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Weather Cloudy and cool; good chance of showers into the evening. 4B Precipitation: 55% 58° 40° Index D. Asby 1E Auctions 16G Automotive 3G Business 1E Carolyn Hax 6C Classified 1G Crossword 6C Deaths 7B Employment 1G Garage sales 16G Horoscope 6C Life 1C Lottery 5B Merchandise 16G Movies 8D Nation/World 2A Opinion 1B Real Estate For Sale 1H Rentals 6H Sports 1D Sudoku 6C Travel 3C Weather 4B A GANNETT NEWSPAPER VOL. 120, NO. 129 ©2010, NEWS-LEADER S UNDAY N EWS- L EADER SPRINGFIELD NEWS-LEADER.COM • OZARKSMOBILE.COM SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI • MAY 9, 2010 • $1.75 METRO SPRINGFIELD / $2.00 STATE COMPOSITE SOFTBALL BATS GET ‘HOTTER’ WITH AGE / 1D OZARKS JEROME T. NAKAGAWA / NEWS-LEADER POSTAL FOOD DRIVE HELPS AREA PANTRIES / 5B BUSINESS KIICHIRO SATO / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DOW NOSE DIVE COULD HELP FINANCIAL BILL / 1E NATION / WORLD MICHAEL SCHENNUM / THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC SHERIFF GREETED BY PROTESTERS IN VEGAS / 4A OZARKS AMBER ARNOLD / NEWS-LEADER NURSE OF THE YEAR RETIRES THIS MONTH / 6B OPINION CITY CYCLING NOD SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF / 1B NATHAN PAPES / NEWS-LEADER Meal time is a busy one for Leatta Workman as she feeds her son Jon, 5, who has cerebral palsy. Jon and 2-year-old Matthew (center), are among eight adopted children in a family of 10 children. Leatta has one arm that ends at her elbow and a hand with two fingers. Vanessa Workman rests her head against her mom’s head after church. NATHAN PAPES NEWS-LEADER the gift of motherhood Celebrating By Linda Leicht [email protected] NEOSHO — When Leatta Workman awakes this morn- ing, she will be greeted by 10 eager faces and breakfast in bed. That’s what daughter Cor- rine, the 10-year-old party planner in the family, arranged for a Mother’s Day treat. A more typical morning scene would be Leatta scoot- ing around the long wooden table in the kitchen making sure everyone else gets break- fast. For Leatta, that is no small task. She and husband Ed have 10 children, most of whom have special needs that range from tube feeding to speech therapy. Corrine and Grace, 14, are the Workmans’ biological children, while the remaining eight have been adopted — one from Ecuador and the rest from Haiti. When Leatta was young, she never planned on a large fam- ily, although she eventually knew she would have chil- dren. Others may not have been so sure. Leatta was born with proximal femoral focal deficiency, which left her with one leg, an arm that ends at the elbow and a hand with only two fingers. But, like any other mom, Leatta is constantly picking up kids, answering pressing questions, taking kids on er- rands, kissing away hurts, ca- joling, caressing and loving on her brood. Today is a special Mother’s Day for Leatta because four of her 10 children arrived just months ago from Haiti. The earthquake in January ham- pered their arrival, but de- spite delays and questions, all four boys — Jon, Matthew, Mark and Luke — were home in Neosho by the end of Feb- ruary. Everyone is settled in now. The household runs on a sort of controlled chaos that seems to suit Leatta. Like the proud mamma she is, Leatta is happy to talk about each of her children. Jon, 5, has cerebral palsy. As For Neosho mother of 10, controlled chaos makes for just another joyful day in her diverse, tight-knit family. “We didn’t feel he had fought every day of his life to give up at that point. He should have died at four months. Now he was 11 months.” — Leatta Workman, Neosho mother of 10. Workman and her husband Ed have adopted eight children — most of whom have special needs — from Ecuador and Haiti. NATHAN PAPES / NEWS-LEADER Leatta Workman holds her son Nate as her husband Ed untangles Nate’s oxygen tube. See Motherhood, Page 7A By Wes Johnson [email protected] For decades, Randy and Karen Mitchell have enjoyed the com- fortable solitude of their tree-shaded home on a dead- end road just off Lone Pine Avenue. “I’ve got two grandkids that can play out here or walk across the street without any worry,” Randy Mitchell said. “I’ve been here for 30 years. You can’t replace the peace and quiet we have. What’s that worth?” They may soon find out. The Mitchells’ home lies in the path of a proposed four-lane road easement that feeds a 500-acre res- idential and commercial develop- ment project straddling U.S. 65. Although it may be years before any dirt is turned, neighbors to the Homeowners’ peace threatened Four-lane road for 60-65 project would swell traffic next to quiet rural homes. See Roads, Page 6A AMBER ARNOLD / NEWS-LEADER Pam Neblett leans against a tree in the front yard of the home on East Farm Road 170 that she shares with her husband, Dr. Lewis Neblett. Want to go? The Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission will have a public hearing on three proposed road alignments west of the 60-65 development at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The commission meets on the third floor of his- toric City Hall. The Greene County Plan- ning Board holds its sec- ond public hearing on two proposed alignments east of the 60-65 development mon at 7 p.m. on May 18. The planning board meets in the county com- mission chambers at the Greene County Court- house. R. Mitchell MOMS More stories about The surprises only begin with the news that more than one is on the way. Mothers of multiples share their stories of motherhood. 1C Mother cares for her 27-year-old son, Joseph Briseno Jr., one of the most se- verely wounded soldiers ever to sur- vive American combat. 3A Moms team with marijuana activists to forward pot-legalization efforts with a sales pitch that pot is safer than booze. 3A
Transcript of he giftdocshare01.docshare.tips/files/3580/35809280.pdf · SeeMotherhood,Page7A By We sJohn on...
WeatherCloudy and cool;good chance ofshowers into theevening. 4B
Precipitation: 55%
58°
40°
IndexD. Asby 1EAuctions 16GAutomotive 3GBusiness 1ECarolyn Hax 6CClassified 1GCrossword 6CDeaths 7BEmployment 1GGarage sales 16GHoroscope 6CLife 1C
Lottery 5BMerchandise 16GMovies 8DNation/World 2AOpinion 1BReal Estate
For Sale 1HRentals 6H
Sports 1DSudoku 6CTravel 3CWeather 4B
A GANNETT NEWSPAPERVOL. 120, NO. 129 ©2010, NEWS-LEADER
SUNDAY NEWS-LEADERSPRINGFIELD
NEWS-LEADER.COM • OZARKSMOBILE.COM SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI • MAY 9, 2010 • $1.75 METRO SPRINGFIELD / $2.00 STATE
COMPOSITE SOFTBALL BATS GET ‘HOTTER’ WITH AGE / 1D
OZARKS
JEROME T. NAKAGAWA / NEWS-LEADER
POSTAL FOODDRIVE HELPS AREAPANTRIES / 5B
BUSINESS
KIICHIRO SATO / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DOW NOSE DIVECOULD HELPFINANCIAL BILL / 1E
NATION / WORLD
MICHAEL SCHENNUM / THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC
SHERIFF GREETEDBY PROTESTERSIN VEGAS / 4A
OZARKS
AMBER ARNOLD / NEWS-LEADER
NURSE OF THEYEAR RETIRESTHIS MONTH / 6B
OPINION
CITY CYCLING NODSOMETHING TO BEPROUD OF / 1B
NATHAN PAPES / NEWS-LEADER
Meal time is a busy one for Leatta Workman as she feeds her son Jon, 5, who has cerebral palsy. Jon and 2-year-old Matthew (center), areamong eight adopted children in a family of 10 children. Leatta has one arm that ends at her elbow and a hand with two fingers.
VanessaWorkmanrests herhead againsther mom’shead afterchurch.
NATHAN PAPESNEWS-LEADER
the giftof motherhood
Celebrating
By Linda [email protected]
NEOSHO — When LeattaWorkman awakes this morn-ing, she will be greeted by 10eager faces and breakfast inbed.
That’s what daughter Cor-rine, the 10-year-old partyplanner in the family,arranged for a Mother’s Daytreat.
A more typical morningscene would be Leatta scoot-ing around the long woodentable in the kitchen makingsure everyone else gets break-fast.
For Leatta, that is no smalltask. She and husband Edhave 10 children, most ofwhom have special needs thatrange from tube feeding to
speech therapy.Corrine and Grace, 14, are
the Workmans’ biologicalchildren, while the remainingeight have been adopted —one from Ecuador and the restfrom Haiti.
When Leatta was young, shenever planned on a large fam-ily, although she eventuallyknew she would have chil-dren. Others may not havebeen so sure. Leatta was bornwith proximal femoral focaldeficiency, which left herwith one leg, an arm that endsat the elbow and a hand withonly two fingers.
But, like any other mom,Leatta is constantly pickingup kids, answering pressingquestions, taking kids on er-rands, kissing away hurts, ca-
joling, caressing and lovingon her brood.
Today is a special Mother’sDay for Leatta because four ofher 10 children arrived justmonths ago from Haiti. Theearthquake in January ham-pered their arrival, but de-spite delays and questions, allfour boys — Jon, Matthew,Mark and Luke — were homein Neosho by the end of Feb-ruary.
Everyone is settled in now.The household runs on a sortof controlled chaos thatseems to suit Leatta.
Like the proud mamma sheis, Leatta is happy to talkabout each of her children.
Jon, 5, has cerebral palsy. As
For Neosho mother of 10, controlled chaos makes forjust another joyful day in her diverse, tight-knit family.
“We didn’t feel he had fought everyday of his life to give up at that
point. He should have died at fourmonths. Now he was 11 months.”
— Leatta Workman, Neosho mother of 10.Workman and her husband Ed have adoptedeight children — most of whom have special
needs — from Ecuador and Haiti.
NATHAN PAPES / NEWS-LEADER
Leatta Workman holds her son Nate asher husband Ed untangles Nate’s oxygentube.
See Motherhood, Page 7A
By Wes [email protected]
For decades, Randy and KarenMitchell have enjoyed the com-fortable solitude oftheir tree-shadedhome on a dead-end road just offLone Pine Avenue.
“I’ve got twograndkids that canplay out here orwalk across thestreet without any worry,” RandyMitchell said. “I’ve been here for 30years. You can’t replace the peaceand quiet we have. What’s thatworth?”
They may soon find out.The Mitchells’ home lies in the
path of a proposed four-lane roadeasement that feeds a 500-acre res-idential and commercial develop-
ment project straddling U.S. 65.Although it may be years before
any dirt is turned, neighbors to the
Homeowners’ peace threatenedFour-lane road for 60-65project would swell trafficnext to quiet rural homes.
See Roads, Page 6A
AMBER ARNOLD / NEWS-LEADER
Pam Neblett leans against a tree in the front yard of the home on EastFarm Road 170 that she shares with her husband, Dr. Lewis Neblett.
Want to go?The Springfield Planning
and Zoning Commissionwill have a public hearingon three proposed roadalignments west of the60-65 development at6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The commission meetson the third floor of his-toric City Hall.
The Greene County Plan-ning Board holds its sec-ond public hearing on twoproposed alignments eastof the 60-65 developmentmon at 7 p.m. on May 18.
The planning boardmeets in the county com-mission chambers at theGreene County Court-house.
R. Mitchell
MOMSMore stories about The surprises only begin with the
news that more than one is on the way.Mothers of multiples share their storiesof motherhood. 1C
Mother cares for her 27-year-old son,Joseph Briseno Jr., one of the most se-verely wounded soldiers ever to sur-vive American combat. 3A
Moms team with marijuana activiststo forward pot-legalization efforts witha sales pitch that pot is safer thanbooze. 3A
