Flood flotsam, chickadees and news

By Darla Buckhannon

Happy birthday to Barbara Owens, Jeff Glassock, Mark Dragoni, David Jirik, Amy Sanders, David Gladwell, Clair Abernathy, Travis McGuire, Karen Whitaker, Stefani Hall, Nancy Hampton, Ashlee Glastetter, Lorene Kinsey, Linda Phillips, Sarah Gordon, Vickie Taylor, Reggie Seyer, Rosemary Ross, Pam Wilson, Charles Hemingway, Jaime Ralph, Marty Moore, Sheila Richardson, Taylor Friga, Louis Bollinger, Danny Lindy, Sam Burnett, Whitney Horrell, Susan Hampton, Margaret Cahill, Charlene Johnson, Norma Mawhinney, Jeannie Chapman, Charlie Ditto, James Haney, Belinda McMurry, Cindy Gadberry, Ken Schlitt, Freddie Wicker, Jim Haney, Mayme Cobb, Ronnie Senciboy, Sheila Gilmer, Martin Scheffer, Melanie Clubb, GP Glueck, Johnny King, Chris Kirn and Brianna Hibdon.

Happy anniversary to Mike and Reta Mantel, Gary and Judy Jones, Larry and Deana Gray, Ron and Tammy Eifert and Butch and Lisa Davis.

In the News

Chaffee has been in the Southeast Missourian and on KFVS-12 lately. The Chaffee Flower Shop and owner Billie Jo Sadler were featured on Channel 12 with their increased popularity and flower orders.

Wild weather

The strong winds blew trash cans, soda cups, toys and other items around last week. After the wind, we were pummeled with flash floods, aka toad strangler, washing flotsam down the culverts and into streams. It is amazing how many 32-64 ounce drink cups were drifting. Ponding, flooded streets and the over flowing culverts are reminders of how important it is to keep your culverts clear of debris and flowing freely. When spring rains come and create standing water that means mosquito larvae! Then Sunday arrived and the sun came out -- hallelujah, what a glorious sight!

City reminders

City Hall reminds us to update our phone numbers and make certain all your pets are licensed with City Hall. To guarantee trash pickup, have your trash on curbside by 6 a.m. on your scheduled day.

Union Park Cemetery cleanup was scheduled for Saturday, March 3.

Then There Was...

Last week our "then there was" was about the state bird that leaves for the winter. Bob Burnett mentioned that to me awhile back. He lived in Michigan and the American Robin is the state bird and has been since 1931. There was some controversy since it leaves during the winter; some folks thought it should be changed to the chickadee, a bird that stays year round. Another group thought it should be the Kirkland warbler; but the American Robin prevailed. The robin is also the state bird of Wisconsin and Connecticut. A sure sign of spring is the robin, often referred to as the harbinger of spring, and, they are here. You can hear them chirping early in the mornings.

In Memoriam

We were saddened with the passing of Rev. Billy Graham. Like many of our special friends and family members, we wish they could live forever and yet we are comforted, knowing they are in Heaven. My Mother used to say, "Honey, we can't live forever -- we have to go sometime."

We were also saddened with the passing of Fern Vickery Kyle of Cape Girardeau and Marilyn Whitaker Lanpher of Lee's Summit. Fern enjoyed a grand celebration on her 100th birthday last year given by her son Bill and daughter Janet.

Jae Hopkins called to tell me about his former classmate, Marilyn. He said they liked to play tennis when they were in high school and the only court they could find was a flat dirt area in the back of her home.

Our thoughts and prayers are also with the family and many friends of Tina Dohogne Nations and others who have lost loved ones. Many of us knew Tina from her volunteer activities and her dedicated work at RSVP/VIC and the annual Horseshoes 4 Everyday Heroes.

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

Just as we were turning in Chatters last Tuesday morning, we were shocked to learn of the unexpected passing of longtime resident and former railroader Jim Chronister while he was vacationing in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Email your news to darbuck2@airmail.net or call (573) 887-6430 or (214) 207-7839.

Then there was the greatest preacher of all.