AFD boot block deemed 'very successful' so far...

Donations  have been steady since the boot block started Friday
 morning. The goal is to raise $10,000 for victims of the Joplin tornado

In just 15 1/2 hours, the Adrian Fire Department along with neighboring departments Central Cass, Drexel and others have collected an astounding $9,087.90 as of 11:30 this morning. All money netted will be turned over to the Salvation Army to be directed victims of the Joplin tornado.

Adrian Chief Gary Dizney was quoted as saying "Rain or shine, we're not stoppin' until we hit at least ten grand".

The boot block is located on 18 highway near the 71 highway access.

Update - 2:06 p.m. - It just announced the final tally was just over $10,000, surpassing the goal. Chief Dizney and the Adrian Fire Department would like to extend a hearty thank-you to all the volunteers and everyone who stopped to donate. "It's just incredible to see the outpouring of volunteers from neighboring departments and those who stopped to donate. Some of these folks were from out of town, and that kind of generosity is just overwhelming" he said.

The money will be delivered to the Salvation Army in Joplin within the next few days.

More than just a three day weekend - Memorial Day

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

General John A. Logan Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [LC-B8172- 6403 DLC (b&w film neg.)]

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

There are a few notable exceptions. Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program). And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."

The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.

But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."

On January 19, 1999 Senator Inouye introduced bill S 189 to the Senate which proposes to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day back to May 30th instead of "the last Monday in May". On April 19, 1999 Representative Gibbons introduced the bill to the House (H.R. 1474). The bills were referred the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Government Reform.

To date, there has been no further developments on the bill. Please write your Representative and your Senators, urging them to support these bills. You can also contact Mr. Inouye to let him know of your support.

Visit our Help Restore the Traditional Day of Observance page for more information on this issue, and for more ways you can help. 


-courtesy of David Merchant

News from Adrian Lanes

Adrian Lanes

Your Local Recreation Center

BOWLING NEWS

Through May 27, 2011

Sun 7 pm Summer Doubles starts June 5…ends August 21

Tuesday 7pm Summer Open

Misfits 10.0-02.0

Calvary Baptist 10.0-02.0

Adrian Lanes 05.0-07.0

Strike Me 05.0-07.0

Emily’s Team 04.0-08.0

F-M 02.0-10.0

    May 24:  High Game:  John McCoy 253, Mike Xanders 235, Kent Taylor 227, Bradley Newport 223, Nick McCoy 198, Ted Bridges 196, Michael Bowman 192, Pat Arnold 189, Melissa Xanders 184, Tom Rosekopf 170, Stephanie Fisher 167, Bill Lunsford 166, Ben Davis 162, Laverne Goodrich 162, Seth Rosekopf 156, Dana Rosekopf 148, Faith Hutchens 146, Linda Miller 122, Rusty Fisher 117, Emily McCoy 108, Brenda Sue Arnold 100, Jason Fisher 112, Brooke Fisher 65. High Series:  John McCoy 661, Mike Xanders 617, Kent Taylor 582, Pat Arnold 521, Nick McCoy 454, Emily McCoy 286.

Wed 7:30pm “Tough Shot”

Blue Nile 76.5-43.5

Nina’s Team 76.0-44.0

Miasis Dragon 60.0-60.0

Slow Starters 57.5-62.5

Fisher’s Men 56.0-64.0

Whatever 34.0-86.0

    May 25: High Game: Tim Covey 204, Ernie Moore 200, Curt Smith 200, Claude Billingsley 199, Mat Bridges 196, Mike Xanders 183, Don Chulufas 183, Michael Bowman 182, Joe Clapp 179, Laverne Goodrich 170, Kelly Wernex 156, Jessica Bridges 150.  High Series: Dan Goodrich 562, Laverne Goodrich 475.  Current Condition:   37 ft, Flat Shot.

Friday Nooners

    May 27:  High Games:  Don Chulufas 241, Dale Smith 193, Robin Atkin 185, Sharon Flanary 177, Leroy Foster 172, Mim Jackson 168, Wesley Merritt 168, Betty Smith 159, Troy Burton 153.  High Series:  Don Chulufas 599, Dale Smith 500, Sharon Flanary 489.

N highway again open

Construction is complete and the bridge reopened on N highway southeast of Butler.  Traffic to and from local homes, including access to the Happy Hill Church is back to normal.

All clear sounded; no tornado evident west of Adrian

Authorities are reporting that there is NO severe weather capable of spawning tornadoes west of Adrian at this time. The National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill has confirmed that they are not seeing anything on radar to indicate any type of rotation or weather patterns conducive to tornadoes.

Likewise, there are no watches or warnings in effect at this time.

Unofficial report of tornado west of Adrain

We have an unofficial report of a small tornado touching down near the intersection of 18 and FF highways west of Adrian. Fire Department first responders are reporting nothing is found at this time.

Quite possibly, this may be a phenomena known as an SLC (scary looking cloud) where a downdraft will cause a 'tail' to drop from a cloud that looks like a tornado but is not.

However, those in the area are urged to take cover until it is determined to be all clear.

Alpacas for Autism Festival set for June 5th...

Click to see larger or print a copy:

Relay for Life coming June 10th - "Betting on a Cure"

We are quickly approaching the annual Relay For Life festivities that will be held at the Bates County Fairgrounds on June 10th. The event will kick off at 6 p.m. with the opening ceremony, followed by the survivor walk. The evening will be a great family outing with food, games and entertainment.

Luminaries are on sale for $5 each and may be purchased up to and throughout the evening of the 10th. This year's goal is to raise $50,750.00 (surpassing last year's number). All money goes to the American Cancer Society to help fine a cure.

This year, Mary Holcomb, 85, has been recognized as the oldest cancer survivor in the Butler area. "Granny", as she's known, will be recognized during the event.