Mindi L. Phillips, EditorThe kid in me is beginning to come out, as the 4th of July is upon us. Fond memories of

nearly blowing out an eardrum and catching my socks on fire stream back into my conscious-ness, along with the excitement of seeing my cousins, especially Tina, the one girl near my own age in a family of 17 - or was it 18 - kids. Coming in from various directions, we would con-verge on the strip of right of way along the rural Highway 169 south of Gentry. That piece of ground would be the bane of my grandmother’s existence in the weeks to come, as she would try to mow over the massive holes blown there, mostly by her wiley son Don, who took great thrill in the biggest, loudest, and baddest firecrackers known to mankind.

Along with that piece of real estate in front of the home where I grew up, there was another spot that I hold dear this time of year. In last month’s issue, I spoke about how my Uncle Don had sold fireworks at Carmack Junction for about 30 or so years, from my early teens until his sudden passing last month. Instead of just staying stunned and remaining at a loss, it was quickly decided that the annual family dinner would go on there as planned, and not only would

the 4th be as it should, but the annual fireworks stand itself would open back up. I for one am quite pleased with his kids for doing so - not just because I’d miss knowing it was there, and not just as a tribute to their father, but as a longstanding tradition in the Northwest community.

I cannot lie - I don’t just go for the pops and bangs and amily greetings and hugs. I’m not one solely for nostalgia. No. I go for the food. My family has some really good cooks. And honestly, even if it didn’t, there’s a pretty good excuse on a hot summer day to just reach for the junk food. I love the chili dogs, the baked beans ( or Aunt Libbi’s calico beans), and the potato salad. No one brought the potato salad? Fine, pass the chips. I’m good with that. Somewhere there’s a cooler with ice cold Coke, if Mike remembered me. And I’m sure someone brought a gooey dessert.

Yes, that’s my kind of 4th - good eats, family I may see only once or twice a year (everyone has kids and jobs and busy, busy lives), and yes, the beautiful end of the celebration, the two fireworks displays that rival all others! In my opinion, one was always at Don’s Discount Fireworks (now Don’s Family Fireworks), the other in quaint Union Star, where I have made my home for the last 19 years. For an individual, Uncle Don had THE BEST. Or maybe I’m just prejudiced. For a small town, I’ve seen none bet-ter than Union Star. Sometimes, I’ve been know just to sit on the back patio with my family and watch from home. Yes, it’s that big, and that good. This year, though my life has been through many changes, I’ll be following my NWMO traditions.

Mindi

2 From the Desk of Joe Northwest

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PO Box 76Union Star, MO 64494

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Deadline for all submissions is the 20th of each month

3

4 Live Music Across NWMONew And Ongoing Live Music Events...

ALBANYSat 7/4: Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Dylan Russell, 6pm (Square) SEE PAGE 9

BETHANYFri 7/3: Country Style Band, 7pm (VFW Hall)Fri 7/17: Country Style Band, 7pm (VFW Hall)Fri 7/24: Country Style Band, 7pm (VFW Hall)

CLARKSDALESundays: Clarksdale Opry, 2pm (Hawman Center)

FILLMOREFridays: Music and Dance, 7pm (Fillmore Community Hall)

GENTRYFri 7/10: Ramblin Country Show, Special Guest High Road III, 7:30 pm (Lions)Fri 7/24: Ramblin Country Show, 7:30 pm (Lions)

GRANT CITYWednesdays: Jam Session, 6pm (Senior Center)Sat 7/11: Country Style Band, featuring John Green, 7pm (VFW/Skating Rink)Sat 7/25: Country Style Band, 7pm (VFW/Skating Rink)

KING CITYSat 7/18: Rock N Country Variety Show, 7pm (TriCo Visitors Center)

MARYVILLESundays: Northwest Opry Country, 2pm (Nodaway Co Senior Center)Sundays: Forney and Paxson, 7pm (Eagles Lodge Bearcat Aerie #3669)Fri 7/17: Zloop Country Showdown Finals, 7pm (Downtown Main Stage)

OREGONThursdays: Country Music Dance, 7pm (TJ Hall Comm Bldg)

SAVANNAHFridays: Savannah Country Jamboree, 6pm (Senior Ctr)

STANBERRYFri 7/3: Stanberry Idol Lip Sync Competition, 7:30pm (City Park)

UNION STARSat 7/4: Echo, 8pm (City Park)Sun 7/5: Rock N Country Variety Show, 6pm (City Park)

Your band or venue not listed?Contact us to get on

the live music schedule! Email submissions to

northwest@regularjoepaper.comGo to www.regularjoepaper.comand click “Northwest” for your

latest issue!

Jay KernerPublisher/Econ I Dropout

In street vernacular, what it really comes down to is, “ya gosta pay if ya wansta play.”

Because everything costs. Everything.Crummy stuff costs more than what you pay for it.Better stuff costs more. Sometimes a lot more.Sometimes free stuff isn’t really free.So assuming that you’re a reasonably healthy specimen, you’re

either going to work to pay for the stuff you want, or you’re going to steal it (legally or illegally).

From there it’s all a question of what standard of living you’re willing to accept.

People can and do survive on almost nothing every day. They’re not living well at all by most folks’ standards, but they’re living to the standards they accept for themselves.

But the same thing happens at every socio-economic level.People are working to pay for their “Rock and Roll Lifestyles”

whether that means a new McMansion or a van down by the river.If you’re working and you like what you do, and you combine

that with an income that lets you meet your own acceptable standard of living, heck…you’re golden.

Unfortunately, most people aren’t that lucky.Mick and Keith couldn’t get no satisfaction and that pretty much

goes for the rest of us, too. We’re conditioned to want more, and the advertising/marketing/entertainment/media are all slanted to re-inforce those notions.

So you keep your crappy job to maintain a lifestyle below your acceptable level, and you’re pissed off all the time.

Or you up your game to shoot for something better.Now better can mean more fulfilling work or better

compensated work and ideally both, but it’s never a good idea to sacrifice the former for the latter.

Now let’s apply that concept at the community level.We’ll have a number of financial decisions to make over

the next 20 years. (Like every 20 years.) What if we drasti-cally switch from our mindset of spending less and getting less, to one of spending more and getting more?

Crazy talk for our tight-fisted region, but hear me out.What if everything we do, we do it awesome? Really

awesome. So awesome that we’d flock to it and be proud of it. So awesome that people would come here to see our awesomeness.

And each awesome thing we do contributes to the awe-some movement and spurs more of the same.

At one time, this area was known for awesome! I be-lieve we can be again.

Easy for me to toss out, clearly, but where’s the coin for all this awesome you ask?

Our grandchildren will pay for it, and I want to let them! In the immortal words of Popeye’s pal Wimpy, “We will

gladly pay them Tuesday for a hamburger today!”We brag and brag about our low cost of living here. Then we

gripe and complain about the life we’re getting for our money.So let’s change it.How about the next municipal project to come up, we go over the

top with it? I’m talking outrageously awesome.Then do the same on the next one and the one after that. It will

cost more money, but so what? Future generations will pay the bills and gladly, for the opportunity to live near all the awesome. The in-crease in property values more than compensates for the investment in the awesome.

What kind of hometown do you want to leave future generations? A cheap place to live because everything’s crummy, or a place where it’s a little pricey but worth it because it’s so AWESOME!?

The further out you get from the awesome will become crummier as you go, we reckon, because for some folks crummy will always be good enough. But we think most folks want better than crummy. Maybe some will be inspired to fix up some of their own crummy. Maybe others will feel peer-pressured to.

It would probably be a rude adjustment, but I think folks around here could get used to awesome things.

Not all at once, mind you. We’d have to build up a tolerance first.Maybe this movement is already happening but we just didn’t

know that’s what it was?We can choose to do awesome here! Awesome schools. Awesome parks. Awesome streets.Awesome opportunities for awesome lifestyles.A higher cost of living for sure, but a greatly enhanced quality of

living.As always, we will have exactly the awesome communities we

will pay for. Nothing more. Nothing less.

The Cost of Living 5

6 Events & Festivals across NWMOALBANYFri 7/3: Fireworks (Golf Course)

BURLINGTON JCTSat 7/25: Town & Country Days 5K run, 7am

CLYDESat 7/18: Clyde Tractor Pull, 6:30pm

KING CITYSat 7/18: Community Betterment 1Mi Walk/5k Run, 7:30am

MARYVILLE7/14-7/18: Nodaway County Fair (Downtown)7/16-7/18: Krazy Quilters Guild Quilt Show (Downtown)Sat 7/18: Krazy Quilters Guild Bed Turning Event, 2 pm (Downtown)

NEW HAMPTONSat 7/4: 49th Annual Fireman’s Breakfast, 6am (Fire Station)

PARNELLSun 7/12: Parnell Festival & Duck Race

STANBERRY7/3-7/5: 4th of July Events, (City Park)Sat 7/4: Wildkat River Run 5k, 7am (City Park)Sat 7/11: 1st Annual Roger Wehrli Golf Classic, 9am (Golf Club)

TARKIO7/20-7/25: Missoula Childrens Theater presents Aladdin, (Tarkio R-I Auditorium)

UNION STAR7/4-7/5: 2nd Annual Red, White, & Bang, 10am (City Park)

ONGOING EVENTS

ALBANY: 2nd Wed: Book Club, 10am (Carnegie Library)BETHANY: Thu: Dungeons & Dragons, 5pm (Gamers Palace) Fri & Sat: Magic the Gathering, 6pm (Gamers Palace)GRANT CITY: 2nd Friday: Potluck, Noon (Senior Center)KING CITY: 3rd Wednesday: Potluck Dinner (Senior Center) Last Monday: Pitch Tournament (Senior Center) Daily: Cards (Senior Center)

Your event not listed?Contact us at

northwest@regularjoepaper.comto get on our schedule!

136 Highway, Albany, MO

Open Mon-Sat 3pm-1:30am21 & over only - We card at the door

NO credit cards - We don’t take plastic!Pool Table & Shuffleboard

Paula Hayward

Before I graduated from high school, my life goal was to trav-el the world and share my experience with people through words and pictures. I did not want to see tourist spots. I wanted to see the real world, the one people live in every day, the place where people call home, the place they are willing to fight for. I wanted to see what held importance for people so different from me. My core being held an ideology that still lingers somewhere inside of me. It is huddled in the darkness now.

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to obtain something I have not owned in years, a turntable. I brought it home, plugged it in, and pulled out the handful of albums I still own. Among those are original U2 albums from 80s. Songs like “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” still give me chills, yet today the chills were different. The song started and my own seventeen-year-old son stood beside me. I was about a year younger than him when War came out originally. We stood listening to a song of my youth. We were listening to the exact album I used to crank up loudly when I was his age. The nostalgia overwhelmed me.

Then the less familiar songs started to play. Even after not hear-ing them for at least twenty years, I had not forgotten the lyrics. My idealism huddled in the darkness sparked. When I first heard of U2, they were this little band from Ireland with great music and hot guys. Unlike a lot of bands of the 80s, they were not just singing songs about love and girls. They were singing about standing up and mak-

ing a difference, something my generation needed to do. Thirty years later, where are we? Did we see the world and change

it? Some have. For some of us, the world got smaller. Some of us have seen real war, some of us have waged battles in different ways. We have married, divorced, and lost jobs, homes, or friendships. Some of us have lost religion; others have found it. We mourned the loss of parents or children or friends to stupid diseases or accidents or suicide.

Side One Song Four is “Like a Song,” which says, “A generation without name, ripped and torn, nothing to lose, nothing to gain, noth-ing at all.” I do not know about some of you, but I feel ripped and torn on many days. The end of the rope gave out a long time ago, and I am only hoping to make it to tomorrow, not make a difference. I am not content with that.

I have not seen the world, but I have learned about people. Even when they look different, they are not so foreign. We all have some-thing important, something worth fighting for. I will admit, it has been several years since I have listened to new U2 music. It has been several years since I fully examined my old ideologies. My life has been rewinding in the last few years; it is fitting to turn on the light and examine them now. I have the perfect soundtrack.

Paula Hayward writes about life from her cottage on the corner in small-town Missouri. She is currently studying for a degree in his-tory while re-inventing her own Middle Age.

Generation U2 Joe Music - 7

Co-ops are different. Electric cooperatives have loyalties to our members and communities. We care about improving the quality of life in the areas we serve. We have deep connections

here because it is our home too. And you are not just a customer. You are a member, an owner and our neighbor. Loyalty is part of the cooperative difference.

He is loyal

and to the co-op members he works for

to his

hometown

team

to his family

to his

country

Maryville Public LibraryJuly Events

May 26 - Aug 1 Summer Reading

Program for kids ages 1-18. Must have a library card to participate.

Teen Fanfiction Writer’s WorkshopJuly 9, 3-5:45 pm

Story Hour, July 15, 5:30 pm

Story Hour, July 21, 6:15 pm

Lego Party, July 23, 5-6 pm

Teen Super Trivia NightJuly 23, 4-5:30 p.m.

Preschool Story Hour,every Tuesday, 9:45-10:45 am

Baby and Toddler Story Hour,every Thursday, 9:45-10:15 am

Danny R. Phillips

Missouri proud, born, and raised, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils are set to play the home state, this time in Albany, as headliner for the Albany Rhythm ‘N Roots Festival.

Joining them will be country artist and local boy Dylan Rus-sell, Cindy Wolff & Mark Bilyeu, the Karp-Foley Band, as part of the annual festivities brought to the community by the fine members of the Albany Cham-ber of Commerce.

The Ozark Mountain Dare-devils, hailing from Spring-field, Missouri, fired their first shot as a band in 1972, tak-ing a love of rock ‘n roll and blending it with the country and mountain music that sur-rounded them in the hills of the Heartland. Two of The Dare-devils’ first notable shows took place at the Cowtown Ballroom in Kansas City (the Cowtown was witness to many legendary players throughout the sixties and 1970s: Van Morrison, The Eagles, Flying Burrito Brothers, The Byrds, Jerry Garcia Band, Riders of the Purple Sage are just a few).

The shows on March 9 and 10, 1973, had The Daredevils open for fellow Missouri duo Brewer and Shipley as well as the great Loudon Wainwright III. Those shows, and many more to follow, opened the wellspring of creativity that would carry the band to prominence throughout the “country”- obsessed 1970s.

Like many, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils did not turn their backs on their roots to embrace the sin to music that was disco; throughout the 1970s, bands like Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Gram Parsons, Jim Croce, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Van Morrison, Rick Nelson, The Rolling Stones , Lyrnyd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers, embraced what was all around them. The sounds of the hills, the song of the swamp, the dryness of Death Valley, the beauty of Laurel Canyon are strung through-out the musical and artistic quilt that was the decade of my birth.

The first hit for The Daredevils came from within the grooves of their self-titled debut album The Ozark Mountain Devils, the infectious “If You Want To Get to Heaven,” with its seamless blending of bluegrass, pop, rock, and straight hoedown tunes that appealed to urban cowboys, good ol’ boys, hippies, and pop fans alike. Scoring big in the world, the song became one of the most played “party” tunes of the decade.

The train kept rolling with 1975’s “Jackie Blue,” a song about a drug dealing friend, veiled in words that make the lis-tener think of a woman instead. It was the band’s biggest hit and, to this day, is The Daredevils signature song.

The lineup may have changed much over the years, but the mission of The Ozark Mountain Daredevils remains: the music is first, never forget your fans or your roots, and never, never stop playing, for music is living.

Albany Rhythm & Roots Festival

The Ozark Mountain Dare-devils w/Dylan Russell

Saturday July 4th in beau-tiful downtown Albany, Mis-souri

For ticket and show times visit www.albanymochamber.com

Danny Phillips’ music and pop culture musings regular-ly appear in online and print publications including Mis-souri Life Magazine, Ameri-

can Roots, Blurt Magazine, Deli Magazine, Popshifter, and The Regular Joe. Listen to his free form podcast “Don’t Have a Clue” the 2nd Saturday of every month at 4pm on www.stjo-sephmusicfoundation.org

Ozark Mountain Daredevils set to play Albany on 4th 9

Joyce Farmer, Melissa Middleswart, Margaret Kelley

Traditionally a private event, a woman would invite her friends and neighbors to her house for a Bed Turning to show her quilts. She would have her collection laid on a bed, one atop the other, and would take them up one at a time and tell the unique story of each quilt. These would be quilts that she made, but also quilts from mothers, grandmoth-ers, and other family and friends.

For the past three years, the Krazy Quilters Guild have orga-nized and staffed the Quilt Show at the Nodaway County Fair. The Bed Turning is a special presentation of local and treasured quilts, which the Guild evolved from the former pri-vate venue to a public event. Entries from the public were taken in past years. This year, docents from the Nodaway County Museum will bring 8-10 quilts from their collection and present the stories behind each quilt on Saturday afternoon, July 18, at 2 pm.

The Museum has carefully pre-served a large collection of quilt treasures dating from the mid-1800s through the 1900s. Museum docent

Melissa Middleswart tells the story of the Opal Laughlin Logan red and white baby quilt, “with individual blocks made by the children in her last class in the rural schoolhouse, Baker School,

southwest of Guilford in 1939-40. Opal taught the students to embroi-der and then they each made their own square, which she then pieced together to make the special signa-ture quilt. She was pregnant with her first child, and knew this was her last year of teaching there.”

The Guilford Bicentennial Quilt is one of Coralea Samson’s favorites, and upon hearing about the Museum’s plans to show quilts at the Bed Turning event, thought it would be a perfect quilt to share. The Museum will also be sharing a favorite yo-yo quilt from their col-lection donated by Mary Jackson, which has often been on display.

Come and enjoy early quilt memories at this year’s Bed Turn-ing, to be held just outside the Quilt Show on the lower level of the Ad-ministration Building on the Court-house Square in Maryville, Mis-souri. If you have any questions about the Bed Turning, call the Nodaway County Historical Mu-seum at 660-582-8176.

10 Krazy Quilters Guild Host “Bed Turning” at Fair

Rich Piper

I noted, with kind remembrance, an almost ancient looking device sit-ting out front of one of my favorite mid-sized hardware stores as I shopped for what seems to be the obligatory summer staples of grass seed, mulch, potting soil, and replacement grass trimmer cord, along with miscellaneous electrical and plumbing parts and pieces - all those things that are needed to put a dent into that to-do list that unlike the landscaped flowers around our house grew mightily during the winter months.

At about hip height, broad width, and modest depth there was not much to its construction, yet it appeared to be of substantial quality and of reas-suring stability. With only a small number of parts, it appeared to be suit-able for construction without reading the printed instruction. It was not colorful, in fact it had a bit of a bland look to it, but that was good as it would easily fit in with anything existing, or purchased in the future, and would not require color coordination.

It was nicely self-contained, which unlike similar devices of my early years, meant that it could be utilized in many locations and wasn’t depen-dent upon on factors in order to be properly put together and positioned.

Naturally powered, that is, powered by natural and human-made forc-es; it did not require access to an electrical outlet nor recharging of batter-ies. There were no ports for plugging in an mp3 player or to recharge a cell phone. In fact it was totally devoid of modern technology, instead simply relying upon a design centuries old, that has been tried and tested in mul-tiple countries and climates.

Yet, as prior use during earlier years of my life proved, it was capable of providing both a calming as well as awe-inspired experience. It could provide comfort and contentment, as well as picturesque views.

As suitable for a child as an adult, it was large enough for one but could fit two.

Yet, in some ways I saw it as a symbol of a bygone era, a time before air conditioning produced an in-the-house cocooning, and before we de-cided that summertime needed to be shaped with schedules and timed with tasks. Before busyness became an expectation and laziness acquired only a negative connotation.

It seemed like a symbol of time gone by, instead of what it once was, a means of enjoying time going by.

Its simplicity seemed so “simplistic” – a term and concept that was once to be admired but in our current day seems to be not just unappreci-ated, but often thought of as unworthy if not degrading.

Is there anyone, I thought, that would still desire to spend so much time doing so little. That could still appreciate a slow, melodic pace. That could appreciate a different kind of “rock” that is not as old as geologic rock, but is much older than rock music.

Do people still buy these devices? Should I? And what was this device that prompted such thought? Well it was

nothing more, or nothing less, than a hammock. A simple outdoor device, stretched out upon a frame, or in my youth

between two trees, upon which to lie down. And to...

Well, perhaps from which to rest and gaze upon the evening stars or to tan with the daytime sun. Or it might be to watch backyard wildlife or admire the nobleness of a tree or the beauty of a flower. It could be to take a nap or to read a book, or to snuggle with a significant other.

But however used, it would be to put back the “lazy,” in the better sense of that word, into the lazy days of summer.

Summer is a marvelous time for a variety of activities from cookouts to vacations, family reunions to gardening, often all summed up under the term “recreation.”

But as with life during the other seasons of the year, it seems we hu-mans (or is it just me), get so busy living that we miss some of the good things of life. Things that, by slowing down and intentionally seeking the simple, might actually prove rewarding to experience.

Yes, I realize there is much to do and that summer goes by so very, very fast.

But so does life.Perhaps some of the remaining summer can be spent unplugged. Enjoy

some of these precious moments of life you have. Enjoy the simplicity of relationships with family and friends. Enjoy the sights and sounds of nature that are all around us. Enjoy the warmth of the sun or the coolness of the shade. Enjoy breathing in the freshness of outside air.

And perhaps, even enjoy rocking slowly in a hammock

Rich has spent most of his adult life living and/or working in small, ru-ral communities in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Missouri, including several long stretches in Northwest Missouri. Rich chooses to spend most of his week-day, daytime hours teaching students science, and other things, in Union Star. He also chooses to spend his Sundays, and some other occasional time, with the good folks in Cainsville. You can reach Rich at RichPiper@LifePraise.org with comments.

An Unplugged Summer 11

TRIVIA: From what city is Missouri native Dylan Russell? Answer on Pg 12.

12 Joe Classifieds

WANTED: Aspiring writers to submit articles of general interest or NW Missouri

content, as well as short stories. Email us at Northwest@RegularJoePaper.com for more

details. Photos are also welcome.

YOUR AD HERE!Contact us for rates on display and

classified ads. We strive to support in-dependent and small business people

in the Northwest Missouri community by providing competitive rates!

816.596.0701 or northwest@regularjoepaper.com

Trivia answer from page 11:Savannah.

Lord’s Warehouse donations needed:coats & food items

E of Albany on Hwy 136660-726-4297

Mike Rockett, Jr.Middle Age Hustle: Adventures in Motivation

I was barely 18 when I moved to Northwest Missouri from Southern California, and through a friend of a friend I had got-ten a job as a laborer for a local builder who quickly became prominent in the community. Suffice it to say that if I did men-tion his name it would be easily recognized.

My tenure with him as a lowly laborer wouldn’t last. I knew nothing about construction and was too young to really care.

I worked for him 6 weeks when he let me go. Well over a decade later I was working for Delta airlines

overnight loading and unloading planes. I had forgotten those foolish days of my youth but was about to encounter an abrupt reminder.

Delta had been known to fly freight to make aviational ends meet. They had commercial contracts with the US Postal Ser-vice, and occasionally they would make a deal with a local un-dertaker. As the unloader for

that overnight flight I was confronted with a crate that held the earthly remains of a very large man.

It WAS as creepy as you would think in the dark belly of a plane, on my knees, pulling on a crate that boxed a human ca-

daver. There was a label we were supposed to check to verify the freight. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the dead man was none other than the builder who had fired me all those years ago.

This man was actually a little more prominent than I under-stood. Through wisdom and hard work he retired in his mid-fif-ties a multi-millionaire. He sold his business, moved to Florida, and bought a spacious boat. He spent the next few years fishing in the Atlantic.

It didn’t last. His heart completely gave out on him. His weight had bal-

looned to over three hundred pounds enjoying gourmet food and (lots of) drink with no more activity than it took to hold a deep sea fishing rod. He was barely sixty years of age when he passed.

The point I am making is that my motivation in the things that matter to me, physical fitness being one of them stems from the desire to enjoy a greater quality of life than I would have otherwise if they didn’t matter to me. I’m not as far away from sixty years of age as I used to be.

Is chasing a fit lifestyle worth it as I grow older? You and I have the luxury of asking ourselves that today. And now we both know of someone who no longer does.

13Catalyst

14-Joe Northwest Worlds of Fun day, free summer movie series offered

Alumni Association sponsoring days at Omaha zoo, Worlds of Fun

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University alumni and friends of all ages are invited to gather with fellow Bearcats and enjoy a day at at Kansas City’s Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun on Saturday, July 11.

Details are being finalized for Northwest Day at Worlds of Fun. Tickets are $30 and must be purchased in advance by visit-ing www.worldsoffun.com. In the upper right corner of the web-site, enter NWBearcats15 in the promo code box and click GO.

For more information, contact the Northwest Alumni Asso-ciation at alumni@nwmissouri.edu or 660.562.1248.

Free Summer Movie SeriesRon Houston Center for the Performing Arts, College Park

DriveTwelve movies make up this year’s series, which is free

and open to the public. Movies are shown each Tuesday night, through July 28.

Tue, July 7, 7pm & 9pm Furious 7 (PG-13)Tue, July 14, 7pm & 9pm Unfriended (R)Tue, July 21, 7pm & 9pm Monkey Kingdom (G)Tue, July 28, 7pm & 9pm Ex Machina (R)

For more information about Northwest Missouri State Uni-versity visit www.nwmissouri.edu/media/

Things I learned this weekRick Hoffman

At 40 years old, I have served twenty years in the US Air Force, I’m going on fifteen years as a firefighter, and I work part time slingin’ concrete for the average bird bath enthusiast. I play golf, enjoy music, love horror movies, and collect most anything. I can quote movies from dusk till dawn and still find time to be sarcastic.

After all my time spent doing any number of the aforemen-tioned I’ve learned one thing: I don’t know everything. I learn something new all of the time. So...I write them down. For the past year I’ve been doing a “Things I Learned This Week” top 10 list on Facebook. Yes, every damn week. My friends have enjoyed them so much that I was talked into taking it pub-lic. Well...more public than Facebook. So here’s my list: things I’ve learned, notice, observed, been witnessed to, obsessed over. Hope you guys enjoy reading as much as I do writing.

10. I found out this week that Betsy Palmer died, she played Jason’s mom Pamela in Friday the 13th. Kinda sad, the mother of the original, badass, king slasher, dead at 88. I wonder if her children will avenge her death now? “Oooooooooo...”

9. There is something very serene about driving around at 6 AM. Most are still sleeping; some are going to work...But nothing is busy or noisy, just peace-ful and quiet. I wish all day could be as calm as 6am.

8. Being positive is self-rewarding, but it really makes ya feel proud when others notice.

7. Someone asked me the other day, “Rick, what do you think of all these people stepping on the flag?” My re-sponse, “I don’t.”

6. I hate it when I don’t realize I for-got body wash at the store...until I’m IN the shower. Now I have to pop the cap of the old one, fill it with water, shake it, and hope there’s enough suds to cover me. That’s alotta suds son.

5. When eating salad, that large piece of lettuce you foolishly try to get in one bite. Only to swipe your face with it,

lathering you with dressing. Very nice...4. When The Monkees “Last Train to Clarksville” comes on,

am I the only one that sings “Clarksdale”? Take the last train to Clarksdale, and I’ll meet you at the station...No? Well...it’s still fun.

3. Bar Etiquette. When in an overly crowded bar, please or-der a simple drink. The longer it takes the bartender to make it, the longer everyone has to wait. Please...just learn to drink beer. Also...get your drink, and then get the !$@k out of the way.

2. Why does the wind lay dormant...until I decide to grill? Then it’s gale force.

1. Sunburns hurt...sunburn on your head that’s only discov-ered upon shaving. YEEEOOOOWWWW!!!!!!!!

Yeah...literally.And once again this concludes my public service. I hope it

has made your evening a happy one and found you well. If not...well, there’s always tomorrow. Have a great week, dudes!

Rick Hoffman resides in Northwest Missouri. Along with firefighting for the USAF, concrete slingin’, Rick is lead singer in a heavy metal band, a writer, and a helluva dancer.

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Regular Joe is looking for your stories of Northwest Missouri past - your childhood memories, old traditions, favorite corner store...Photographs are also welcome. Email us at northwest@regularjoepaper.com

Since 1894

St. Francis Hospital & Health Services is proud of its long relationship

and strong roots in northwest Missouri. On September 8, 1894, the same

year of the St. Louis World’s Fair, we began as St. Joseph Hospital, a

12-bed facility located in a house on three acres of land next to St.

Mary’s Catholic Church (now St. Gregory’s Catholic Church).

Our first patient, Thomas Kidney, was admitted a week before we

officially opened, heralding a commitment to patient care that has long

been a hallmark of this hospital. Today, St. Francis Hospital & Health

Services is a 81-bed, Joint Commission Accredited, full-service acute

care facility, with advanced programs in women’s health, surgery, sports

medicine and mental health to name just a few.

As we look forward to our future together, St. Francis Hospital &

Health Services remains committed to this community and will

continually strive to provide the highest quality of healthcare!

A Mission Of Service

For 120 Years

660-562-2600 • www.stfrancismaryville.com • 2016 South Main Street • Maryville, MO 64468

Thanks to St. Francis Hospital for supporting the Regular Joe

Tell them you appreciate their support of the NWMO community!