The Miss Stoddard County Pageants will be held Sunday, Sept. 18, beginning at 2:00 p.m. the the Dexter High School auditorium.  The pageant is sponsored by Xi Lambda Psi sorority. 

The following categories will be included:

• Little Miss and Little Mr. (ages 3 to 6)
• Petite Miss (ages 7- 11)
• Junior Miss (ages 11-14)
• Miss (age 14 and over)

All contestants must be residents of a Stoddard County School District, or attend a Stoddard County School. They must also be a reigning Queen or King, or attendant in their respective age category.

An optional rehearsal will be held on Friday, September 16, with the following time schedule: 4 to 5 p.m. for Junior Miss and Miss contestants, 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for Petite Miss contestants, and 5:30 to 6 p.m. for Little Mister and Little Miss contestants.

Entry forms and contest rules may be obtained at the following places: all Stoddard County High Schools, The Bunny Patch in Dexter, and on the Show Me Times Website.

The deadline for entry is Sept. 15, unless prior arrangements are made.

For more information concerning the pageants or entry forms please contact Susan Hill at 624-5295 or Melanie Stoelting at 573-222-3983.

2011 Miss Stoddard County Forms

2011 Miss Stoddard County Entry Form
2011 Miss Stoddard County Rules

By Annabeth Miller, ShowMe Times Editor

Cliff Manlove is a pretty talented guy. He’s travelled around the world, he’s a pilot, a counselor; he rides bikes, likes to snow ski, plays the harmonica and still sings in the church choir. All at the age of 94. He has also created some lovely pieces of stained glass art.

Two of his stained glass art pieces have found their home at the First United Methodist Church. He created a wonderful version of Albrecht Durer’s Praying Hands that hangs in the church Prayer Room. When the congregation dedicated Wesley Hall, Manlove created a stained glass version of the United Methodist Cross and Flame emblem for the new fellowship hall..

But there is another Manlove stained glass creation that receives quite a bit of attention.

Manlove is a dedicated volunteer at the Stars and Stripes Museum, where he has served as board member, board president, and enthusiastic museum supporter. So it was only natural that he would create the Stars and Stripes logo in stained glass. That creation now is featured above the doorway into the museum’s library reading room..

So, in 2002 when former U.S. Senator Bob Dole visited the museum, Manlove had his photo taken with Dole and U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson.

Now, nearly nine years later, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt stopped and toured the museum - and Manlove again posed for a photo with a United States Senator with his stained glass artwork in the background.

“Some years back I was out in Colorado in Steamboat Springs, and this was a popular hobby. So I just got onto the idea; I got started with it,” Manlove said.  “So I went through a period of intense concentration, and then it got to be too hard to get materials. St. Louis and Memphis were the closest places to get the glass, which made the hobby hard to continue.”

But his talent and knack at his stained glass hobby lives on, admired by visitors at the Stars and Stripes Museum and Library - and by political leaders who visit the Stoddard County museum.

Top Photo:
Cliff Manlove poses with U.S. Senator Roy Blunt during Blunt's recent visit to the Stars and Stripes Museum in Bloomfield, Mo.
SMT Photos by Annabeth Miller

A ribbon-cutting celebration was held Monday morning at Cecily’s Beauty Cottage in Dexter. Participating in the Chamber of Commerce celebration were (from left) Chamber of Commerce Secretary/Treasurer Kevin Bishop, hair stylists Haley Burger, Teresa Dragon and Jera Hutchison, owner Cecily Parker, Chamber President Ed Gargas, Chamber Directors Scott Chesser and Mendy Bell, Chamber Vice President Kenny Pope and Chamber Executive Director Janet Coleman. Cecily’s Beauty Cottage is located at 1317 West Business 60 in Dexter, and is open 9-5 Monday through Friday, and 9-2 on Saturday. (SMT photo by Annabeth Miller)

EAST PRAIRIE - In May, Big Oak Tree State Park and Towosahgy State Historic Site in Mississippi County were covered with 12 to 16 feet of water and sand following the intentional breach of the Birds Point Levee along the Mississippi River. But this week, this unique spot in Southeast Missouri reopened to the public. Two events in September will provide special opportunities to revisit these areas.

"Our staff monitored these two facilities throughout the summer to determine the impact of the breach. We are pleased to be able to reopen these areas to the public while we continue to make repairs to our facilities," said Bill Bryan, director of Missouri State Parks, a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

At Big Oak Tree State Park, the areas open for visitor use include the main picnic area and the boardwalk, which takes visitors into the heart of the vast swamp forest. Other portions of the park remain closed while assessment continues on the impact from the flooding. All of Towosahgy State Historic Site will reopen to the public.

Visitors will have a chance to celebrate the reopening of Big Oak Tree State Park during its annual Living History Day event Sept. 10. This free event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the park's main day-use area. The event will feature demonstrations of old-time skills such as spinning, trapping, flintknapping and making canvas floor cloths. "Bluegrass Revival" and the "Shoestring Band" will provide music throughout the day and barbecue and funnel cakes will be available for purchase. The Southeast Explorer, a mobile teaching and learning center from Southeast Missouri State University, will be available with exhibits about the history of southeast Missouri. The center features activities for grades three through six so the event will provide something for the entire family and all age groups.

On Sept. 24, the rural location of Towosahgy State Historic Site will provide the perfect setting for an evening event showcasing the night sky. The site preserves the remains of a once-fortified Indian village of the Mississippian Culture between 1000 A.D. and 1400 A.D. Join staff on top of the temple mound to view the blanket of stars from the same vantage point as Native Americans did more than 1,000 years ago. The event will include Native American stories of the night and tales of the constellations. This free event will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

"Visitors at these two sites will notice some changes and areas that will need improvements. We can continue to make these improvements while our visitors take advantage of the great fall weather to revisit two outstanding resources in southeast Missouri," Bryan said

Big Oak Tree State Park is located 15 miles south of East Prairie on Highway 102. Towosahgy State Historic Site is located approximately 15 miles southeast of East Prairie on County Road 502. To reach the site, take State Highway 77 south toward Dorena and turn west on County Road 502.

For more information on these events, call Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site at 573-748-5340. For more information about Missouri state parks and historic sites, call the Missouri Department of Natural Resources toll free at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) or visit mostateparks.com.

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Links Of Interest

Big Oak Tree State Park Photo Gallery
Big Oak Tree State Park

By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor

Ten years ago on Sept. 11, “everything changed.” On that sunny day, thousands of Americans were killed in terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Passengers kept another airliner from reaching a target believed to be in Washington; the Pennsylvania countryside that claimed them is now hallowed ground, too.

As the 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks draws near, the ShowMe Times wants to help our community share in remembrance of that day and its continuing impact on our lives. Beginning Monday, Sept. 5, the ShowMe Times will be sharing your stories - your memories, reflections, thoughts for the future.

We invite our readers to write about anything related to the attacks and what you’ve seen, felt and experienced in the 10 years since that fateful day.

• What were you doing when you learned of the attacks?
• What does the anniversary mean to you?
• Do you remember where you were when you heard the news?
• Did you or someone you know lose a loved one?
• Can you remember your first thoughts?

We hope you will feel free, as well, to share your experiences. Have you visited Ground Zero or any of the Memorials in New York City? Or have you paid tribute to those who died or injured on that brave airline flight or at The Pentagon?

Please send your reflections and thoughts to amiller@showmetimes.com. or fax toll free to 1-866-515-6826. Please make sure you include your name, age, and where you live.

Together we can remember, honor those who died, and show respect for those who continue to serve.

A memorial dedicated the the brave firemen and emergency workers who died on 9-11-2011 outside a fire station in New York City. This photo was taken by SMT reader Shannon Putnam, who visited the memorial during the Dexter Show Choir's tour of New York City this past June.