By Darla Buckhannon

Happy birthday to H.B. Rice, Dan Burger, Betsy Rice, Sarah McDonald, Kathy Leggett, Randy Payne, Judy Scott, Tomye Campbell, Darlene Duff, Harley Wicker, Courtney Walter, Chelsey Walter, Ashley Davis, Mark McGuire, Jack Simpson, Sandy Patterson, Ruby Dixon, David Griffin, Sarah Benton, Jeanette Pentecost, Mary Eifert, Deanna Bridwell, Kevin Teegarden, Darren Lee, Bud Haislip, Marilyn Dame, Lori Woeltje, Jeannie Walker, David Dalton, Storm Estes, Wayne Ford and Andy Terhune.

Happy anniversary to Steve and Wanda Hahn, Jim and Bonnie Haney, Mike and Cindy Wibbenmeyer, Stephen and Shelly Schrum, Herman and Donna Sadler, Francis and Doris White and Bill and Becky Hanlon.

Full moon in June

We get to enjoy the full moon of June this week which is often referred to as the Strawberry Moon, Green Corn Moon, Planting Moon and Moon When June Berries are Ripe.

There will be a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 26, at Fit24 at 243 Yoakum to welcome Select Physical Therapy.

Watch for an upcoming story in the Southeast Missourian about the Harmon Field Pool. We thank Marie Williams for adding another name to our lifeguard list. She and her husband Rex's son, Kevin, was lifeguard in the mid-1970s for two years.

Celebrating Independence Day

The 4th of July is just around the corner as we say good-bye to the month of June. With it being in the middle of the week, some enthusiasts are planning on celebrating our nation's birthday the weekend before and the weekend following the 4th. Fireworks season in Chaffee starts this Thursday, June 28. You can shoot fireworks from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. through July 3; on the 4th, hours are 9 a.m. to midnight. Bottle rockets are prohibited and no fireworks after the 4th.

City reminders

The city reminds residents to keep your culverts cleaned out and to not blow grass clippings into the street. They also ask that trash be set out by 6 a.m. on your scheduled day but not days earlier.

WarChild group improvements

The cross on the hill is looking especially brilliant with its new paint job and the addition of the American flag! We thank Larry "Hammer" Glueck and WarChild Riding Group for the many improvements they continue to make to the cross and maintaining Jean Whitaker Park. Larry in turn thanks those of you in Chaffee and in the surrounding area for your support and your many compliments on the cross for what has now turned into a landmark!

Looking outside

Japanese beetles are here as is the simmer of summer! Gardens are beginning to come in. No red tomatoes yet but we enjoy grilling green tomato slices along with jalapeños.

Our family of bluebirds left the area although we do see the male from time to time visiting the meal worm feeder. I mail ordered some live meal worms from Speedy Worms and was satisfied but got the second tub of 500 from a pet store in Cape that was somewhat short.

Celebrating Father's Day

We hope all our dads had a great Father's Day. The Whitaker men, Ron, Steve and Bret, traveled to St. Louis to watch the Cardinals shut out the Chicago Cubs 5-0, arriving back home at 1 a.m. Monday morning. One family spent a hot day at the St. Louis Zoo. Lots of folks are on vacation and several Chaffee High classes have planned reunions this summer.

Reunion mailings

Tom Davenport of the CHS Alumni Association says that reservation forms for this year's banquet will be going out soon. If you are not on their email list, please email your information to them at chaffeealumni@yahoo.com or mail to CHS Alumni PO Box 172 Chaffee MO 63740. The attendance goal for this year is 400. You may also reserve a table for your class or your family. The honored classes this year are 1958 and 1968. Along with dues, many alums offer donations which help fund scholarships. Donations can also be made in the form of memorials or honorariums and can be done so anonymously. To date, the association has received memorials for Tommy Cunningham, J.H. "Dick" Davenport and Gary Lynn Reeves.

After experiencing microphone issues last year, we thank the CHS Class of 1967 for providing a new unit. The Shure Microphone is used by the First Baptist Church and Chaffee High and is a proven product.

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

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

Then there was Sonic's pickle juice slush.