Chaffee Chatters by Darla Buckhannon

Happy birthday to Lisa Davis, Matt Butrum, Mary Ann Keller, Betty Guzman, Everett Snider, Julie Seyer, Miranda Estes, Elaine Schlegel, Mandy Harris, Misty Williams, Andrew Cannon, Lonnie Gibbons, Pam Harris, Dana Miller, Brandon Curtis, Delores Garland, Wanda Tankersley, Ruby Collins, Doris Hanselman, Corliss Meyr, Lori Garland, Clifford Barlow, Jesse Totty, Georgia Hicks, Eugene McAlister, Pam Burks, Mary Boese, Deb Scherer, Doug Dirnberger, Tonya Glency, Jeremy Ruiz, Kathy Garner, Marty Seabaugh, Dan Finley, Eddie Noble, Jackie Vandeven and Joe Mohorc.

Happy anniversary to Mike and Ann Hinkebein, Walter and Margaret Obermann, David and Donna Lape, BJ and Stella Jackson, Butch and Vona Baker, David and Brenda White, Jim and Kathy Blevins, Shawn and Jamie Nix and Paul and Linda Donais.

Hello July!The month of July is National Blueberry Month, National Cell Phone Courtesy Month, National Hot Dog Month and National Ice Cream Month.

Lots of hot dogs and ice cream will be eaten this week as we celebrate our nation's birthday. Fireworks are popping and many activities are planned for July 4th. Our volunteer fire department will again put on a fireworks display at Harmon Field starting at dusk. It is always an exciting and patriotic event and we thank Fire Chief Sam Glency and his fireman for doing the honors!

Please read the back of your water bill for important notices from City Hall.

I had a special surprise last weekend. Richard found a pawpaw under one of our pawpaw trees! Both were loaded with blooms this spring but I wasn't too optimistic about seeing any pawpaws. This is the first! This will get me over the loss of a pawpaw tree my dad planted many, many years ago. It was a little sick and leaning precariously over the fence but it still produced pawpaws every year and the woodpeckers liked it. Someone convinced me, however, that it needed to come down to save the fence! The traditional American folk song "Way Down Yonder in the Pawpaw Patch" returns!

A fun activity during the summer is Vacation Bible School. Various churches have theirs scheduled. Mark your calendars for July 15, the kick off date for VBS at the First Baptist Church. Games, food and fun will be on the front lawn from 6-8 p.m. VBS is July 22-26 from 6-8 p.m. The week is packed with fun, games, food, songs and Bible stories that will us learn more about God's word. The church bus will be running so if you need a ride, call the church office at 887-3237 to schedule.

Many of us remember when VBS was held during the day and was two weeks long. It occurred just when kids were getting restless plus our mothers got a nice break! Back then, mothers were mostly stay at home moms. The craft sessions were always interesting and resulted in such things as painted ceramics, hamburger presses, pot holders and trivets. We hope some of you will share your VBS memories.

The CHS Alumni Newsletter went out recently along with the banquet reservation form. If you didn't receive yours, email them at chaffeealumni@yahoo.com or send your information to PO Box 172 Chaffee MO 63740. Dinner reservations are $15.00 per person and dues ae $5.00. Donations are always welcome which along with dues and profit from the banquet fund the two $1500 scholarships that are awarded each year. Scholarship recipients for 2018-2019 are Emily Kindle and Austin "A.J." Owens, both of whom will be attending Southeast Missouri State University.

Donations also made it possible for the CHS Alumni Association to contribute to the Security Project for the elementary and high school buildings.

Memorials are welcome and thus far, they have been received for Mary Crader Branum, Red Huey, Larry Goetz, Joe Bob Cobb, Ronnie Dobbs, Mary Slayton Foulk, John Nickens, Tommy Cunningham, Dan Harrell and Kevin McGuire.

Alumni should check their email regularly for a chance to win free entry to the dinner for you and a guest and/or free 50-50 raffle tickets. There will be trivia questions about Red Devil history and the person who responds first with the correct answer wins the prize! If you won last year, be certain to write 'gratis' on your reservation form.

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

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

Then there was the baseball player who shaved his mustache between at-bats.