What’s your favorite animal?

It may sound like a childish question, but I encourage all who read this to at least consider what animal is your preference. Not only is having a favorite animal interesting and fun, it demonstrates your taste and personality. My animal happens to be the llama, because of their uniqueness, admirable attitudes and all-around coolness.

If you are not a Catholic I don’t think you can completely understand how important the pope’s visit to America was.

I am not Catholic and actually am Lutheran. Martin Luther broke with the Catholic Church and formed our church so it seems funny that I would write about this historic visit.

Every once in a while, a bill that is being debated in Jefferson City catches my eye – no matter on which side I agree.

One of those bills was given House approval last week. It is legislation that would create an extra incentive for students to attend classes and get good grades. That incentive would be a driver’s license.

Mail delivery in the opening years of the 20th Century was a new and still experimental service for the New City and surrounding area. Delivery routes to rural neighborhoods posed a serious challenge and particularly so in winter and spring when road conditions bowed to inclement weather and often meant many miles of impassable surfaces. There were no paved roads and the numbers of bridges was severely limited. Some stream crossing were possible only via fords that often were covered with running water. The surface of unpaved and undrained roadways in that era saw few if any ditches or other drainage efforts. These crossings were barriers in periods of rain or snow and the roads themselves featured deep water-filled ruts that added to the difficulty of passage. Some postal carriers were mounted on horses and others made their journeys aboard 2-wheel carts or 4-wheel buggies. Each route was a daylight-to-dusk experience and some were completed only a few times weekly or even monthly when the weather was especially bad.
 

All this was true in spite of the fact that Jasper County in that era was said to have the finest, most modern and most serviceable system of roads and bridges of any county in Missouri. That was the case primarily because of the unusual efficiency of the members of the Jasper County Court with a major bridge-building endeavor beginning as early as the 1880s and continuing into the new century.

Lately, my good friend and roommate, Amber, and I have been going to a gym. But it's not an ordinary gym.

Just down the street, we have found a gym called "At the Beach," and it's only for women. I've heard of women's gyms before, like Curves, but I never gave them much thought until now. Before, Chris and I have competed in some vigorous games of racquetball, but I think I'm willing to put those competitive moments in the past for this new place. Though playing and participating in sports together is fine and healthy, Chris and I are two competitive souls, and there were times when a bitter sense of defeat followed us home. Maybe sometime Chris and I can rekindle our gym adventures, but for now, I enjoy working out in this new environment.

Being in the newspaper industry for more than 30 years, I have seen changes that not only affect the actual composition of the paper, but also the decisions that are made on an everyday basis.

In 1994 Carthage had a Comprehensive Plan for growth and development done by Planning Works LLC, a firm out of Kansas City.

 • To widely-respected clergyman Gary Shaw upon his becoming mayor of the city of Joplin.

A major issue hitting the American public right now is the airlines canceling flights due to regular inspections.

Several weeks ago I told you Saturday Night Idol was coming to town and I told you what the preliminary plans were. The plans are now "etched in stone" and it’s almost time for the first Saturday night event, so let me tell you what the rules are.

After reading countless stories about gangs, juvenile delinquencies, underage drinking, out-of-wedlock pregnancies, etc., one tends to have a pretty negative attitude about the youth of our country.

• To each of those precious few dedicated citizens who cast ballots in the recent municipal and school district elections.

Campaign pressure, subject to over-correction and over-indulgence, have led presidential candidates to deal with many major issues of vital importance to the future of the nation as if each one is a stand-alone matter to be solved on its own terms alone.

Greetings from Tulsa!

As an outspoken person the political arena has never been a place I’d like to be.