WAPPAPELLO LAKE – Wappapello Lake will be a hub of activities next month for families wanting to celebrate Independence Day.
The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers will welcome visitors Saturday, June 30, for the Annual Ranger Willie B. Safe’s Wet ‘n Wild Waterfest. This free event is co-sponsored with the SEMO Regional Water Safety Council and will be held at the Redman Creek Beach from 10 a.m.until 4 p.m. Day use fees will be waived at the Redman Creek Beach for the event and concessions will be provided by the Wappapello Volunteer Fire Department.
“Waterfest makes learning about water safety a blast for the whole family,” said Danna Adams, MVS with the Corps at Wappapello. “Take the Waterfest Challenge and build your own cardboard boat and race it. We supply all the materials. Kid’s games will be conducted near the registration booth.”
Activities during the day will include:
- 10 a.m. - Registration/Begin Boat Construction
- 10:15 a.m. - Life Jacket Fashion Show
- 10:30 a.m. - OHIO (Optical Hydro Illusion Obstacle) Challenge
- 11 a.m. - Canoe Races
- 12 noon - Sand Sculpture Contest Begins
- 12:45 p.m. -Inner Tube Races
- 1:30 p.m. - Hypothermia Game/OHIO Challenge
- 2 p.m. - Tug-O-War/Sand Sculpture Judging
- 2:30 p.m. - Water Balloon Toss
- 3 p.m.- Cardboard Boat Races
- Dusk - Fireworks (Visitor Center and Redman Creek Recreation Areas)
For more information, contact the Wappapello Lake Management Office at (573) 222-8562.
Photo Above: Sunset at Lake Wappapello, site of family fun for the Independence Day holiday. (SMT archive photo by Annabeth Miller)
Motorists beware! It’s 100 Mile Yard Sale time
Visitors and residents will be out in full force along Route 25 Memorial Day weekend in search of bargains at the 100-Mile Yard Sale, but Missouri’s Department of Transportation wants motorists and yard sale travelers to remember the greatest savings of the event could be a life.
"It's a fun weekend that people look forward to each year," says MoDOT Traffic Engineer Craig Compas, "but we want people to remember that there's more traffic and more congestion along Route 25 this weekend than any other and drivers need to keep that in mind."
MoDOT has done its part to bring the safety message to the forefront. Message boards will be in place along the route to alert drivers of the unusual traffic patterns and promote safe driving. One such board, for example, has been positioned south of the intersection of Highway 25 and Business Highway 25 South.
"We really want drivers to be alert-to be aware of their surroundings, to be aware of sudden stops and to look for pedestrian traffic," Compas says. "It's a big event locally, and we want everyone to enjoy themselves and be as safe as possible."
Begun 14 years ago, the event stretches from Jackson down Highway 25 all the way to Kennett. And along the way are yard sales featuring mustache cups, dogged-earred books, and treasures waiting to be discovered.
The American Red Cross will be in Dexter for a Blood Drive on Wednesday, May 30 . The blood drive will be from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m., at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church at 102 East Castor.
According to Laurie Nehring of the American Red Cross office in Cape Girardeau, donating blood can help save up to three lives because blood is separated into its components – red cells, plasma and platelets – to treat patients with different needs.
“Donating platelets primarily benefits cancer patients. When a patient is undergoing chemotherapy, the production of blood cells is affected and the platelet count may drop to a critical level,” Nehring said. “Shake, Rattle and Roll into a Red Cross blood drive May 22 – July 31 and you’ll be eligible to win a Gibson guitar, courtesy of The Gibson Foundation.”
The Red Cross will award multiple guitars and 50,000 guitar picks, co-branded with the Gibson and Red Cross logos, during this campaign. In addition, you’ll receive a rock and roll themed t-shirt.
Nehring said that as a special incentive for our young donors, anyone aged 16-21 can enter to win a $5,000 scholarship!
Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org for more information or to make an appointment. All blood types are needed to ensure the Red Cross maintains an adequate blood supply. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Donors must be in general good health, weigh at least 110 pounds and be at least 17 years old (16 with completed Parental Consent Form). New height and weight restrictions apply to donors 18 and younger.
Photo Above: Joan Lee of Dexter was a donor during a recent Red Cross Blood Drive in the community. (ShowMe Times archive photo)
Written by
Zach Hedrick, SMT Writer
Dexter, Missouri - A beautiful spot in Stoddard County will soon be receive new life and purpose – dedicated to serving those who have served our nation.
Gobbler Ridge Farms is being converted from a family recreational area into a place where veterans with combat-related injuries can go, relax, enjoy the outdoors, and hunt and enjoy nature. The project is spearheaded by Tom Love and Gobbler Ridge Farms and sponsored by the Kenady-Hanks American Legion Post 59 in Dexter.
“It will be a place where they can hunt, view wildlife, take nature photographs, relax,” Love said recently.
Priority will be given to Stoddard County veterans and veterans with combat-related disabilities
The site will have handicapped accessible blinds elevated for hunting and viewing. Blinds will be wheelchair accessible. Ground blinds will also be wheelchair accessible and portable to provide mobility and maximize use through the seasons and movement of wildlife.
One of the features of the facility will be a “viewing barn” that Love says will be multi-use.
“There will be windows, and it’ll be insulated and have a ramp” for easier access,” Love said.
The cabin on the site is being made handicapped accessible and may be used as a staging area, disabled veterans meetings, meals during outings, preparations for heading out into the woods.
In addition, volunteers are putting in specific food plots for the wildlife – clover, wheat, beans, corn, milo, and chicory. Habitat on the farm is diversified – with food plots, hardwood timber, brushy cover and native grasses.
“A lot of people are involved,” he added. Folks are lending a hand in preparing the site, and Love said businesses such as Cabela’s and WalMart and supporting the effort.
“”This site will be available all year long,” he said. “The veterans can go out any time we have man power to take them there.”
The American Legion Post #59 will supervise all donations and disbursement in the project.
