Friday June, 9, 2023

Country and small town churches are windows to the heart and sinew of this country.

How wrong I was about 2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” When I saw the first trailer, I remember groaning about starting a fourth big-screen Spider-Man continuity when we were still in the middle of the Tom Holland version, hadn’t had a proper conclusion for the Andrew Garfield version, and weren’t far enough removed from the Tobey Maguire version. The live-action continuities eventually sorted themselves out, but more importantly, the animated “Spider-Verse” quickly became the best continuity of all. And with “Across the Spider-Verse,” it continues to be the best continuity.

After spending this past holiday weekend having a garage sale, I heard so many people commenting on how good it was to be able to be out and about and enjoying being outside. There was a lot to enjoy, too. Some of the folks who stopped by had been attending community activities, visiting cemeteries, local parks, having family reunions and partaking in all the garage sales. Their destinations were all different, but the thing they had in common was noticing how their surroundings were taken care of or particularly how they were not taken care of.

Do you remember the old game show called "Name That Tune"? There have been plenty of spin-offs and reboots of the show, but I remember the one on TV in the 1980s when I was a kid. Two contestants stood across from each other and wagered about how quickly they could name a tune before it was played.

I am writing this while sitting on a sofa that is set catawampus in a living room cluttered with stacks of cardboard boxes, pieces of furniture, luggage and computer parts, recuperating from the exertion of two hours spent unloading a truck about half the size of a railroad box car.

Southwest Baptist University’s Division of Computing and Mathematics recently had 23 computing seniors work on and present six projects sponsored by several leading companies and organizations, including the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank.

On April 22, 2023, seven area schools participated in the Bearcat Book Battle on the SBU campus.

Bolivar Middle School recently released its second-semester honor roll. According to a school news release, the following students earned spots on the list:

Several students from Bolivar were named to Truman State University’s academic lists for the spring 2023 semester.

The grades are in, and the academic achievements of six exceptional students have landed them a prestigious spot on the President's List at Bolivar Technical College. Michaela Baier of Fair Play, Tiffany Bailey of Rogersville, Amie Engel of Springfield, Angela Horinek of Buffalo, Tiffany Radford of Battlefield and Allison Steward of Grain Valley have all made their mark with outstanding grades.

How well do you know Polk County?

The Bolivar Elks Lodge will be hosting a gun and knife show; this is for buying, selling or trading.

The Pleasant Hope Masonic Temple Associate will host their annual Fish and Turkey Fry on Wednesday, June 28.

Monday, June 12 — Chicken salad sandwich, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, carrot and raisin salad, chocolate pudding, celebration cake.

The City of Fair Play will be having Dumpster Days on Thursday, June 15 and Friday June 16, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 17.