The Regular Joe http://www.urjoe.com Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:30:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 en A Dark Point in St. Joseph History http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/27/a-dark-point-in-st-joseph-history/ http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/27/a-dark-point-in-st-joseph-history/#comments Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:30:54 +0000 admin http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/27/a-dark-point-in-st-joseph-history/ by Erin Eddins

A fellow history enthusiast made a suggestion a few weeks back for a possible topic for Old Joe. I am always open to suggestions and eagerly set out on task. The recommendation came for an article on public hangings in

Buchanan County. A dark but interesting assignment, I decided to pursue it.

As I always do I reflected on my own memories and family history as my starting point. Let’s see, I’ve never participated in or watching a public hanging. No one in my family history has been to the gallows. The closest I could come was the posthumous execution of Oliver Cromwell, a distant uncle on my maternal grandfather’s side. But that is another story for another day and probably would be a stretch to include in Old Joe. (more…)

]]> http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/27/a-dark-point-in-st-joseph-history/feed/ New Century. New Symphony. http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/new-century-new-symphony/ http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/new-century-new-symphony/#comments Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:26:13 +0000 admin http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/new-century-new-symphony/ By Derrick HindsExecutive Director

Saint Joseph Symphony 

The Saint Joseph Symphony has been part of the community for 100 years, and as we begin a new century of playing live music at the historic Missouri Theater downtown, we want you to be a part of it. Now, you may be saying to yourself, “St. Joe has its own symphony?” Indeed we do. We are a 60-piece professional symphony orchestra, performing five major concerts each year, as well as many smaller performances and educational outreach events for children. 

One of the most exciting things happening this season will be the auditioning of candidates to become our new conductor. For many years, the orchestra has been led by a professional conductor who also serves as a member of the music faculty at

Missouri

Western

State

University. This year we have three finalists for the conductor position, each of whom will have the opportunity to conduct an entire concert, so you’ll be able to see them in action and meet them in person after the show. (more…)

]]> http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/new-century-new-symphony/feed/ American Idol Keeps Us In Idle http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/american-idol-keeps-us-in-idle/ http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/american-idol-keeps-us-in-idle/#comments Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:24:19 +0000 admin http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/american-idol-keeps-us-in-idle/ By Jimmy “Hambone” Hamilton 

This is definitely not the story I intended to write. I had the other one more or less worked out in my head. Marcus Words our friend and favorite contestant would come bounding from the audition room, golden ticket in hand. High fives all around. Then we’d adjourn to the nearest watering hole for some frosty beverages while Marcus gave us his perceptions on Simon, Randy, Paula, and the whole operation. Unfortunately, that’s not the way it went down.  For those just joining, let’s back up a bit. I wrote a story a few issues back about Hammerjacks, one of our favorite downtown spots for music and libation. I mentioned the talented Mr. Words who plays there Thursday nights and suggested he would do great on American Idol. For the next few weeks people kept telling him he should go to the

Kansas City auditions, and he finally agreed. Since it was our idea, we wanted to sort of baby sit the story. There is another print outlet in town who seemed only too happy to glom on to anything we do here in The Regular Joe. We offered to drive Marcus to the audition. Give you readers the inside story of the whole process. (more…)

]]> http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/american-idol-keeps-us-in-idle/feed/ Walking: Good for you, and good for St. Joe http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/walking-good-for-you-and-good-for-st-joe/ http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/walking-good-for-you-and-good-for-st-joe/#comments Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:19:56 +0000 admin http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/walking-good-for-you-and-good-for-st-joe/  

By Cassie Kerner

Why, you might wonder, would we run an article about the benefits of walking on our Joe Green page? I’m guessing some of you would argue that the topic would be better suited to a health section, and perhaps further, that the benefits of walking are already fairly obvious. I don’t disagree, but I’d like to talk about walking in a broader sense today and hopefully convince you that: A) Doing something good for the environment can be really simple, and B) What’s good for the environment can have a positive impact on the rest of your life as well.

Yes, it is well documented that walking is good for your health. Regular exercise can help you control your weight and lower your risk for glaucoma, Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer, among many other health problems. It has been associated with improved sleep, lower levels of stress and better moods. People who get regular exercise, as a whole, live longer, healthier, happier lives. (more…)

]]> http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/walking-good-for-you-and-good-for-st-joe/feed/ Homeless In St. Joseph http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/homeless-in-st-joseph/ http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/homeless-in-st-joseph/#comments Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:18:05 +0000 admin http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/homeless-in-st-joseph/ By Jay Kerner

When we started The Regular Joe we decided that our paper was going to focus on the positive things about our town. Frankly, it’s a lot more fun to talk about entertainment and dining options, than to deal with serious social issues.

However, we also decided that this is your paper, and that it would evolve into whatever you want it to be. Based on the comments and responses we’ve received lately, we clearly have touched a nerve in the community concerning the growing issues of the homeless, and this piece is part of our on-going follow up.

I had some misgivings when we printed the letter a few issues back about the makeshift camp that the homeless have established down by the river. The gentleman who dropped it off was pretty aggressive with his opinions, but I thought he made a few good points along the way. We honored his request that we not print his name. We had an idea that his letter would be volatile, and we didn’t want to encourage any retaliation against someone whose home address and phone number are readily available. (more…)

]]> http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/homeless-in-st-joseph/feed/ Energy and You: http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/energy-and-you/ http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/energy-and-you/#comments Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:16:21 +0000 admin http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/energy-and-you/ by Winston Bennett

 

Oil at $148 a barrel, oil at $113 a barrel and what has changed, very little. Reports indicate that Americans drove some 3% less and on that news oil dropped 20%. In truth I think it was all a game of musical chairs and no one wanted to be the speculative last one standing when the music stopped.

 

I have developed a grassy knoll theory about supply spikes. Putin of Russia (who is an oil billionaire), Chavez of Venezuela (who is an oil billionaire) and Amadamawhatever the putz from

Iran have a conference call every Monday morning and it goes a little like this: (more…)

]]> http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/energy-and-you/feed/ The Moose Queen Gets Some Well Deserved Recognition http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/the-moose-queen-gets-some-well-deserved-recognition/ http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/the-moose-queen-gets-some-well-deserved-recognition/#comments Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:15:03 +0000 admin http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/the-moose-queen-gets-some-well-deserved-recognition/ Jay Kerner,Source Publications 

My wife catches a lot of grief being married to me. Imagine your spouse comes home, tells you he wants to quit his job and build a drive-in, a crazy metal house, start a newspaper, or…well you get the idea. How supportive is your significant other? I am lucky. I found the one that gets me or at least tolerates me.     Maybe she thought she was going to change me.  I probably have changed some. Most days my socks make it to the hamper. Although, I sometimes still leave the toilet seat up. Let’s say that “long suffering” is often used to describe her as it pertains to yours truly.    I got a call last month informing me that Jeannie was being awarded one of the two monthly Heartland MVP awards at the hospital. She works as a nurse in the Center for Pain Management. This is a big deal. With over 3,000 employees, less than 1% get this honor each year. There couldn’t be a more deserving recipient. (more…)

]]> http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/22/the-moose-queen-gets-some-well-deserved-recognition/feed/ Marcus Goes To Hollywood! http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/12/marcus-goes-to-hollywood/ http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/12/marcus-goes-to-hollywood/#comments Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:37:46 +0000 admin http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/12/marcus-goes-to-hollywood/ By Jimmy “Hambone”

Hamilton

 

As you may have read in these pages previously, we think a lot of the talents of Marcus Words, local singer/songwriter/guitarist, and all around good dude. In a recent Joe column I suggested he would be perfect for American Idol. Ever since the issue came out, people keep asking him if he’s going to do it. He told me he’d have to think about it. (more…)

]]> http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/12/marcus-goes-to-hollywood/feed/ The Parkway System; St. Joseph’s Necklace of Jewels http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/12/the-parkway-system-st-joseph%e2%80%99s-necklace-of-jewels/ http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/12/the-parkway-system-st-joseph%e2%80%99s-necklace-of-jewels/#comments Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:36:36 +0000 admin http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/12/the-parkway-system-st-joseph%e2%80%99s-necklace-of-jewels/  

By James Jarold

 

I was talking recently with a visitor from

Europe that I encountered taking photos along the parkway. Through his heavily accented English, he explained that he was traveling across the

U.S. documenting the best of American parks and public spaces. He told me he had heard of

St. Joseph’s beautiful parkway system before he ever crossed the ocean.

 

As a lifelong Joe, I’ve traveled every inch of the route, just as most of you readers have. Its human nature to take things for granted that are right there in front of your nose. I admit that the parkway to me is often just the quickest way from point A to B. How refreshing it was to hear someone from another country gush about how lucky we are to live with such a magnificent example of man harnessing nature for civic pleasure. (more…)

]]> http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/12/the-parkway-system-st-joseph%e2%80%99s-necklace-of-jewels/feed/ Lost Boys http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/12/lost-boys/ http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/12/lost-boys/#comments Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:35:36 +0000 admin http://www.urjoe.com/2008/08/12/lost-boys/ by Sam Hendrix, Independent writer

In a time when flesh tearing zombies have plagued the silver screen and the classic bloodsucking vampires have been laid back to rest, few directors have taken the bold move to reinvent the seemingly lost gothic-horror genre made famous by Bram Stoker. Along with the locally shot Bonnie and Clyde Versus Dracula, another notable vampire flick released this week, and flocking straight to a video store near you, is P.J. Pesce’s Lost Boys: The Tribe, the long overdue sequel to 1987’s cult classic The Lost Boys.With a plot line near identical to its predecessor, The Tribe places brother and sister, Chris and Nicole Emerson (Tad Hilgenbrink and Autumn Reese) with an estranged Aunt in vampire inhabited Luna Bay, California. When Nicole falls victim to the charm of the head vampire/surf pro Shane, played by Kiefer Sutherland’s younger brother Angus, Chris takes it into his own hands to protect his kid sister at all costs. Of course, one man can’t take on a tribe of vampires alone, so he seeks the service from everyone’s favorite Frog. (more…)

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