Christmas Around the Courthouse and Parade of Lights Event is for all of Stoddard County, not just Bloomfield - Come one, Come all and visit SANTA!!
The Parade of Lights will begin at 5 p.m. Enter your Christmas float, boat, golf cart, truck, lawn mower, it doesn't matter, just light up that vehicle and bring it down to the parade. Entry is FREE!!! Starts at the park and ends at Bloomfield schools. SANTA will be riding in the parade also!!
The Courthouse Square will be lit with all the Christmas sounds! Santa will be there for pictures, so bring your cell phone!!
Booths will be set up for last minutes shopping as well as those who are giving back to the community in the form of FREE chili, hot cocoa, cookies and more! Booth spaces are FREE too! Vendors who are selling will have a small fee!
Contact Amy Haas at amy_haas1@outlook.com
On Saturday members of the Sikeston American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary gathered at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery to make a donation. The donation was in the amount of $25,740. Since 2012 the group has donated more than $169,000 to the cemetery. One year was missed due to the COVID-19 shutdown meaning this was achieved in nine years.
The funds were raised as part of the recent poker run and cook off weekend held in April by the Legion and other sponsors.
Veterans cemetery director Tammy Smith said this has allowed for the installation of the heat, air, LED lighting, sound system and enclosure of the committal shelter. Other beatification projects around the cemetery have also benefited from these donations.. The cemetery is state funded, but not everything is covered in that budget.
“Without their support it would be very difficult to keep up the pace that we do, it would be very difficult,” said Smith. “It is expensive to maintain the cemetery and groups like this make it so much easier.”
“The whole interment process for the family, the experience of having to be down here, they have just made so much more comfortable for them,” said Smith. “Grieving is very difficult, you cannot make that easy. But being comfortable when you are having to go through it is a plus.”
“I have so many family friends interred here already and I have been around it in one way or another since its inception in the early 2000s,” said one of the organizers Jimmy Cantrell. “It holds a big spot in my heart. To see what it was and what it is now is amazing.”
Cantrell said the events held over the weekend that raised these funds were a corn hole tournament and the ultimate wing war (chicken wing cook off) held on Friday night. On Saturday was an auction, cook off and poker run.
“It takes a lot to do what we do, it takes a lot of help, It takes a lot of manpower, a lot of woman power,” said Cantrell. “A lot of things most people don't see, hear or realize. Our sponsors and contributors are the backbone.”
Smith and the staff at the cemetery participate in the weekend by judging the cook off, which is not a sanctioned state event. One of the events Smith and others judge is the mystery meat class, which is kept secret until the morning of the event. Some of the meats have been head cheese and liver.
Cantrell said the winners of the cook off receive a cash prize which is paid from a separate fund and not in anyway deducted from the donation.
Vickie Wilson with the Sikeston American Legion Auxiliary spoke about what this donation means to the auxiliary.
“It means a whole lot because that is what we are centered around is veterans, anything that has to do with veterans,” said Wilson. “Nine years ago Blair Moran came to us stating that the cemetery needed a new bell tower and system for the funerals so I took it on as my project as district president for the American Legion Auxiliary. And from then on it has been going ever since.”
The American Legion, Legion Auxiliary, Legion Rider, Sons of the American Legion and non members.
“If it wasn't for our sponsors out in the community, we couldn't do it,” said Wilson. “Our sponsors are our big supporters.”
Wilson and Cantrell both said it takes a lot of people with a lot of input to make the weekend work. Wilson said the event has grown considerably, the first years donation was $9,000 all the the way to this year which was more than $25,000.
“$25,740 is incredible, it's an incredible feat and they do it in one weekend,” said Smith.
“We appreciate the outstanding support we receive from the American Legion Post and Auxiliary unit in Sikeston,” said Blair Moran, with the Assistance League. “This represents a great deal of hard work and we would also like to thank our community support given to make the generous donation a reality.”
Article and photo submitted by Josh Ayers, Dexter Statesman.
Bloomfield, MO - Colonel John Clark, Air Force ROTC, laid a wreath at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield on Friday, April 8, 2022 in honor of Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action (MIA/POW).
He also toured the Stars & Stripes Museum next to the cemetery.
Clark, commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program at Mizzou in June 1962, was awarded his pilot wings in August 1963. He next flew C-131 Samaritan transports from October 1963 to June 1965.
He completed RF-4C Phantom II Combat Crew Training and served at RAF Alconbury, England from June 1965 to October 1966. He then began flying combat missions in southeast Asia in October 1966.
On March 12, 1967, then a Captain, was forced to eject over North Vietnam and was immediately captured and taken as a Prisoner of War. He spent 2,170 (5 years, 9 months) days in captivity and was released during Operation Homecoming on February 18, 1973.
After recovering from his injuries, Clark went back to college in October 1973. He then served as an instructor pilot before leaving active duty on June 10, 1977. He spent time in the Missouri Air National Guard before joining the Air Force Reserve. He retired from the Air Force on January 12, 1992.
MVC Deputy Director Ryan Richmond, Col John Clark, Senator Wayne Wallingford and MVC Director Paul Kirchhoff pose for a picture after the wreath laying.
Bloomfield, MO - The Stars and Stripes Museum will host their annual Fighting February with the Stars and Stripes on Friday, February 18th and Saturday, February 19th.
This is a FREE event! Open to the public and everyone is encouraged to attend.
There will be WWII battles and weapons demonstrations. The barn will be open and you can see a replica WWII bunker.
Come out on Friday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Bloomfield, MO - Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce will have a Parade of Lights prior to the Christmas Around the Courthouse on Saturday evening. This is not just a Bloomfield event, but it's our County Seat so everyone in Stoddard County is welcome to come and even participate. The more the merrier!!!
"We are kicking off our event with a good ole Parade of Lights this Saturday, December 4th, beginning at 5:00pm.," commented Amy Haas, President of the Bloomfield Chamber.
The parade will begin at the Bloomfield Park going North towards the Courthouse. It will make a left on Center St and end at the Bloomfield School. The sign up list for this parade is getting long.
If you are interested in throwing something fun, you can enter online here https://forms.gle/bHjRNiRGzdzL2ixaA It doesn't cost a thing!
"We still have a few spots open for our Christmas Around the Courthouse Event if anyone is interested in them," continued Haas.
"The spaces are filling up fast as we have worked our way around the Courthouse. It is sure to be a good event. We have some businesses and organizations who have signed up to pass out Hot Cocoa, Hot Apple Cider, Smores, Chilli, cookies, some informational items and do some crafts and games! We also have local vendors signed up for some light Christmas shopping."
The Choir will be on the Courthouse steps singing Christmas Carols and Santa will be there too! If you're not setting up, then come on out and enjoy the festivities with us!
The Event will run from 5:30-7:30. Online Link to sign up for this event is here: https://form.jotform.com/213058429730051
