Elaine Calloway, educational consultant with the Missouri Department of Conservation, hands out wildlife puppets to a group of kindergarten students Thursday, Nov. 20 at Versailles Elementary School to teach them about where different types of animals go in the winter months. Calloway was at the school as part of kindergarten science day, in which each class experienced hands-on science lessons in several different classrooms. (photo by Bryan E. Jones)
Makayla Nickell (left) helps classmate James Schaffer with a word find exercise Wednesday, Nov. 19 in guidance class at Versailles Elementary School. The students were learning about being thankful. (photo by Bryan E. Jones)
The fourth-grade classes perform "Straight from the Heart" Tuesday, Nov. 18 at Versailles Elementary School. The presentation included short skits interspersed among songs advocating a non-violent approach to problem solving and the importance of community. (photo by Bryan E. Jones)
Two school board positions open
Two positions on the Morgan County R-II board of education will be coming up for election. The seats will be vacated by Bobbie Garber and Mike Schekorra. Filing for the positions will begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16 with filing to close at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19. Filing will re-open at 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 5 and close at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20. Candidate can file at the Morgan County R-II administration office in Versailles.
Holiday events wanted for newspaper
The Versailles Leader-Statesman is publishing a listing of area holiday events in each issue of the paper to provide readers with an easy-to-reference source for holiday planning.
We are soliciting information about holiday events that various civic clubs, organizations, businesses and churches may be sponsoring.
Submit details of events by bringing information to 104 W. Jasper, e-mailing us at leader-statesman@vernonpublishing.com, or faxing us at 573-378-4292.
City purchases pickup truck
The Versailles City Council, in special session Wednesday, Nov. 19, approved the purchase of a public works truck.
The 2008 Ford F-250 4x4 was purchased from Don Vance Ford for $21,820. Also approved was purchase of a salt spreader and plow for the truck.
Neighbor aids fire victims
The next-door neighbor of a family whose house was lost Saturday, Nov. 15 in a fire is responding with aid action of her own.
Emma Lee Welker, 18285 Highway W, witnessed the home belonging to her neighbors, William and Vickie Woodruff, go up in flames. The home was a total loss.
Welker says she wanted to do something for the family after they escaped with only the “clothes on their backs.”
Welker is opening her home for the collection of donations for the Woodruff family.
Welker says the family need all types of household items, clothing, dishes, furniture and similar items. The family is currently staying with relatives in Jefferson City.
To donate, call Welker at 573-378-5363.
Early Beacon deadline for next week
The Highway Five Beacon will have an early news and advertising deadline of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26 for the Wednesday, Dec. 3 issue.
The early deadline is due to the Thanksgiving holiday. The newspaper office will be closed Thursday, Nov. 27 and Friday, Nov. 28.
Brotherhood sale Nov. 21
The Bethel Mennonite annual men’s brotherhood sale is scheduled Friday, Nov. 21, near Versailles.
Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. with an auction to follow at 7 p.m.
The dinner and auction will be held at Kent and Debbie Loganbill’s facility on Route E north of Versailles. The event is open to the public.
For more information, call 573-378-4878 or 573-378-0630.
Fish fry at St. Pat’s Nov. 21
The Knights of Columbus Council #10381 will hold an “all-you-can-eat” fish fry from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21, at the Shrine of St. Patrick in Laurie.
The menu includes baked or fried fish, Southern Carolina hush puppies, macaroni and cheese, fries, beans, beverage and dessert.
Tickets are $7.50 for adults and $4 for children age seven to 14. Children six years old and younger are free.
Proceeds will benefit local charitable activities.
Good Shepherd board to meet Nov. 25
The Good Shepherd Nursing Home District board of directors will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25 at the Laurie Care Center in Laurie.
Thanksgiving storytime at library Nov. 26
The Morgan County Library is hosting a Thanksgiving storytime at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 26, at the library in Versailles.
The reading will emphasize gratefulness for good stories and storytime friends.
For more information, call 573-378-5319.
Thanksgiving dinner at Senior Center
The Westlake Ministerial Alliance is hosting a Community Thanksgiving Day dinner from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 27, at the Westside Senior Activity Center on O Road in Laurie.
Take-outs and homebound deliveries are available. Call 573-374-5267 (before Thanksgiving Day) to have a homebound meal delivered. On Thanksgiving Day, call 573-372-3588.
Meal will include turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, vegetables, bread and butter, assorted pies, coffee, milk and tea.
There is no cost for this meal and it is open to anyone. A donation basket will be available with proceeds designated for local outreach centers.
Offices closed for Thanksgiving
The following offices will be closed Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 27 and Friday, Nov. 28: Morgan County Library (closing early 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26), Morgan County Health Center, Morgan County Courthouse, Circuit Court, Morgan County Associate Circuit Court, Morgan County Division of Family and Senior Services, Morgan County License Bureau, Versailles City Hall, Laurie City Hall, West Central Missouri Community Action Agency, Division of Employment Security, Burrell Behavioral Health Center and the offices of The Versailles Leader-Statesman.
The following offices will be closed only on Thanksgiving Day Thursday, Nov. 27: Versailles Post Office, Sunrise Beach City Hall, and Morgan County Farm Service Agency.
There will be no school at Morgan County R-II schools Wednesday, Nov. 26 through Friday, Nov. 28.
Lighted Christmas parade Nov. 29
The Lake of the Ozarks West Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Lighted Christmas Parade starting at 6 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 29, traveling north on Highway 5 in Laurie from Central Bank to the Laurie Terrace Mall.
Arriving at the mall, the American Legion Color Guard will present the colors and the Community Christmas Tree will be lit by local members of the military.
In support of our troops, care packages will be accepted at the mall that evening. The “Lighted Christmas Parade” will feature “Santa Claus,” who will disembark from a float at the Laurie Terrace Mall.
Pictures with Santa will be provided by S.T.A.F.F. for $5 or a donation of bags of cat or dog food. Hot drinks from Lake West Christian Academy will be available for purchase.
Meetings Dec. 1 to Dec. 4
The following meetings will take place next week:
The Morgan County Historical Society board of directors will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1 at the museum.
The Versailles Park Board is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1 at Versailles City Hall.
Gravois Fire Protection District board members will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1 at the meeting hall in Laurie.
Laurie Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1 at Laurie City Hall.
Sunrise Beach Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1 at the Sunrise Beach City Hall.
The Gravois Mills Community Betterment Association will meet at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2 at the Downtown Diner in Gravois Mills.
The Gravois Special Road District No. 8 board of directors will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2 at the district barn on Highway 5.
The Versailles Rural Fire Protection District board of directors will meet at 7 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 4 at the Highway 52 and Route D station.
Veterans officer to visit Dec. 4 & 18
Mark Jones, veterans service officer, Missouri Veterans Commission, will be at the Morgan County Courthouse in Versailles 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4 and Thursday, Dec. 18.
Information and assistance concerning benefits for veterans, their dependents and/or survivors is available.
For more information, call 573-522-1416.
Christmas play Dec. 4-6 benefits charity
The Sunrise Beach Little Theatre children’s production of “The Little Angel Who Was Always Late”, by Leola Baker, will be presented at 7 p.m., Thursday, and Friday, Dec. 4 and 5 and at 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6, at the theatre on Highway 5 in Sunrise Beach.
The play, directed by Marion Long and Kori Wadle, tells the story of poor little Angel Annie, the saddest looking angel in heaven, with only one wing, a crooked halo and untidy hair, who is just too busy to get to choir rehearsal on time. Uncle Gabriel warns the angels they must sing as never before, which makes them realize something special is about to happen. When the Heavenly Father chooses Annie to guard his newborn son, the other angels work hard to get her ready and, most of all, to make sure she’s on time.
Reservations are not required. Admission is free with a donation to local food pantries. “Santa” will be present at each production to visit with the children. Refreshments will be available.
For more information, contact Marion Long at 573-569-2908 or Kori Wadle at 573-372-3549.
Holiday revue coming to Royal Dec. 5-6
Holiday music and literary collections will be incorporated into a holiday revue at 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 5 and Saturday, Dec. 6 at the Royal Theatre.
This celebration of classic Christmas songs and poems will cameo some of the original performers of past Royal Theatre productions. Christmas festivities, set designs and easy listening will highlight each night’s performance. Members of the Hawthorn Dance Troupe, of Versailles, will perform two dance routines.
This Christmas-inspired, narrated production was written by Royal Arts Council board member, Lois Viebrock. Janet Gaughan is the director and the sound/light technician. Mary Hayden is the set designer and is also a performer in this event. Stephanie Steinmeyer, owner of Hawthorn Dance & Gymnastics, will be the choreographer of this event.
Adult tickets are $10 and a student/child (ages 3-18) ticket is $5. Reserved seating may be made by calling the box office at 573-378-6226. Tickets may also be purchased at the door the night of each performance.
“A Parade of Santas,” a collectin by George Conklin, will be on display in the adjoining building, the Dimond Annex. Conklin’s collection will include all sizes and makes of Santas. The exhibit will be on display the night of the Holiday Revue production, prior to the event and during the intermission. Viewing also will be available from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday, the week before the show at the Royal Theatre.
Baked goods at Kent Dec. 6
Homemade cookies, bars, and candy will be on sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6 at the Kent Memorial Lutheran Church in Sunrise Beach.
Customers will receive a box and may choose which items they would like to purchase. The price is $5 per pound.
Proceeds will be matched by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and donated to the Lake Regional Nursing Scholarship Fund.
Kent Memorial Lutheran Church is located across from Lake Road 5-35, between the Sunrise Cantina and Daylight Donuts.
Virginia Schad to be honored Dec. 7
A community appreciation reception honoring Virginia Schad for her service to the Good Shepherd Nursing Home District is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7 in the dining room at the Kidwell Home in Versailles.
The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
Schad served on the district’s board from April 1989 through September 2008, just short of 20 years. She was on the board when the then-new Versailles facilities (Good Shepherd Care Center and Kidwell Home) were built in 1997.
She saw the expansion of the district with additions to the Laurie Knolls and Laurie Care Center in 1997 and the latest additions to Laurie Care Center in 2004.
For more information, call Lana Merriott at 573-374-8263.
Red Cross training offered Dec. 9
A free, 6-hour course and exercise to prepare participants to help feed, shelter and meet the emergency needs of those affected by a disaster in their community is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 9 at the Morgan County Library in Versailles.
A light meal will be provided at the training. To register, call 866-815-2738.
The training is part of a mass care disaster preparedness project approved by the Regional Homeland Security Oversight Committee (RHSOC). Other aspects of the project include identifying disaster shelter locations, and providing shelter supplies.
Christmas caroling in the cave Dec. 6
On the afternoon of December 6, Christmas carols will echo off the stalactites and down the corridors of Jacob’s Cave as the Gravois Area Betterment Association sponsors the first-ever “Caroling in the Cave.”
The program, which will include performances by the Lake West Christian Academy Choir and soloists Robin Stutesman and popular Main Street Music Hall singer Wendy Warner, is free to the public, although donations will be accepted. All proceeds from the event benefit the betterment association.
Warner, who has performed for former Missouri Gov. John Ashcroft and former President Ronald Reagan, has been a cast member of the Main Street Music Hall cast for 12 seasons.
Stutesman, who is vice president of Community Bank in Sunrise Beach, has sung in local groups all her life. “I am very excited about singing in the cave,” says Stutesman. “I’ve been telling everyone.”
The two-hour program will begin at 2 p.m. in the large main entry cavern of Jacob’s Cave. Cave owner Frank Hurley notes that the cave temperature is a constant 52 degrees, so people should dress warmly.
The cave, which is located on Route TT off Highway 5 north of Gravois Mills, is wheelchair accessible.
“We believe that the Gravois community has a great asset in Jacob’s Cave” said association member Joel Kirkpatrick. “We believe that this will be a very memorable experience for those who come to the concert and hear carols echoing off the walls of the cave.”
Seating will be limited to 250 people.
For more information, contact Gravois Betterment Association Chair Rita Rathmel at 573-372-2260.
Relay For Life home tour Dec. 7
The Relay For Life holiday home tour is scheduled 1 to 6 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 7.
Five Versailles area homes will be shown decorated in a holiday theme. Two homes feature local caroling groups. An additional home will serve samplings of holiday dips and desserts.
A door prize drawing for a holiday gift basket will also be held.
Tickets are $10 each. To purchase a ticket in advance, contact Sparkle Morrison at 573-378-5464, Cindy Davenport at 573-378-6226, or Betty Avey at 573-378-4626. Tickets will also be sold at each home on tour day.
All proceeds benefit the Relay For Life of Morgan County.
Community orchestra announces concert series schedule
The Lake Area Community Orchestra winter concert schedule includes the following concerts: Sunday, Nov. 30, First Baptist Church, Camdenton; Tuesday, Dec. 2, First Baptist Church, Eldon; Sunday, Dec. 7, Westlake Christian Church, Laurie; Tuesday, Dec. 9, Hope Lutheran Church, Osage Beach; Sunday, Dec. 14, Royal Theatre, Versailles; and Thursday, Dec. 18, Christ our King, Lake Ozark.
All concerts start at 7:30 p.m.
