Opinion

Trout Tales, July 12

Community fireworks events vary from town to town in Barry County, but none are quite as ruralAmerica heartland as the Wheaton 4th of July celebration. The family and I went to Wheaton on the fourth and were not disappointed. Their $5 cheeseburgers are what I call land lunkers, thick, savory and hot off the grill. My kids really enjoyed the playground at the park. Our youngest wore out the slides even more than she wore out herself! The two bands performed well, and the sound crew avoided any aux cord technical difficulties so we could hear the National Anthem on the speakers just before the fireworks show. The Wheaton firefighters shoot the pyrotechnics, and they have the timing down to when the Anthem finishes with “home of the brave,” the first firework lights up the park. It was a warm night, but that timing even gave my cold-blooded body the chills!
Read MoreTrout Tales, July 12

Kyle Troutman: Off the ground

The beginning of July is a time of peak patriotism in the United States, but as surely as you can count on the flood of Red, White and Blue, you can also count on another thing — complaints. Ordinances regarding fireworks within city limits vary as much as the arguments for and against the pyrotechnics.
Read MoreKyle Troutman: Off the ground

Joyce Lessely: Pros an cons of personal use of pyrotechnic devises (fireworks), and necessity

Really, what is the justification of the necessity of multiple days of exploding fireworks? By individuals considering there are many local Firework displays which occur under the control of trained pyrotech experts. Fireworks displays are held in areas that do not subject private residents’ homes an other personal properties to raining showers of extremely explosive volatile aerial flaming embers, embers that result in fires/personal injuries an in some cases deaths.
Read MoreJoyce Lessely: Pros an cons of personal use of pyrotechnic devises (fireworks), and necessity

Bill Hodgson: Common narratives

I remember as a youth, walking into libraries, schools, museums, and other public places and finding a framed picture of the Declaration of Independence on the wall. Preparing to share with our congregation on the weekend leading into Independence Day, I began by reviewing my nostalgic memories of seeing these signs of a common narrative that belonged to us Americans.
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Trout Tales, July 5

I was track-side for the annual Barry County Truck and Tractor Pull on Saturday night. I saw a ton of local folks showing off their rides, like siblings Saige and Otto Miller, of Seligman, and Cassville’s own Brian Kirk. My favorite moment of the pull though actually happened in a trailer behind the track. Someone brought a fancy truck with the body on hydraulics. When it was lifted up at first, I though the truck fell of of something. Then I saw the guy hop in a seat and I thought, oh no he’s working on it somehow. Wrong again.
Read MoreTrout Tales, July 5