Viewpoint

A lot of mixed feelings surfaced this week at the sight of the Monett Municipal Swimming Pool under demolition. On Wednesday morning, two days into the project, one father brought his young son with him to sit on a park seat and watch. There’s a hypnotic quality to watching landmark demolitions. It also stops time, knowing there is no instant replay. When it’s gone, it’s gone...

Election day offered revelations on Tuesday, an interesting reflection in the water of the populace at large. The public, it seems, felt rather optimistic. That showed most vividly in the vote for money issues. The school bond issues in Pierce City, Marionville, Miller, Sarcoxie — with some Lawrence County voters, and Crane — with some Barry County voters — all passed easily. ...

Tomorrow is Easter. While the Christian world celebrates resurrection, it comes to us today with images of lilies and bunnies, symbols of renewal. In many ways, it’s more like New Year’s than January 1, because at this time of year, we really see renewal in the flowers bursting from the trees and the lawns turning green again. We are reminded that loss experienced in this life may be remedied in the next, and that indeed, there is something more...

Monett school board candidates Andy Brandt, Ken Gaspar and A.J. Bahl offered an interesting exchange at the candidate forum on Tuesday about how to increase community involvement with the school. The forum itself was an exercise in public involvement. ...

Missouri is known for different things. In education circles, the state is known for having some of the highest standards for its school assessment, more rigorous than other state tests. In labor circles, Missouri is known for its lack of unions and strict requirements for drawing unemployment compensation...

Tuesday was a bad day for the Purdy Fire District. That was the assessment of Chief Nick Mercer, recalling two simultaneous fires. Most of the district’s resources redeployed from a remote fire on railroad property, a ways from town, to battle the fire at the John and Linda Keckler home, east of town. The fire had advanced too far by the time firefighters arrived, and the house was a total loss...

Last Saturday, my wife and I were driving home from the Rebel’s Bluff play in Mt. Vernon. I drove onto I-44, as I have done for decades, before I remembered the Highway 97 bridge north of Pierce City had been taken out of service for reconstruction, closing the regular route home...

It was with significant nostalgia that I listened to teens from the high school where last week’s horrible shooting took place talking about a youth movement aimed at gun control. It’s been a long time since the youth of this nation made a significant contribution to the political dialogue. ...