They are not going to let a little rain or dreary weather ruin their fun.  The 5 k will follow the planned route, rain or shine, so 5k-ers, bundle up!  (Unfortunately, the BEC track is closed to the floor being re-finished.)  The rest of the morning’s events will be moved into the gym and cafeteria at Southwest.

Strollerthoners can "park" thier strollers in the cafeteria. They are welcome to use the back parking lot and enter through the cafeteria doors. Tyson's grill, snacks and refreshments will be available in the cafeteria. While Kid-Fest Booths will be in both the gym and cafeteria, and the egg hunt can be moved into the hallways if it's raining.

Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer

Dexter, Missouri - The Kiwanis Annual Easter Egg Hunt will be Saturday, March 30^th at 1:00 p.m. at West City Park in Dexter, Missouri.

The event is open to all children ages pre-school through 3^rd grade.  The park is located across from the Stoddard County Ambulance District building on W. Business US Hwy 60 and is FREE to the public.

The Easter Bunny will be there a little before 1 p.m. so bring a camera, but he can’t stay too long as he has to get busy and hide more Easter Eggs that night for all the little boys and girls to find on Easter morning.

There will be three special eggs and one in each age division.  Find one and you will receive a wonderful Easter Basket full of goodies!  Age group divisions will preschool, K-1 and second and third graders.

There will be plenty of eggs for everyone!  Come out and have a great time with the kids.

Dexter, Missouri - Lauren Thrower has a new website!  It is still in the works, but ready for you to check it out.  Lauren needs your help.  Help us spread the word and make her a cover model. 

Lauren is one of 25 chosen for the 2013 Make Me A Cover Model contest which is open from Friday, March 15^th and will close at midnight Monday, March 25^th. 

Then the top 5 models will have another round of voting beginning on Friday, March 29^th.  The ShowMe Times will keep you up-to-date on Lauren’s success.

How do I vote for Lauren and make her a cover model?  It is simple. Go to http://www.laurenthrower.com and find the “Click Here to Vote!”  This will take you to the Fourpoints Magazine’s website for voting.

Once you are on Fourpoints Magazine's website find Lauren’s picture, click vote.  It will ask you to submit two words from the screen, hit enter and away it goes.  “Your Vote is Counted!” will appear, click continue and do it again.  Up to 100 votes per IP address per day are counted.

Don’t forget to share with your Facebook friends.

You can even follow Lauren on Twitter, @laurenleigh2016.  Use hash tag #makemeacovermodel.

Lauren is currently preparing to compete in the Miss Missouri Outstanding Teen pageant in Mexico, Missouri in June of this year.  Her Platform is the D.A.R.E. Program and she is also an active fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network.

She is currently Miss Springfield Outstanding Teen 2013 and she earned Jr. Miss Stoddard County 2012, Jr. Miss Dexter 2012 and Jr. Miss Heartland 2012 titles.

Help Lauren win the contest and become a "Make Me A Cover Model"!

Good Luck Lauren!

*Update to Article:  The Fourpoints Magazine's website had a slight issue yesterday, but will be up and running by noon today, Tuesday, March 20th.  They have also extended the voting.  See website for details.

Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer

Dexter, Missouri – The Rotary Club had their weekly meeting with a special guest speaker, Dr. Thomas Sharp, Superintendent of Dexter Public Schools.

Dr. Sharp has been the superintendent for the past three years and hoped he would still be here another five years from now.  He really enjoys Dexter!

He started by telling the Rotary Club about the number of teachers retiring this year along with some that are moving away from Dexter.  He has spent a multitude of time interviewing candidates and really likes the process of interviewing.  They were told about the new head football coach and a new special education teacher that were hired just this week.

“I like to find out if the candidate not only has the wisdom needed for the job, but to determine if they can think on their own and more importantly can they teach,” explained Dr. Sharp.

Dr. Sharp also spent some time discussing school security and with the recent shootings in Connecticut, he says we found out that there is always room for improvement and if someone wants to get into the school, they can.  However with training, more secure doorways, new cameras and a plan of action in place, it will slow an intruder down and save lives. 

The Rotary Club was also told that the schools in Dexter were currently on lock-down during his visit with them as there were three potentially violent escapees from the Butler County Jail roaming around.

There are also plans in place this summer to replace sections and repair the flat roof at the school with a cost of $20,000.  Flat roofs have to be repaired often and leak more than a peaked roof. 

He also announced that the schools would only be open ½ day on Thursday and closed on Friday because the Lady Cats basketball team was going to Columbia for the State Championship games.  They wanted anyone, including family, friends, and students who want to attend the games to be able to do so.  He is very proud of the girls basketball team and their accomplishments.

"It is always nice to have a guest speaker of such caliber and to learn what is going on in the schools,"  according to one of the Rotary Members.  "If you don't have kids in the school district, then you don't know what's going on at school.  It was nice that he came and updated us."

The Rotary Club is currently having a membership drive and looking for folks who are interested in serving the community to please contact any Rotary Member.   They have guest speakers often and their meetings are never dull.  You can learn a lot from a Rotarian!

Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer

Jefferson City, Missouri  – According to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), no matter where Missourians live -- in the country, suburbs or cities -- trees and forests are valuable to their health, wealth and happiness. Celebrate the value of Missouri trees and forests on Arbor Days in April by planting native trees and practicing proper tree care. Get more information on backyard tree care, including proper tree selection and planting tips, at mdc.mo.gov.

Missouri has been observing Arbor Day since 1886 when the General Assembly declared that the first Friday in April should be set aside for the appreciation and planting of trees. National Arbor Day is recognized on the last Friday of April. Each state determines its Arbor Day based on its unique climate and weather patterns. 

Missouri Governor Jeremiah (Jay) Nixon recently issued a proclamation designating April 5 as this year’s Arbor Day in Missouri. National Arbor Day is April 26. 

In support of Arbor Day and in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT) “Trees for Tomorrow” program, MDC distributes nearly 100,000 native tree seedlings from its George O. White State Nursery to fourth-grade classes from more than 1,300 schools throughout the state each March. MODOT provides financial support for the production and distribution of the trees. The seedling distribution supports MDC’s Discover Nature Schools program, which provides grade-appropriate curriculum and activities to help students understand the importance of conservation. 

TREES WORK 

The Missouri Department of Conservation works with and for Missourians to sustain health forests and trees, and trees work. According to the MDC “Trees Work” public-awareness campaign: 

Trees Work for Your Wallet

·      Shade from two large trees on the west side of a house and one on the east side can save up to 30 percent of a typical residence's annual air conditioning costs.

·      Trees placed around buildings as windbreaks can save up to 25 percent on winter heating costs.

·      Street trees in neighborhoods increase sale prices of houses by an average of $8,870.

Trees Work for Your Health

·      Views of nature assist at the workplace. Employees with views of nature report 15 percent fewer illnesses and feel more enthusiastic and less frustrated than those without a view outside.

·      Those who commute along tree-lined roads remain calmer and drive less aggressively than those who drive along less treed roads.

·      Tree-lined streets are more walkable, encouraging more active lifestyles, which decreases obesity and improves heart health.

·      100-foot plantings of tall trees can reduce noise by 50 percent.

Trees Work for Your Family

·      Symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder in children are relieved after spending time in treed areas. Kids can better concentrate, complete tasks, and follow directions after playing in natural settings. Contact with nature helps children develop imagination, creativity, and social relationships.

·      Trees along streets promote physical activity in children and increase longevity of the elderly.

·      One of the most effective means of protecting children from sun damage is to plant shade trees where they play.

Trees Work for Your Community

·      A 10-percent increase in trees in a neighborhood reduces crime by 12 percent.

·     Trees improve downtowns. People are willing to spend 12 percent more for goods and services in downtowns with trees, and spend more time shopping and come back more frequently.

·      People tend to be more familiar and socialize more with neighbors in neighborhoods with trees.

Trees Work for Your Community

·      A 10-percent increase in trees in a neighborhood reduces crime by 12 percent.

·      Trees improve downtowns. People are willing to spend 12 percent more for goods and services in downtowns with trees, and spend more time shopping and come back more frequently.

·      People tend to be more familiar and socialize more with neighbors in neighborhoods with trees. 

Trees Work for Our Environment

·      Covering more than one-third of the state, Missouri trees and forests protect soil from erosion and filter water, provide oxygen needed to breathe and clean the air by trapping and storing pollution.

·      Missouri forests and trees provide habitat for an incredible diversity of plants and animals that could not exist without them, along with a wealth of outdoor recreational opportunities and breathtaking scenic beauty.

·      100 mature trees intercept about 100,000 gallons of rainfall per year, reducing runoff and providing cleaner water.

·      The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day.

·      Missouri’s forests store more than 5 million tons of carbon. Each year, an acre of forest captures between one and four tons of additional carbon.

·      For each pound of new wood that grows, the tree removes about 1.8 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air and produces 1.3 pounds of oxygen.

Trees Work for Our Economy

·      Missouri trees and forests provide lumber and other wood products used around the state and around the world.

·      Missouri’s forest products industry contributes approximately $7.3 billion to the state economy annually, supports 41,200 jobs, and generates $610 million in taxes.

·      Trees along streets in Missouri communities provide $148 million annually in benefits, including energy savings, increases in property values, and storm-water retention. 

For more information, visit www.mdc.mo.gov and search “Trees Work."