Dexter, Missouri - Keller Library Summer Reading Program kicked off today with an impressive 174 people in attendance. Marty Hahne, the Reading Magician was on hand to amaze the children and their parents, grandparents, and librarians.
Marty’s new magic tricks were geared to this year’s theme “On Your Mark, Get Set....Read”. His latest magic trick called My Favorite Sport allowed audience participation. One child came up to assist while the other children were let in on the secret, then at the end there was a surprise finish that left everyone baffled.
Marty also had a trick in which bottles of old fashioned root beer multiply one after the other until there are several and then there was a surprise at the end.
Marty had another routine involving exercising not only your muscles, but your imagination and brain. He told a very funny story about a boy named Rudy and how he lost his head watching too much television. The children really enjoyed this story and how Rudy’s head kept shrinking in the t.v. Even Casey, the magical rabbit, made an appearance in his magical library.
The Summer Reading Program continues next Wednesday, June 22nd at 11:00 a.m. with Karate Kickin' with Carillo's Martial Arts in Dexter. Keller Public Library is located at 402 W. Grant Street. The Summer Reading Program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
If you would like to hire Marty for a birthday party, church event, school event, or library event contact him on his website by clicking HERE.
REALTOR® Magazine and the Good Neighbor Society have announced the recipients of the eighth annual Volunteering Works grants and mentoring; the program matches Realtors® who work on small-scale charitable efforts with mentors and awards them grant money.
The five Volunteering Works recipients will receive a $1,000 seed grant and a year of one-on-one mentoring from a member of the Good Neighbor Society, comprised of past recipients of the National Association of Realtors®’ annual REALTOR® Magazine Good Neighbor Award for volunteer service.
“Realtors® are committed to helping homebuyers achieve their dreams of owning a home and building communities, and many are just as committed to building that sense of community through volunteer and charitable work,” said NAR President Tom Salomone, broker-owner of Real Estate II Inc. in Margate, Florida. “The Volunteering Works program provides a way for Realtors® who are helping in their communities to team up with mentors who can help their charitable efforts grow and thrive.”
The Volunteering Works recipients were selected based on their devotion to their communities through volunteer work and the potential for their good works to be expanded or improved with the help of an expert mentor. Their mentors are past winners of the Good Neighbor Awards, the highest honor that NAR awards to Realtors® involved in community service.
2015 Volunteering Works recipient Kerry Constantine, Power Brokers Real Estate Inc., Ft. Myers, Florida, says the Volunteering Works experience has been a great way to increase exposure for a cause near and dear to her heart: homelessness. Constantine says the $1,000 grant enabled her to distribute over 500 packets of toiletries to the homeless in her community.
“We are looking at expanding our services to help homeless families with emergency housing,” she said. “I am thankful for my mentor Cynthia Shafer and blessed that she lives nearby.”
“The Volunteering Works mentoring program gives the recipients the tools they need to face the upcoming challenges and to make their charities bigger, stronger and more complete,” said LeRoy Bendickson, Edina Realty, Minneapolis, Minnesota, who is a 2011 Good Neighbor Award winner and the chair of the Good Neighbor Society Advisory Council.
The 2016 recipients of Volunteering Works grants and mentoring are:
Diana Bowler, Allen Tate Company, Charlotte, North Carolina
Since 2014, Bowler has served Wesley Chapel Friends of Parks and Recreation, a community organization that promotes cooperation among businesses and nonprofits through events and fundraisers. As co-coordinator, Bowler has been instrumental in planning and implementing the grand opening, Christmas in the Park, Easter egg hunt, BBQ cook-off and fall festival. Bowler will receive advice from her mentor, 2015 Good Neighbor Award Winner Susan Stearns, Berkshire Hathaway HomeService, Calabasas, California, about motivating volunteers.
Candi DeMoura, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, La Jolla, California
In 2013, DeMoura founded Candi’s Holiday Food Drive as a way of bringing her community together during the holiday season. To raise awareness, DeMoura walks the neighborhoods and accepts donations at her weekly open houses. Her commitment to fighting hunger is evident: 1,247 pounds of food provided 1,039 meals for children, seniors, physically challenged and families throughout San Diego County. DeMoura will seek guidance from her mentor, 2012 Good Neighbor Award Winner Rocky Balsamo, Long & Foster Real Estate Inc., Princeton, New Jersey, on how to build a strategic plan.
Tamara “Tami” Hicks, Century 21 Signature Real Estate, Ames, Iowa
Since 2012, Hicks has given countless hours, financial donations and marketing efforts to help grow awareness of the Overflow Thrift Store. She collects quality items when people move out of an apartment or house; she repurposes and sells the items and then gives the profits to nonprofits that provide housing, food and education. Hicks will be advised from her mentor, 2014 Good Neighbor Honorable Mention Beth Smoot, NextHome City of Oaks, Raleigh, North Carolina, on how to overcome hurdles of funding, systems for reusing excess materials and training board members.
Ben Jones, Prime Mountain Properties, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
In 2014, Jones and his wife co-founded Angel Wings Memory Gowns as a way of bringing comfort to grieving families who have lost a child. He repurposes formal attire and wedding dresses into complimentary burial gowns for babies and toddlers up to five years old. He has brought together more than 45 volunteers and serves 25 local hospitals. Jones will benefit from guidance from his mentor, 2012 Good Neighbor Honorable Mention Kathleen Peck, All in One Realty Group Inc., Naples, Florida, about getting more exposure and financial support.
Rachel Strickland, Young Real Estate LLC, Dexter, Missouri
Six years ago, Strickland founded Manger Full of Toys, a volunteer organization that collects gently used children’s toys and donates them to families in need at Christmas time. In 2012-the best year so far-more than 7,000 toys were given to 371 families. She hopes to find a permanent facility to store the toys and host the giveaways. Strickland will be counseled by her mentor, 2000 Good Neighbor Award Winner Linda Booker, Realty Executives, Glendale, Arizona, about recruiting volunteers and obtaining nonprofit status.
Volunteering Works is funded by The Stuart & Jill Siegel Charitable Foundation. To learn more about Volunteering Works or the Good Neighbor Awards, go to www.REALTOR.org/gna.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the “News, Blogs and Video” tab on the website.
Dexter, Missouri - The 16th Annual Ben Kruse 18 FORE Life Banquet and Golf Event are slated for Friday, June 3rd and Saturday, June 4th. The annual banquet will feature Rocky Bleier at the Dexter Elks Lodge on Friday evening.
Bleier is a former Pittsburgh Steelers halfback and four-time Super Bowl Champion. After his 1968 rookie season he was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. On August 20, 1969 while on patrol he was wounded in the left thigh by an enemy rifle bullet when his platoon was ambushed in a rice paddy. While he was down, an enemy grenade landed nearby and after bouncing off a fellow soldier sent shrapnel into his lower right leg. He actually lost part of his right foot in the blast. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Bleier rejoined the Steelers in 1971.
The 18 FORE Life organization raises money and distributes gifts in the amount of $1,000 to people battling cancer. This year the charity is expected to give out their 2 millionth dollar!
"This is our 16th year and if it goes as planned," commented Scott Kruse, "We should send out our $2 millionth dollar by the end of 2016."
"We have been blessed with amazing support from this community and beyond," continued Kruse. "We have people attending the banquet and golf tournament from Oregon, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida and all in between. We even have folks flying in from Germany and Japan! I am honored and humbled by the support."
Right now there are about 60 names on the waiting list for donations this year and the numbers are rising. That's $60,000 that will be sent out shortly.
Dexter, Missouri - Local law enforcement from Stoddard County participated in the Statewide Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Missouri on Thursday, May 19th. Several from the Dexter Police Department, Missouri High Way Patrol, Stoddard County Sheriff's Office, and the Bernie Police Department ran along a stretch of Business Hwy 60 from Wal-Mart to On the Go ending at Hwy 25. The local effort was organized by Detective Capt. Trevor Pulley with the Dexter Police Department.
Law enforcement officers from around the state of Missouri ran the torch to raise awareness for Special Olympics Missouri and the State Summer Games. This year the Special Olympics Games were held at Missouri State University in Springfield on May 20 - 22nd.
Nearly 200 Missouri Law Enforcement agencies are attempting to raise funds this year by selling Torch Run T-shirts and organizing special events throughout the state.
Law enforcement officers participating in the 2016 Stoddard County Special Olympics Torch Run were Larry Patterson, D.J. Robinson, Jeremy Brotz, and Trevor Pulley from Dexter Police Department; John Atkinson and Kristie Palmer from the Stoddard County Sheriff's Office; Wesley Carter from Berni Police Department; Russ Gibson and Richard Owens from the Missouri Highway Patrol.
Jefferson City, Missouri - Dexter High School student Jake Rice was awarded the 2016 Outstanding Youth Prevention Award by ACT Missouri.
The award honors youth that have made a commitment and significant contribution to prevent underage drinking and substance use in their communities. Award winners were presented the prestigious award along with a Senate Resolution.
“Jake exemplifies the dedication, resourcefulness, and tenacity it takes for youth to make a difference in their communities,” said Alicia Ozenberger, Deputy Director. “ACT Missouri is thrilled to recognize Jake for his hard work over the past year.”
Jake is a Sophomore at Dexter High School. He is involved in Missouri Smoke Free on the local, district and state level. He has attended the coalition training meetings in Sikeston, as well as in Columbia. He has already spent hours of his own time to promote our program district and state wide! He is a council member of the district and state coalition as well as one of our leaders at Dexter. He has also attended the Stoddard County Smoke Free Coalition meetings as well.
Jake recently spoke to our local school board and gained approval to post No Tobacco signs throughout our school campus. Jake also attended the state rally in March at Jefferson City. Coalition leaders throughout the state nominated youth for the award with an essay highlighting their community service and extra-curricular activities. T
he awards were presented on April 13, 2016 as part of the 12th annual Speak Hard Youth Conference in Jefferson City. ACT Missouri is the statewide training and resource center for substance abuse prevention. Through free trainings, brochures, and education, ACT Missouri works with all areas of the state to combat drug and alcohol abuse, especially among Missouri youth. ACT Missouri also serves at the state representative for national organizations such as SADD and The Partnership for Drug Free Kids. Contact Information: Natalie Newville Public Information Officer nnewville@actmissouri.org 573-635-6669
