Chaffee City Hall reminders, a Cecil Harris visit and summer road trip memories

By Darla Buckhannon

While strolling, I wondered whatever happened to Myrtle Hubbard.

Happy birthday to Neal Rogers, Ernie Dalton, Debra Bader, Eddie Lair, Gail Dumey, Rick Duncan, Larry Glueck, David Moore, Jessie Brown, Wanda Hahn, Chris Montgomery, Shirley Jones, Leslie Herbst, Richard Sanders, Sherry Dirnberger, Rachel Daniel, Madison Cannon, Candi Bowman, Shirley Barber, Jerry Williams, Mary Rose, Dayneen Glastetter, Bobby Hinton, Anna Kinder, Gerald Whitmore, Samantha Kluesner, Darlene Seyer, Tull Garner, Delbert Horman, Kathy Reisenbichler, Chelsey Hanback, Steve Graham, Tammy Rains, Jimmy Wolsey and Rockey Rainey.

Happy anniversary to Dennis and Francis Wagoner, Bud and Denise Haislip, Chris and Veronica Kirn, Steve and Marilyn Benton, Clifford and Mary Jo Barlow, Dave and Christy VanToll, Roy and Margaret Husband, Bobby and Kathy Sexton and Alfred and Dorothy Wolfe. Special wishes to the Wolfes, who celebrate 70 years of marriage May 21!

The birthday of the two Barb Simpsons in Chaffee was actually last Wednesday, May 11, not Monday. Many, however, celebrate the entire week and some, like one of my sisters, celebrates each day of her birth month.

Chaffee city reminders

City hall reminds residents that signs, specifically garage sale signs, are not permitted on city property, which includes parkways (the area between your front sidewalk and curb) and Circle Park, utility poles or street signs. Also, residents continue to report other residents leaving their trash cans out in front all week. Please return them to the side or back of your house after your trash is picked up. The city also reminds residents to get rid of old tires and to empty standing water since mosquito season is here! Check with the Scott County Highway Department regarding tire recycling.

A visit from Cecil Harris

HB Rice tells us he enjoyed a visit recently from Cecil Harris of Peoria, Illinois. Brother to railroaders Phil and "Smokey" Harris, Cecil grew up in Chaffee and graduated from high school in 1949. He has fond memories of Chaffee and thinks the town is looking fine. He asked HB if he was "Joe Perry's boy." If you would like to give Cecil a call, HB has his number.

Summer signs and memories

The pool at Harmon Park opens Saturday, May 28, Memorial Day weekend!

For some of us, summer starts when school lets out, and for many, that means road trips. We invite you to share some of your current vacations or past memorable ones. In our family, the talk is often about the time our family and the Finneys vacationed together. Each in our own cars, we followed Doc and Mardell Finney with their kids, Kay Sue, Buck and Tyke. One time, unbeknown to the parents, the Finney kids started waving tissues out of the back windows then letting them go. Of course, we girls were giggling. Such a thing wouldn't happen today due to cellphones, four-lane highways and strict anti-littering laws. At the next stop, in addition to gas and snacks, Doc Finney bought more Kleenex.

More road trip memories

If anyone got car sick, and usually there was at least one, Doc Finney's remedy was saltine crackers and 7-Up. No snacking was allowed in our car and was not necessary, anyway, because we always pulled off to a roadside park to eat the picnic lunch our mother had made. I don't remember soft drinks, but do recall lining up as our dad poured water from the fat green Thermos jug and how refreshingly cool it was. Every once in a while, we see one of those Thermos jugs at an estate sale and it brings back nice memories of summer family road trips. With four girls in the back seat, there usually was a fair amount of fussing; how our dad and mother stood it is beyond me!

Heading back home

Last Sunday, CBS News Sunday Morning had a nice story about George Hodgeman, who left his city life in New York five years ago and moved to Paris, Missouri, to take care of his mother. Many of us can relate to stories about taking care of our mothers and other loved ones. His mother was able to stay in her home and died right before her 93rd birthday. What happened to George? He wrote a book about it and still lives in his hometown of Paris.

Final thoughts

Remember to tell those special people in your life that you love them -- those three words mean so very much.

Email your news and comments to darbuck2@airmail.net or leave a message at (573) 887-6430 or (214) 207-7839.

And then ...

Then there was Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's sold out $200 "living" cookbook, "TB12 Nutrition Manual."