Submitted by Jill Temples

SMT Writer

Dexter, Missouri- To celebrate the 2013 Industrial Appreciation Week the Dexter Chamber of Commerce will hold a 4-Person Golf Scramble on Wednesday, September 11^th.  The golf scramble will be held at the Hidden Trails Country Club in Dexter and will begin at 1:00 p.m. with a shotgun start.

There will be a $40 entry fee.  This fee includes the golf cart, green fees, and a meal after the scramble.

Ladies Tees will be sold 2 for $5 with a limit of 2 per player.

Mulligans will also be sold 2 for $5 with a limit of 2 per player.

The 50/50 Pot will be 6 for $5. Including PRIZES FOR ALL!!!

Pre-registration entry fee total for a team of 4 will by $160.00

       -Maximum Mulligans for a team of 4 will be $20.00

(The Mulligans and Ladies Tees will be included with a score card)

To register for the scramble call: Janet or Carol with the Dexter Chamber of Commerce at 573-624-7458

Submitted by Jill Temples

SMT Writer

Dexter, Missouri- On Saturday, September 28th, the 20th Annual Bootheel Area Walk for MS will take place at the West City Park in Dexter.  Registration will start at 4:00 p.m. with the walk will start at 5:00 p.m.

When you participate in the Walk for MS the funds raised will help more than 7,000 people living in our community that have MS.  The money being raised will help support life-changing programs for these individuals and will also help with research for the disease.  This money also helps research to restore function that has been lost and to end MS all together.  The MS walk began in 1988 and has since raised over $10 million to help support people living with MS.

The MS walk will have length routes that are one mile and three miles.  If you decide to participate in the walk, you can register as a volunteer, team, or individual.  Registration is available online at http://walkmos.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Walk/MOSWalkEvents?fr_id=22028&pg=entry or you can register on the day of the race at 4:00 p.m.

Come out and walk to create a world free of multiple sclerosis!

Submitted by

Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer

It has always been a struggle according to Neal, but when he sets a goal he works very hard to accomplish it.  I had the pleasure of chatting with Neal this evening and was excited to announce his running for 149th State Representative spot which is being vacated by Steve Hodges here on ShowMe Times.

Below is a letter from Boyd called "REALITY Check" and how he has set a goal to release his new EP, "My Christmas Wish" and how he hopes to accomplish his dream. 

Letter from Neal E. Boyd

I’m going to be brutally honest about my own life.  Every opportunity hasn’t come with the endless possibilities that one might assume, but I am grateful for all the opportunities I have been given.  As Plácido Domingo once told me, “Be Proud of it…I’m sure you are starting a brilliant career!”

Some believe the music industry is a perfect world full of fame and money.  As a consumer, you find a favorite artist or a favorite song.  You listen to the music it for a while and then set it aside.  It’s the same way a lot of times with artists in the music industry.  It’s true that my music career hasn’t gone perfectly or as I had wished or planned.  There have been some tough setbacks.  But when you’re a dreamer taking risks, you hope for fame and stardom starting with that hairbrush in your hands; like a microphone, while you’re staring in a mirror as a child.

But fame is fleeting.  You just have to know that it is.  I, like many artists, have wished to have longevity throughout my career…to remain relevant in changing times.  But sometimes people can’t relate to you right away, and therein lay the struggle.  You begin to take it personally, you blame yourself or everyone but yourself for your lack of success, but in the end you are left alone to contemplate that you chose this difficult life.  

You can’t control the market and their taste in music at any given time.  You are at the whim of fashion.  The ups and downs in this industry have caused me a lot of pain and agony about my self-worth.  Still, I was taught to persevere through trying times.  So I have sucked it up and taken the hits…one…by one…by one.  This includes my weight and health issues, surgeries, and helping my mother through her cancer.  None of which were insurmountable, but all costly endeavors, that tested my Faith, and challenged me personally.

But I’m still standing.  I’m still singing.  I regrouped and grounded myself back home here in Southeast Missouri; seeking the life of service to the community I’ve always wanted, even before the music struck me.  But then it hit me…music is a service in itself and can be used to inspire people in seemingly dire times.  In all honesty, and with a humble heart, I need to tell you that I am still fighting for my dreams despite the confetti or the money won.  The fight has not ended.

I am not a rock star like Kenny Rogers or Pavarotti, two men who inspired me greatly.  I am not a millionaire.  I get by just like everyone else.  I put my extra large pants on one leg at a time.  I have saved enough to make a comfortable life for my mother and family.  I’ve invested.  After all, I am an entrepreneur.  I’ve learned that money can be fleeting especially when you can’t find work because of the economy.  It all but shut down many of the theatres I could have performed in, and in doing so, shut down the first phase of my singing career.

But now I’m starting fresh.  No major recording label and no major producers.  It’s just a team of people who believe in my talent, and know how to bring the music to life.  An actual recording label can come with many strings attached.  You can lose the ability to choose your own songs, and how you sing them.  I have been shot down for a Christmas record by labels in years past…it wasn’t going to happen again.

“My Christmas Wish” was a brainstorm among family and friends, and a vow to my mother that she would live to hear me sing an album like Bing Crosby did in the 1950s and 1960s.  It was that simple of an idea…and how that idea has grown!  So after I invested what I could, instead of going to a label, I went back to my family, friends and fans for support on Indiegogo, The Voice of Missouri, and Kickstarter.  I knew if everyone wanted the album made, then it would be.  The rest I’ve left in God’s hands.

 Neal E. Boyd

Written By Jill Temples

SMT Writer

Bloomfield, Missouri- The Boat House Wine Co. in Bloomfield, MO will be hosting a concert benefiting 18 Fore Life and the Stoddard County Children’s Home on Saturday, September 7^th.  The Buzz, Brice Long, and Josh Pruno will all be performing for the benefit. 

The Buzz is local band featuring BobbiKay Parker, Scott Kruse, Kip Musgrave, and John Steward.  The band is known around the area for bringing back the rock of the 70s and 80s.

Josh Pruno is a Crystal City native that has become a country singer.   Pruno has performed at the Hard Rock Café in Nashville, TN and at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.  He is signed with LMG in Nashville that is associated with Tracy Lawrence.  Josh has also released his first single album, 23^rd Psalms.  For a preview of Josh Pruno visit his website at http://joshpruno.com/home.

Brice Long is a country singer from Kentucky that has written many songs for some of country’s famous artist.  These artists include: Reba McEntire, Gary Allan, Laura Bell Bundy, Craig Campbell, Casey James, Randy Houser, John Michael Montgomery, Randy Travis, and Josh Turner. Long has worked for Starstruck Entertainment and Columbia Records.  For a preview of Brice Long, visit his Facebook page at

https://www.facebook.com/bricelongmusic

A special thanks to all the sponsors: The Fowl Life, Banded Foundation, Legacy Club, Sterling Bank, and Clear 94!

Tickets will be $10. The Buzz will begin at 4:00 p.m. with Josh Pruno starting at 5:30 p.m. and Brice Long will follow.  Come out and enjoy the sounds of great country and rock music!