SEMOTIMESWWW.SEMOTIMES.COM

The Most Important News of your Week 3.9.12

Page 5

Page 14

The Wine Rack reinvented

Romeo and Juliet debuts this weekend

at Rodgers $4.5M Vote to Consolidate Neelyville SchoolsFlatlanders and Hill People Divided

2

3

StaffPublisher

Scott R. Faughnscottfaughn@semotimes.com

Managing EditorTim Krakowiaktim@semotimes.com

ReporterLiz Ellis

lizellis@semotimes.com

Creative DirectorNicole Malinowski

malinowski.nicole@yahoo.com

The Week in Review

the social network

how to join our social network:

1. Become a friend of SEMO Times on Facebook2. Reply to our questions for a chance to be

featured with your profile pic in the newspaper

from our friends at:

Cover

It was a good week for SEMO Times Reporter Liz Ellis, who graced the front page of the DAR Thursday.

The occasion marks the first time a member of the SEMO Times family has appeared above the fold since Pub-lisher Scott Faughn circa 2001-2010.

It was a good week for Stod-dard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver for bringing the Taco Bell ban-

dits to justice.

It was a bad week for Mama Nature. Over 1,000 acres of private land across Wayne and Reynolds counties got

burned in forest fires. We would like to than voluntary firefighters for not al-lowing it to turn into an Arizona situ-ation.

It was a good week for Butler County office seek-ers. Despite the daily run-ning a three-page article

strictly on Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs seeking reelection Sunday, Van Rhodes of Poplar Bluff filed two days prior, and Wayne Gilmore of Broseley, three days beforehand (they refused to run his press release this week). And, of course, presiding Commissioner Ed Strenfel filed on opening day last week. There’s still two and a half weeks left!

It was a good week for passion

regarding the stu-dents of Neelyville R-IV. No matter how you vote April 3, it’s nice to see people

voicing their opinion about the future of the school district.

It was a good week for The Stage Company for tak-ing on its first Shakespear-ean play. We here at thumbs

won’t be missing it.

Photo byScott Faughn

1. With two city incidents in-volving guns last week, do you believe crimes of violence are increasing in Poplar Bluff?

2) Are you attending the Pro-fessional Bull Riders event at the Black River Coliseum this weekend?

KimMcMullin

TimKrakowiak

KevinHilderbrand

‎1) There’s always been violent crimes, but I would say, with residential/commercial growth comes a higher crime rate. Just look at any major city in Missouri.

2) Yes!

1. ‎With cor-ruption, vio-lence histori-cally increases.

2. NO, it’s election year. There is already enough bull to see, hear & smell.

1. We haven’t been here long enough to speak about increasing from the past but two violent crimes in a week is a lot.

2. No.

Semotimes

“The most important news of your week”

3.9.12Volume 4 Issue 8

100 S. Main St.Poplar Bluff, MO

573-785-2200

Cover Story SEMO Times4$4.5M vote to consolidate

Neelyville Schools

by: Tim Krakowiak, Managing Editor

NEELYVILLE, Mo. he Neelyville R-IV

School District will attempt to pass an 86 cent tax levy

increase April 3 to finance a $4.5 mil-lion campus upgrade, the first such bal-lot measure since voters shot down a renovation proposal by the previous administration multiple times.

The school district has not passed a bond issue since 1963, the year Hill-

view Elementary was con-structed along Highway 160, according to former su-perintendent Bill Blagg.

“If our kids are not that important, that’s a shame,” said Blagg this week during one of two community meetings about what offi-cials are touting as Proposition KIDS: keep improving district schools.

R-IV has two school systems, one in Neelyville for grades 3-12 and the other in Hillview for younger students. Hillview will shut down if the proposed consolidation is approved next month, which has captured the attention of the affected com-munities.

“I understand the sentimental value,” said present superin-tendent Brad Hagood, noting that his graduating high school in Arkansas has since closed down. “If we put everything aside and do what’s best for the kids, I personally don’t see how people can say ‘no’ to it.”

If it meant voters were going to pass the levy, Hagood said he would consider converting the Hillview campus into an alumni or community center over selling the property, but

taxpayers have to be mindful that the district would still have the expense of liability insurance and maintenance of the buildings and grounds.

Project architect Ben Traxel of Dille & Traxel, whose Poplar Bluff firm was hired by the Neelyville School Board in December, presented a campus mas-ter plan that would add 38,400 square feet to Neelyville to accommodate the approximate 150 elementary students from Hillview, plus leave some space for future growth.

“I’m not just some out of town guy trying to get a project—I consider this home, and want to see the area grow,” Traxel said. “Based on the number of kids that go there (450-475), Neely-ville is a larger campus with more ready space and services available to have an immediate impact on 100 per-cent of the students.”

From a structural standpoint, Traxel said Neelyville has “some of the worst educational facilities in the state,” with two buildings beyond repair, class-rooms made out of repurposed storage closets and several buildings with out-door walkways under canopies to shel-

ter students from the elements.Meanwhile Hillview has an unsafe

metal building housing several class-rooms externally, with no hallways. The campus also contains a library that does not meet the standards set forth by the Missouri Department of Elementa-ry and Secondary Education, according to Hagood.

Proponents of the previous rendering also created by Dillie & Traxel failed to pass a $1.65 million bond issue to expand the Hillview campus during four separate elections between 2005-2007.

Under the Hagood administration, consolidating the campuses first came up during the June board meeting, af-ter several new Neelyville candidates brought the notion up while running for the school board.

In December, Clayton based invest-ment bank PiperJaffray was hired as the district’s bond counsel to place the measure on the ballot. The school board chose to fund the project through lease purchase financing instead of is-

T

>>Cover Story, p 6

Brad Hagood has served as Neelyville superintendent for five yearsPhoto by tim krakowiak

The principal’s office at Neelyville is highly susceptible to flood waters. Photo by Tim krakowiak

Flatlanders and hill people divided

5

by: Liz Ellis, Reporter

he Wine Rack, located at 1212 N. Westwood

Blvd., has been under-going renovations since January and the end is finally in sight. The biggest change to the popular restaurant is the addition of a loft or bal-cony section along part of the dining floor.

“I would have never thought [the building] was this big,” said Mi-chelle Mestas, a wait-ress at The Wine Rack. “When we first were telling people we were putting in a loft, they kept asking where we were go-ing to put it… but there’s tons of space.”

The new addition will be reserved mostly for private parties, although on weekends some customers may be seat-ed in the upper portion as the lower din-ing floor fills up. The new section will have draperies which can be pulled close for a more secluded party and hopefully some local artwork on the walls.

“We’re going for the same eclectic in-dustrial feel,” owner Leesa Tilotta said. “It will be a little more intimate, but still have a similar atmosphere.”

The loft section, which should seat about 40 people, will hopefully make its debut on St. Patrick’s Day, but there is still a lot that needs to be completed—a handrail for the custom-made sweeping metal staircase, carpet and draperies for the loft and stairs, lighting, artwork and furniture. Regardless, now that the stair-case is in, things should go faster.

“There are a lot of custom features,” Tilotta said. “[What we are doing] is pretty specific and it takes a while to pull it all together.”

Despite all of the customization and the huge undertaking, the restaurant it-

self was only closed for a few days—the majority of the construction has hap-pened during weekends.

“I think the customers will like it, and I think they already do,” Mestas said. “They come in to see how it’s changed, and what’s been added, and so far every-body loves it.”

“We always wanted to add a loft,” Ti-lotta said. “…We have a lot of private parties and we really miss out because a lot of times they want it completely private. They don’t want to mingle.” The new upper section will also feature a large screen for audio and visual pre-sentations.

“It will have an awesome ambience in here with the new upstairs. It’s very exciting,” waitress Debbie Starnes said.

But the new loft is not the only thing that has changed in the restaurant. The downstairs dining area has been rear-ranged slightly, moving the checkout counter under the stairs and clearing out a different corner at the front of the shop for the live music featured there every Friday night.

Liz Ellis can be reached by emailing li-zellis@semotimes.com

The Wine Rack loft opening soon

T

Don’t be afraid of the big bad banker

As realtors, we deal with home sales daily. We literally spend our first year learning what they didn’t teach us when we studied for our real estate exam. Then we spend the rest of our years forgetting that everyone else doesn’t know all that stuff. We get in our groove and somehow assume that every-one knows everything about buy-ing or selling a home. And nothing could be further from the truth… especially when we are talking about financing.

Financing options change con-stantly. You have USDA, VA, conventional, and a dozen other options out there. In Poplar Bluff, we have big national banks that have branches here. We have some smaller regional banks. We have “home loan” companies. We have local banks. We have credit unions. So what is your best bet for financing a new home? That is a very easy question to answer. The answer is “it depends.”

Depending on your credit score, your job time, your down pay-ment, your previous home own-ership. There are so many vari-ables that there is no “right bank” for everyone. If there was, there

would only be one successful bank out there doing all the busi-ness. Instead, you have to find the bank that meets your needs. The bank that offers you the best inter-est rate and terms, based on your situation.

That’s where a good real estate agent can help. We do deal with home purchases every day. We do see the different options that are out there. We will not try to steer you to a particular bank or banker. We will help you see some of your options. In fact, our first question will probably be, “Where do you bank now?” If you have estab-lished a relationship with a bank, that is often the place to start... and probably stay. Additionally, estab-lishing that relationship is one of the key steps to buying a home that may start years before you even call a real estate agent.

So don’t be afraid to ask ques-tions. Let your real estate agent share some of his/her wisdom from their experiences with you. Don’t allow the financing side of a home purchase to scare you or intimidate. You have some great realtors in this community who will help guide you through this process and an amazing group of local bankers who you will love working with!

Don’t be afraid of the big bad banker

Column

News SEMO Times6suing general obligation bonds, which would have held a bonding capacity of 15 percent of the $32.2 million in 2010/11 assessed valuation.

Besides a simple majority vote, the advantage of the option selected is that about $100,000 in revenue would come from state assessed railroad and utility property from Butler and Ripley counties paid to the school’s capital projects fund, according to Heather Mudd, PiperJaffray vice president.

“Technically the board isn’t limited to borrowing $4.5 million, but they chose to adhere to the spirit of the state’s legal limit, trying hard to keep the levy as low as possible by getting some of the revenue from other sourc-es,” Mudd explained. “It isn’t a perfect economy, but the board feels like the improvements couldn’t wait forever, and the financing interest rates are so low,” $700,000 less over the life of the loan than in 2010.

The board added a sunset provision to the measure, meaning the additional tax would expire when the debt is paid off or after 20 years. A grant applica-tion of interest was also submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to construct a safe room.

Neelyville’s tax levy is presently $2.7891, in the lowest three districts of over a dozen area schools it com-petes with in academics and athletics, according to a PiperJaffray study. Pas-sage of the levy issue would increase the taxes to $3.6491 per $100 assessed valuation, bumping Neelyville to the top three districts.

OPPOSITIONSeveral leaders with strong ties to

the school district, including elected officials, do not necessary oppose the overhaul, they are against the impact the move may have on the northwest portion of the district.

State Rep. Steve Cookson of Faird-ealing, Butler County Commissioner Jeff Darnell and Butler County Trea-surer Joe Humphrey agreed that clos-ing Hillview would be a mistake.

“I’m not for or against any tax in-crease if the people vote for it,” Cook-son said. “I just ques-tion aban-doning Hill-view, when it has a great reputat ion of provid-ing quality education to the students, and is locat-ed in both the popu-lation and geographic center of the district.”

Wayne Wilcut, a past board member who lives just north of Hillview, was

among the first students to attend the elementary school when it opened in 1964. He claimed the Neelyville proj-ect “does not have full support” from the district.

“Talk to any realtor, they’ll tell you a big selling point for real estate in this

area is Hillview School,” Wilcut said. “I’d be hap-py to pay twice the money to add onto the Hillview campus, I just don’t want to put that much money into a long-term plan in Neely-ville, an area that’s declining.”

A young parent who also resides on County Road

488, David Smith, obtained the most recent voting registration information from the county clerk and determined

>>Cover Story, from p 4

“I’m not for or against any tax increase if the people vote for it. I

just question abandoning Hillview, when it has a great reputation of

providing quality education to the students, and is located in both the population and geographic center

of the district.”

-Steve Cookson Missouri House of Representatives

7that 1,262 of the 2,223 active voters in the district live closer to Hillview than Neelyville, which is eight miles south.

Hagood argued that merging cam-puses in Hillview would cost a conser-vative three times more. “To me, the administration, the board, the teach-ers—this isn’t a Neelyville vs. Hill-view thing,” he stated.

Financial disadvantages to building onto Hillview include less acreage—the school owns about 12 acres there to 20 in Neelyville, fewer buildings and a lagoon at Hillview that presently could not withstand the extra load that the Neelyville sewer system has already been designed for, the superintendent

continued.“It’d tickle me to death to build

at Hillview because it makes more sense, but not financial sense,” said board president John French, pointing out that his daughters will be close to graduating from Neelyville by the time the district gets to reap the benefits. “I’m up for reelection—vote for me or not—the board feels we done the best possible thing for the taxpayers.

Tim Krakowiak can be contacted by emailing tim@semotimes.com

One of two architectural renderings of the expanded Neelyville School created by Dille & Traxel LLC.

Submitted Photo

8

9

10

Ann’s Restaurant 15985 Hwy. 53, Qulin. Ann’s is home cookin’ at its finest, featuring catfish with daily lunch specials. 573-328-4660 $$

Applebee’s Grill & Bar 930 S. Westwood, Poplar Bluff. Applebee’s is a na-tional chain with everything from steak to burgers with a full bar complete with happy hour specials. 573-785-0163 $$$

The Bread Company 1385 N. Westwood, Poplar Bluff. “Where Poplar Bluff does Lunch” is their slogan. The Bread Co. features sal-ads and sandwiches and is open for breakfast. 573-785-8500 $$

Buffalo Wild Wings 1429 N Westwood, Poplar Bluff. A sports bar with everything you could ask for. BWW has every game of every sport imaginable while serving up some of the best wings in the area. 573-785-9464 $$

Castello’s at the Inn 2775 N. Westwood, Poplar Bluff. Castello’s is an Italian res-taurant with the finest in local cuisine. While they feature Italian, they also offer the highest end in steaks and sea-food. 573-712-9090. $$$$

China Buffet 1375 N. Westwood, Poplar Bluff.

Chinese buffett with delivery. 573-785-9888 $

China Garden 2002 N. Westwood, Poplar Bluff. A high end Chinese buffet with both hot and cold selections. China Garden also has a grill that serves buffet customers. They have a complete menu to order from. 573-785-4292 $$

Colton’s Steak House 2114 N. Westwood, Pop-lar Bluff. A real west Texas steakhouse with wild west décor and a complete menu of steaks and lunch specials. 573-686-3880 $$$

The Cow Shed 3067 S. Westwood, Poplar Bluff. A classic area landmark featur-ing breakfast all day along with a full menu for lunch and dinner with the area leg-endary Purple Cow.573-785-4051 $

El Acapulco 2260 N. West-wood, Poplar Bluff. Finest in Mexican cuisine with daily lunch specials and full bar. Widest selection of authentic Mexican cuisine in the area. 573-776-7000 $$

Exotic Grill 1648 Harper, Poplar Bluff. “East Meets West” in this most unique restaurant where you can or-der the finest in Asian cuisine as well as great seafood and steaks. Be sure to make an appointment at the Hibachi

grill for a great din-ing experience. 573-778-9044 $$$

Fazzoli’s 2501 N. Westwood, Poplar Bluff. A national chain featuring pasta with a drive through window in a great location near Three Rivers College. 573-785-3588 $$

5 Star China Buffet 2035 N. Westwood, Poplar Bluff. A Chinese buffet with six food bars. 573-785-5888 $$

Grecian Steak House Highway 67 North, Poplar Bluff. A full service menu with both a salad and food bar. 573-785-4535 $$

Hardee’s 101 S. Westwood, Poplar Bluff. National burger chain in a great location in-cluding a drive through win-dow. 573-785-3300 $$

Hayden’s Drive-In 807 Maud, Poplar Bluff. Land-mark area lunch spot featur-ing burgers and fries in a clas-sic diner setting. Hayden’s also features pink lemonade not to be missed. 573-785-4705 $$

Hanuman Express 111 S. 5th S., Poplar Bluff. An out-standing Chinese menu set up for carry out, located in downtown. 573-776-6801 $

Hyde-A-Way Catfish Inn 1180 Highway VV, Poplar Bluff. All you can eat catfish or shrimp. Open Fridays and Saturdays only. 573-785-9200 $$$

Restaurant Guide

Average Entrée Price

$1-$5 = $$5-$10=$$

$10-$15=$$$$15-$20=$$$$

11Crossword of the Week

Solution on pg 12

The Book Shop

Presented by

320 N. Main Street, Poplar Bluff 573-714-5642

Crossword puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com Used with permission www.bestcrosswords.com

Down

1. Having auricular protuberances2. Mild cigar3. Russian revolutionary leader4. Containing divalent silver5. Digit of the foot6. Beth preceder7. Actress Petty8. A great deal9. Ghostly10. Uttered gratingly11. First-stringers12. Cost13. European viper21. That, in Tijuana22. Hurler Hershiser24. Tina’s ex27. Heals28. Peek follower29. “Aladdin” monkey30. Directional ending31. Narrow inlet32. Packs tight33. CD-___34. Cheer for Manolete35. Golfer Ernie37. Roman capital of Palestine38. Shrill40. Essence41. Ball belle42. Characteristics43. Covered vehicle44. Skill45. Artist Rousseau46. Ancient47. Frothy48. Angry49. Feels for50. Stylish52. Apply powder to oneself53. Aha!57. Driver’s aid

Across1. Acclaim

6. ___ well...10. ___ avis14. Olds model15. Coil16. Not much17. Extent18. Art Deco designer19. E-mail command20. Ashtabula’s lake21. Office of a bishop

23. Pedantic25. Shudder26. Ref’s decision27. Gave a hoot29. Eagle’s home32. Descendant of Cain33. Fish eggs36. ___-a-brac37. Christmas song38. Voting-pattern predictor39. Actress Merkel40. Brief appearance41. Small change42. Head lock

43. Flight forma-tion44. Refrain47. Cloths51. Entertainment54. Burn the mid night oil, study-ing55. The King ___56. Tabula ___57. Jewelled crown worn by women58. Worry59. K-660. Computer key61. Sardine

Jim & Jerry’s Restaurant, Pub, & Billiards 336 Vine St., Poplar Bluff. Lunch and dinner spe-cials with some of the finest steaks in the area. Full bar and free pool with lunch. 573-686-2006 $$

Las Margaritas 2144 N. West-wood, Poplar Bluff. Real Mexi-can style cuisine featuring the best margaritas in town. Meeting room available in authentic Mexican set-ting. 573-686-3246 $$

Mary B’s Eatery 301 S. Main, Poplar Bluff. A downtown favorite lunch spot featuring daily specials and limited outdoor seating. 573-686-3111 $

Maya’s Mexican Restaurant 940 S. Westwood, Poplar Bluff. The finest in authentic Mexican cuisine where you will be greeted by the friendliest staff with an au-thentic Mexican ambiance. 573-785-7966 $$

Mike & Zach’s BBQ 1906 N. Westwood, Poplar Bluff. World class award winning BBQ. Mike and his son Zach’s BBQ has won awards all around the world. 573-712-2626 $$

Myrtle’s 109 N. Broadway. Poplar Bluff. A downtown favorite, Myr-tles features plate breakfasts and lunches along with their famous Back Alley BBQ. 573-785-9203 $

Perkin’s Restaurant & Bak-ery 2121 N. Westwood, Poplar Bluff. A favorite for breakfast that also serves a full menu for lunch and dinner and is open late. Their bakery is also a local favorite. 573-727-0776 $$

Pizza Hut 1324 N. Westwood, Poplar Bluff. Carry out or eat in where pizza is featured. Lunch buf-fet and salad bar anytime. 573-785-9694 $$

Ryan’s Family Steakhouse 929 S. Westwood, Poplar Bluff. Buffett restaurant with nightly entrée spe-cials. 573-778-1600 $

Shelley’s Sports Bar & Grill 4802 West Blvd., Poplar Bluff. One of the best places in Poplar Bluff to watch a game while enjoying a full menu of Americana. From burgers to steaks to their signature wings, Shelley’s fits the bill. 573-686-9300 $$

Speedy Cone Highway T, Wap-papello. A classic burger and fry joint, which is a longtime favorite among lake goers. 573-222-8677 $

Subway 1029 S. Westwood and 1375 N. Westwood, Poplar Bluff. Subway is famous for its healthy menu of classic sandwiches, and Poplar Bluff has two locations, one in mid-town and the other on the south side of the city. 573-727-9400 $$

Taylor’s Stateline Restaurant 21710 Highway 67 S, Neelyville. One of the landmarks of the SEMO area. Taylor’s has the feel of the classic American restaurant serving up the best burger and steak menu around, but what sets Taylor’s apart is the regionally renowned Friday seafood buffet, and the home cook-ing Sunday afternoon buffet. 573-989-3822 $$

Tio’s Mexican Bar & Grill 1135 Bess Blvd., Poplar Bluff. A

Mexican restaurant located in west Poplar Bluff. 573-778-0217 $$$

Westwood Billiards & Grill 2207 S. Westwood Blvd., Poplar Bluff. Every-thing you are looking for in a grill can be found at West-wood Billiards. While they are known for their amaz-ing burgers, they also have a great steak. Come for the pool, but go back for the food. 573-686-4880 $$

12 Advice SEMO TimesCrossw

ord Solutionfrom

pg 11

Presents

Dear Joy,When my fiancée gets her… friend, everything stops. It’s the end of the

world as we know it. She gets emotional, mean… ya know, all the standard symptoms… times 100. She groans in pain, she can’t do anything. I’ve said before, this happens every month. Might be a good idea to get used to it at some point. She tells me I should try being a woman. She says some ladies get it worse than others. How am I to find the patience, Joy? Is she milking it? Or am I just a cold, unsympathetic man?

Mars, Poplar Bluff

Mars,First let me say, I know that there are real hormonal

changes that happen in our bodies. That being said, this is my personal opinion. I happen to cry easily at that time of the month. Some people do get mean or irritable. I believe many women use it as an excuse to be witches.Have you ever noticed someone can treat you bad, but

if someone happens to be in the room they would want to impress, they act sweet all of a sudden? Well, that tells me you can control your behavior. If she has a boss, I would bet she acts different in front of him or her during that time of the month.As people we tend to take our frustrations out on the

people we are closest to, or people we know will take our bad behavior. There is help available for her to control her attitude. If she won’t see a doctor about it, or as I think (put her big girl panties on and act like a REAL woman), then she must like being a witch to you. Umm that tells me something. Tell her she needs to read this. Then you might want to leave the house for a few hours!

Good luck to you.-Joy

A weekly advice column from a local romance expert, Ask Joy is our own version of the nationally syndicated Ask Abby. To ask Joy a relationship question, email her at askjoyinthetimes@hotmail.com, or befriend her on Facebook at Ask Joy. Names are kept confidential.

13Opinion & Editorial SEMO Times

One of the things I love about Amer-ican fashion is that it is much like America itself… a fusion of diversity.

Sure… I love specific styles… clas-sic, retro, urban, funky, country, bohe-mian. The list goes on and on. It’s fun to play with different styles. Fashion allows you to be whoever you want to be for the moment. That’s what makes it fun.

There’s an event coming up March 31 that is right up my alley, because it’s about mixing up styles, having fun and raising money for a good cause. It’s the Denim and Diamonds Cancer Gala at Poplar Bluff’s Holiday Inn.

It’s called Denim and Diamonds for a good reason. Everyone in this area loves their jeans, cowboy boots and cowboy hats… but add some bling and you’ve got a look!

And the event is going to be filled with great food, great music and the great people of this area who love to have fun, and at the same time support the American Cancer Society, and all they do through research and so many programs to extend lives and save lives.

I know there probably isn’t a single person in this area that hasn’t lost a family member or friend to cancer. This is a time to honor their memory and actually fight back. Research is making incredible progress.

My dad died of a brain tumor over 20 years ago. He was only 52 years old, the same age I am. You don’t real-

ize how young that is until you have to imagine your life being taken at this age. Wow… I’ve got so much left to do. I know he felt the same. And he’s not the only one I’ve lost to cancer… more aunts, uncles and friends than I can count. So… this is my way of fighting back and honoring them. This is my way of saying I haven’t forgot-ten them, and I intend to do something about it.

And this is exactly how Dad would want me to do it. He loved people, and he loved having a good time. The Den-im and Diamonds Gala is the perfect venue for honoring him.

Join me. Buy your tickets and come have a good time.

You may have a tiny moment of sad-ness thinking about who you’ve lost, but it won’t last. Because you are do-ing something about it.

That’s what they would want us to do. Enjoy our lives… and do some-thing about it. We’re doing it for them… we’re doing it for ourselves… and we’re doing it for our children and grandchildren. It will make a differ-ence.

We can make a difference.

Tammy Hilderbrand is the owner of Hilderbrand Diamond Com-pany in Poplar Bluff, which can be found online at www.hilderbrand-diamondcompany.com. You can reach her by emailing tammy@hilderbranddiamondcompany.com.

Mix it up and bling it on!A friend of mine who lives in Baton Rouge recently came up to visit her mother in Alton, Mo. Usually she travels with a friend, but the friend had other obligations, so she came with her dog, LaBelle. Having not met the dog, I don’t know what sort you would name LaBelle; I assume a little one.

My friend got in on Friday evening, and “Sis” took her to an old-fash-ioned country auction. Everything from furniture to farm animals was for sale.

In the email she sent describing the adventure, my friend wrote, “The auction was under way when we got there. The auctioneer said, ‘OK, I got two chickens and a rooster outside; what will you give me for them?’ For some reason I thought this was very funny and could not stop laughing. I guess I’m just not used to buying chickens sight unseen.”

I told her I think you’re supposed to come early and check out the live-stock before you go in. Anyway, I don’t know if LaBelle went to the auction, but I’m sure she would have enjoyed it. Dogs like to go places, or rather, they like hanging out with you. If you’re going, they want to go too.

There’s been quite a bit of discussion lately about dogs—books, articles, television programs. Apparently we are only beginning to scratch the

surface of what our canine friends are capable of in the service of humans. It appears that dogs can smell cancer, for instance. And we still don’t know exactly how dogs came to be. One theory is that some wolves figured out that if they were nice to people instead of trying to eat them, the people would give them food. Then the humans started selecting for traits like friendliness, trainability, etc. As for evolution naysayers, if you don’t believe species can change, how did a wolf turn into a wienie dog in a matter of generations?

Cats are a different story. You don’t want to travel with a cat. If you have to take one somewhere, get it ready by letting it hang out in its carrier for a few days—they like that sort of thing anyway—so that when it’s time to go, the carrier will seem like part of its home, and when you get where you are going maybe it won’t try to hide on top of the kitchen cabinets. While a dog’s ultimate loyalty is to people, a cat’s main attachment is to place. They’d prefer to stay home and sleep. A dog doesn’t care where you go as long as they can go with you. To a cat, you are just a big, lumpy piece of furniture, with an an-noying habit of not staying put.

Gordon Johnston is the director of library services at Three Rivers Col-lege. He can be reached by emailing gjohntson@trcc.edu.

Rambling with pets

The Ramblerby Gordon Johnston

14 Arts & Entertainment SEMO Times

Romeo and Juliet premieres this Friday

by: Liz Ellis, Reporter

hen you think Shake-speare, you think tights and some-

one holding a skull,” director Rachel Hibler said. “But I think you will be surprised… at how quickly you get swept away in the show.”

The Stage Company’s first ever Shakespeare production, ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ will open this Friday at the His-toric Rodgers Theatre. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and will last about two and

a half hours—about half the length of what the actual script would be.

“It was really hard to cut,” Hibler said. “I love every word of this play, and I had to be careful that it still told a story and had a purpose. And you have to keep your audience in mind.”

Hibler said that her focus for the play was more to tell a character-driven sto-ry than anything. Shakespeare’s goal was to entertain, and so is Hibler’s.

“When we think Shakespeare, we

think it’s un-touchable—it’s like the Bible. You don’t mess with it or expect to understand it easily. But S h a k e s p e a r e wrote for the masses. He wrote the fart jokes, he wrote the drug jokes, he wrote the sex jokes and he wanted people to have access to his work,” Hibler said. And she has al-lowed that.

The play it-self is set in the 1980s, with the trademark big hair, hair music and costumes that the audi-ence will appre-ciate and relate with.

“I love the ‘80s theme,”

“W

High hopes for Stage Company’s first Shakespearean production

Mercutio, played by JD Dunn, makes fun of Romeo while Montague kids look on. Photo by Linda Venable.

Romeo, played by Glenn Deaton, dances with Juliet, played by Vanessa Todd, at their first meeting. Photo by Linda Venable.

15Arts & Entertainment SEMO Times

said Jordan Czerwonka, who portrays Lady Capulet. “It’s a lot of fun, and I think it will really help the audience understand and relate to the story. It helps get past some of the stigma people associate with something like Shakespeare.”

“I think the ‘80s is the perfect decade to marry this play to be-cause of the energy of the era and the exuber-ance and the excess totally goes along with everything in ‘Romeo and Juliet,’” Hibler said.

The set and props are minimal as well—just the way Shakespeare did it.

“That is the thing I wanted to keep true to the material—very few sound cues, very few light cues, props, any-thing,” Hibler explained. “You let the

language be the star, and that is really the secret to doing Shakespeare well… knowing what you’re saying and let-ting the language speak to people.”

‘Romeo and Juliet,’ while a tragedy, is also a family show, and will likely appeal to junior high children to adults. Between the bawdy humor, the bright

colors, the fight scenes and the love story, there is something for every-one.

“I think it will be a great show to get the audience to

open their minds and just try some-thing new,” said Vanessa Todd, who portrays Juliet in the show. “The audi-ence will have to expect to listen with their hearts and minds to capture the story.”

“Really everything you would want

in a good story, Shakespeare put in ‘Romeo and Juliet,’” Hibler said.

Romeo and Juliet will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 16 and 17, and at 2:30 p.m. March 18. Tickets may be purchased at the door and are $8 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Advance tickets are available at Southern Bank, The Book Shop, the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce and The Bread Co. There will be carnations for sale at every show for audience mem-bers to give to the cast or each other.

Carnations will cost $1 and all pro-ceeds go to The Stage Company.

“Come see the show, because you’re going to love it,” Hibler concluded. “It’s everything I hoped it would be, and I know if you give it a chance and get past the Shakespeare, you’ll see an entertaining show with some wonder-ful actors.”

Liz Ellis can be reached by emailing lizellis@semotimes.com or by calling 573-785-2200.

The Pulse Events from PoplarBluffLive.com in the 573 area code

AMC Denim & Diamonds Gala

Butler County Republican Caucus

The Walker Bros CD Release Party

Larry Hillis Dodge PBR

March 316-11 p.m.

Holiday InnPoplar Bluff

March 1710 a.m.-noon

Tinnin Fine Arts Center

Poplar Bluff

March 177-8:30 p.m.

Bernie High School Cafeteria

Bernie

March 9 and 107:30 - 10 p.m.Black River

ColiseumPoplar Bluff

“Really everything you would want in a good story, Shakespeare put in ‘Romeo

and Juliet.’”-Rachel Hibler, The Stage Co.