punched A couple of weeks ago my wife and I were sitting at Captain Tony's enjoying dinner with our friends, Daryl and Vicky Wilcoxson. Out of nowhere came a blow to my ribs that knocked the wind out of me and almost put me on the floor...

Less a dollar (10/04/09)
The local Rotary club finally had a winner in its weekly attendance drawing. The winner is determined by drawing the "joker" card from the deck (Lions and Kiwanians can make their own comments about a Rotarian drawing a "joker" but I suspect there are traditions in those organizations as well that have a certain amount of irony to them)...

Call up (09/27/09)
With the conclusion of the Memphis Redbirds' season several players from the St. Louis Cardinals' Triple-A team were added to the major league club's roster. One familiar name is back on the roster, Pagnozzi. Specifically, Matt Pagnozzi, nephew of former Cards' catcher, Tom Pagnozzi. ...

'It's no problem, mon... just a situation' (09/20/09)
The wife and I slipped off for a few days last week to visit Jamaica and that, for the most part, is why there was no column last week. Several years ago we stopped in Montego Bay, Jamaica and spent the day there as part of a cruise we took with the kids when Adam graduated college and Haylee graduated high school. This trip was just the two of us and we stayed at an all-inclusive resort on the western side of the island nation in Negril...

Fall is an 'event'-ful time (09/06/09)
Garage sale czar If you're planning a garage sale or organizing a church bazaar, you'd best beware: You could be breaking a new federal law. As part of a campaign Resale Roundup, the federal government is cracking down on the secondhand sales of dangerous and defective products...

Bud Hunt
View from the Square

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