Written by
Jessica Snider, SMT Writer
Saturday, December 1st, a few members of the Heartland Strings went around to various nursing homes and played for the residents at the facilities.
The group is directed by Miriam Brehmer and she teaches her students Suzuki Strings. Her main focus of teaching within the group is the violin.
The Heartland Strings could be spotted out and about on Saturday as they traveled to Cypress Point and also made it to Central Gardens Residential Care Facility in Dexter.
When the group arrived at Central Gardens, it was just around lunch time so they had a large audience as they performed. The group’s performance consisted of Christmas music that almost everyone knows. The residents enjoyed this special visit very much and loved getting to hear the music being played from the violins.
Miriam Brehmer has twenty students that she teaches. Although not all were present Saturday, there were still enough to make a joyous sound!
The members of Heartland Strings that were present on Saturday were: Tony Wood, Lauren Wood, and Anthony Wood from Campbell; Allison Statler from Bloomfield; and Sarah Grummert, Stacy Grummert, Tatiana Cox, and Dakota Cox all of Dexter.
The group known as “Heartland Strings” consists of many local talented musicians. It takes a special talent for one to be able to pick up a violin and make beautiful music, but these people can do just that!
They are a joy to listen to and made the days of a lot of residents with their visits on Saturday!
SMT Writer
"The neat part is that people come because they want to, not
because they feel they have to," commented Greg Mathis, event organizer. "The weather, The Crowley Ridge Mennonite
Choir and curosity attributed to the large turnout."
"Many folks have wondered what we do at "The Reading", and finally worked it into their schedule to be a part of it," added Mathis.
The sounds of Christmas carols and the aroma of warming campfires filled the air as attendees entered the event. What is normally a vacant lot along the busy downtown street transforms itself into an incredible sanctuary that fans of the Christmas season gather to mark the true "meaning for the season".
This year's holiday event was the fourth annual gathering coordinated by Greg and Lisa Mathis. Originating as a way to continue meaningful family tradition, the Mathis family saw this as an opportunity to share the gift of The Christmas Story with neighbors, friends, as well as family in a meaningful way. The Christmas Reading is open to everyone, and the crowd has continued to grow each year.
"We initially started this with decorations and a lighted tree on the lot next door, then the next year we added the large Christmas cards displayed around the tree" noted Mathis. A very simple idea of holiday decorations was influenced by a wonderful lady of faith, June Coffey. Unknown by others, Mrs.Coffey was a devoted Christian lady that quietly offered her gifts to the Dexter community and her church through sacrificial service. Mrs. June's example of love, kindness and service influenced many throughout the area.
The event remains very simple with cookies, cider, decorations, Christmas carols and the reading of Luke Chapter 2. However, the simplicity of the agenda carries forward the very essence of the meaning of Christmas and family traditions.
"I always remember my mother-in-law, June Coffey, would read the Christmas story every year," recounted Greg Mathis. "She has dealt with Alzheimer's for the past ten years but, we felt that we could continue her tradition through this event."
Attendees received a special treat this year with the acapella musical sounds of the Crowley Ridge Mennonite Choir. A large group of men and women of all ages, the sounds of Christmas that filled the air along Stoddard Street were emotionally moving.
This year's agenda was notably a family affair for the Mathis family as the "reader" for the evening was announced by Greg Mathis. Greg shared that the event was a very special time, and the selection of the annual reader was not taken lightly. "They (the reader) can't be a preacher or a politician," noted Mathis.
Mathis then began to share of a man of honor and an example of Godliness, his father-in-law, Bob Coffey. Bob's life of leadership through his Savior Jesus Christ has been a trail of spiritual growth. From his many years as a Sunday School teacher at First Baptist Church to the mission fields of Haiti, Bob has been the type of person to allow his life to become a testimony to others and to his family. Like his wife June, Bob has been a quiet servant that humbly works for the betterment of others.
Jokingly, Mathis commented, "I don't know how a man can be that good and get the three son-in-laws he got, but that is proof that God has a sense of humor."
In his deep distinctive voice, Bob Coffey began to read the 2nd Chapter of Luke to the crowd, versus 1 through 14:
Luke 2 - The Birth of Jesus
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place whilea]">[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Following the reading of the 2nd Chapter of Luke, Greg's son Aaron Mathis was called to the podium to offer the Christmas prayer for the group. With family being the crystal point of the evening, Aaron represented one of four generations that surrounded him for the prayer with his grandfather Bob Coffey, his mother Lisa Mathis and this new addition to the family, Harper Anne Mathis. Harper is the newborn daughter of Aaron and Brittney.
"Having Bob and Aaron involved this year was certainly special for my family," acknowledged Mathis. "My wife had know idea that her father was the reader and that I asked Aaron to have the closing prayer. I promise not to push my family on those who attend again."
"I already have everything in place for next year, which will be our 5th annual," Mathis shared. "We have gone from 50 in attendance to over 300, in a very short time and appreciate all those who help and attended."
"My family wishes all of Stoddard County and all of the ShowMe Times readers a very Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year!"
Zach Hedrick, SMT Writer
Some struggle and search for years to find their calling in life while others have a date with destiny from birth for a specific direction in their journey. Joe is one of those lucky few who seems to have known his passion from the toddler stage on into his college years.
Meeting him in his early years, Joe was a little different from others toddlers as exhibited by his very early reading abilities and his uncanny talents for reciting movie credits to anyone who would listen.
"As long as I can remember I had a passion for the sports and the entertainment industries from a journalistic perspective," noted Northern.
At home as a young child he only had three TV channels, and can remember at 8 years old being glued to the MLB game of the week and honing his broadcasting skills.Joe's first chance to display his skills was afforded by Brad Aycock. Brad had started an annual BA Sports All-Star Extravaganza in March of 2003 to honor area athletes. Joe was 10 years old at this time, and was given an opportunity to MC portions of the event with duties such as announcing lineups and commercial sponsors.
"Joe is a great example of following your dreams or your calling. He was already skilled and developing a following at the age of 9 when he had a segment on our weekly radio show "Diving In with BA Sports," commented Brad Aycock, former businessowner.
"His segment was called "Joe's High Fives." added Aycock. "People from across the area would tune in to hear this kid share his vast knowledge about the top sports stories.""I knew then that he had "it." confirmed Brad. "He's destined for greatness in the world of media."
Joe's second big break came in August 2003 by happen-chance at a NBA game in Memphis involving the Memphis Grizzlies.
"We had court side seats and I was pretending to announce the game from my seat," remembered Joe.
Joe was spotted by the Grizzlies Media Relations Director, Mr. Eric Hasseltine. Mr. Hasseltine gave Joe his business card and asked him to later contact him. Joe did just this, and received an invitation back to Memphis to go on air for the first time on a local sports talk radio show where he had an opportunity to interact with callers and "talk sports." "That January day in 2004 is when I knew that I was hooked on broadcasting," recalled Northern.
Throughout Middle School and High School at Bloomfield, Joe had several more chances to live out his dream. He was given his first DJ gig for a benefit dance for Hurricane Katrina. That later led to being the DJ at many dances in 7th and 8th grade.
In high school, Joe became heavily involved in the Speech and Debate Club. This gave Joe an opportunity to further develop his speaking talents with an emphasis on humorous interpretation, radio speaking, and poetry reading. He made the district finals all 4 years and was a state qualifier his last three years of high school.
Northern states," Speech and debate helped me deal with critiques of my speaking style both by others and myself. Speech and debate helped tremendously to build my confidence." Joe had other opportunities in high school to polish his broadcasting performance with various live webcasts through a joint venture between the local newspaper and Bloomfield High School. He provided coverage of both high school volleyball and basketball through this endeavor.
Joe began branching out of the local scene in August of 2010 when he accepted an internship at WKIB FM 96.5 in Cape Girardeau. Initially, he earned valuable experience behind the scene, but soon branched out to include a pre-recorded Sunday show he produced on his own.
He left the internship in January 2011, and one week later received a phone call from the program director to offer him a night-time host position from 7-11.
"I was worried about the stress load of handling high school classwork in addition to traveling nightly to Cape to work," remembered Northern. "However after consulting with his parents and praying it over, I accepted my first regular paid job in the media industry."His night-time show had great success, and the station allowed Joe to implement his own creativity into the production. "JoJo's at Night", and "JoJo's Juice" were two of the shows he was able to create and produce.
Joe graduated from Bloomfield High in May of 2011 and began SEMO-Sikeston in the fall as he continued to work with the Cape radio station. However, he soon ventured in his own business in the fall as he created Northern Sound Service and began providing DJ services to private parties, weddings, and school dances.
Joe said, "The money was much better in the private business and the work was less demanding, so I quit the radio station in December of 2011."
Joe's next step in his dream came true in the fall of 2012 when he entered the pre-journalism program at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Opportunities abound at Mizzou to be involved in the journalism industry, and Joe immediately became involved in the student run TV and radio stations - MUTV and KCOU. His television job is primarily news and entertainment based where he reports, creates his own stories, and hosts a panel show for the listening audience. The radio responsibilities are more sports related as he was able to produce the Syracuse-Mizzou radio broadcast, along with hosting the pre-game, halftime, and post-game shows.
Joe added that with this job comes the opportunity to attend post-game news conferences and interview players and coaches. Now that basketball season has begun, Joe has been given the challenge of taping a broadcast to the Mizzou games and using it in later news shows.When not on the air, producing or promoting a show for MU-TV, Joe is also a dedicated fan of the Missouri Tigers as well. The game day photos with friends and other students allow you to immediately understand just how deep the sports vein runs in his life.
He has recently had the honor of being promoted to an Executive position at MU-TV as of mid-November, and is now in charge of producing content for the entertainment division of the station. Joe feels that all of this experience he is gaining will help him to gain acceptance into the prestigious Missouri School of Journalism in the Spring of 2014.
Joe Northern certainly seems on his way to achieving his dreams he has envisioned since a very young age. When asked about his dream job he was hesitant, but stated that calling basketball games at a major college or professional level would certainly be one his dreams. As for now, he is intent on learning as much as he can about all aspect of the media industry as possible. He is a very focused, driven young man who continues to work very hard to someday live out his dreams.
Photos provided by Greg Mathis.
Jessica Snider, SMT Writer
Doug Cox has been smoking meat for many different events throughout the community for quite sometime. It all started while watching his dad, Doug Cox Sr., doing the same thing. “My biggest inspiration for this was my dad. I followed him around and watched him cook,” remembered Cox, “He didn’t do it for a living. It was just backyard cooking.”
Also many of his earlier jobs keeping Doug busy were raising money for little league traveling baseball teams. Cox’s meat-smoking helped pay expenses for the team to travel to tournaments and also raised enough for new uniforms.
Cox has also started traveling around to various cooking competitions. He travels around to different locations for the competitions and one of those places being Talladega. “We’ve won some of the competitions. Sometimes we win money, but we also have some trophies.” In the competitions there are usually five categories to be entered in. Most people usually cook brisket, chicken, and or ribs.
Although Doug Cox cooks for a lot of people, he has really started to turn more towards charities. “That’s the main thing I like to do now,” says Cox. Last week, Cox was in charge of cooking the meat for the Drew Albritton fundraiser. “We shoot for things that will in someway help people.”
This has become something that Doug Cox more or less donates his time for. He has six large cookers that he uses and they are all used with charcoal and hickory.
Doug Cox has some help in doing all this. Two other guys that are a big part of this are: Dallas Buchanan and James Kaufman.
Jennifer Miller is shown picking up a smoked turkey from Doug Cox that she will be using for her family Thanksgiving. Ms. Miller is also in charge of the Senior Citizen Turkey Dinner held last night, which Doug cooked for.
He has been smoking the meat for the Senior Citizen Turkey Dinner sponsored by Dexter High School Student Council for over fifteen years now. Last night at the dinner there were over three hundred people in attendance.
Many people have been in and out of Doug Cox’s driveway this week and it will continue tomorrow as people pick up their orders for Thanksgiving.
Not only just during holidays, though. Doug cooks for people all year long. Doug often sponsors events throughout the year such as fishing tournaments, Relay for Life, and also 18 Fore Life.
Doug Cox is an example of something that often goes unnoticed. Cox donates a lot of his free time in order to help people in the community. Remember if you ever need some meat smoked to give Doug a call!
Jessica Snider, SMT Writer
Thanksgiving is a special time of year when we gather around with family and maybe even close friends and enjoy a great meal or two. Thanksgiving is much more than stuffing our faces with mom’s turkey or grandma’s pecan pie. Thanksgiving is a time of year we should be especially thankful for all we have.
In the world we live in, it is often easy to forget all we have been blessed with. This isn’t to say we shouldn’t be thankful all year round, however. Thanksgiving often brings out the gratefulness in many people.
You can see it in the Facebook posts especially. If you’re a social media user, you know that each day in November a lot of people decide to choose one thing they are thankful for. Some of the things I saw on my Facebook newsfeed today were: family, friends, and, yes, someone was honest enough to admit they’re thankful to be able to attend school.
We sometimes don’t realize how blessed we are until something is taken from us. Take being healthy for example. Many people don’t walk around through the day thanking the Lord that they feel well that day unless they know what it is like to be unhealthy or sick.
A lot of us travel to work, work all day, come home to our families, and maybe even complain that we have to do it all again the next day without even once stopping to be thankful that we’re able to do all of that. Many people who can’t even leave their homes would love to be able to go to work every day.
This isn’t to say everyone isn’t thankful, though. I’m sure there are people who wake up every morning and automatically thank God for waking them up that day. Society has started making it harder for people to be thankful for anything, and those that stand up strong and do it anyways are truly people to look up to.
So as you and your family gather around the table this Thanksgiving, the men run off to watch football, and the women gear up for Black Friday shopping, make sure you take time out in your day to be thankful for everything you’ve been blessed with. Be thankful for even the smallest things that you never take time out to appreciate. You never know when what you have can be taken from you.
We’re all SO BLESSED!
May everyone have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving this year!
