Davis: Veteran's Day

Honoring Our Military Personnel

It was my great privilege to honor Marine Boot Camp Graduate, Steven Higgins, of the 1^st BN Delta Co Platoon with a U.S and a Missouri flag flown over the Capitol. His parents Mel and Kay Higgins and grandparents Charlene and Mel Higgins, Sr. joined in the celebration.



In Honor of Veterans on November 11 the following restaurants offer the following specials:

Eat Free at Applebee's

Military veterans and active-duty Service Members can eat free at any Applebee's on Veteran's Day, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010. There will be six entrées available from the menu. Guests will be asked to show one or more of the following as proof of service: a U.S. Uniform Services Identification Card, U.S. Uniform Services Retired Identification Card, Current Leave and Earnings Statement, Veterans Organization Card, a photograph in uniform, or wearing a uniform in person. For more information visit: Applebee's Says "Thank You" on Veterans day

Military Monday at Golden Corral

Golden Corral's 9th annual Military Appreciation Monday dinner will be held on Monday, November 15, 2010, from 5 to 9 pm at all Golden Corral restaurants nationwide. The free meal is a special "thank-you tribute" to any person who has ever served in the United States Military. If you are a veteran, retired, currently serving, or in the National Guard/Reserves, you are invited. Visit their website for more information: Golden Corral's Military Appreciation

Salute from Outback Steakhouse

As an expression of Outback Steakhouse's appreciation to our Country's veterans and active duty military, a free Bloomin' Onion and beverage of choice (one non-alcoholic drink or one draft Anheuser Busch beer except where prohibited by law) will be available to them at every Outback on Veterans Day. Please visit: Outback Salutes Veterans

Big Lots –click on photo for web-link:

Home Depot and Lowe's Military Discount

Most Home Depot and Lowe's have been known to offer a 10% holiday discount to military members and their families and in many cases veterans and retirees. The website: The Military Wallet has this and more military discount information.

What did they do in Oklahoma?

Last week, Oklahoma voters passed an amendment that prevents judges from relying on Sharia Law or international laws when deciding court cases.  This was important because there are places where Sharia Law conflicts with our laws and standards of decency.  For example, under Sharia law, it is acceptable to punish people by amputating limbs, beating your wife and stoning people to death.  Our country already has laws that deal with crimes and domestic abuse.  If our local or national legal system starts relying on what courts say in countries with opposing ethical standards, it will create confusion and allow some of our citizens to be treated differently than the rest of us.

Oklahoma adopted this as a preemptive measure because, for example, what happens in other countries is indicative of what could happen in America, if we don't define our courts' legal standards.  In Great Britain, having two sets of laws has not served their citizens well.  I have seen videos of children being maimed and having their heads cut with the permission of the government.  It should make us all sick to think about the lack of civility that could be allowed in our country after years of crafting reasonable laws on how we handle problems such as stealing and adultery.

Curiously, the law is designed to limit the judicial branch, requiring them to listen to the citizens. The judicial branch of government is now blocking the certification of the measure.  It passed by 70% of the vote.  Why don't judges understand they cannot declare something as unconstitutional when the people voted to put it into the constitution?  The very act of passing the measure makes it constitutional.

The Muslims are fighting back because Sharia law is based upon the legal system promoted by the Koran.  The first problem with basing a court case on another country's primitive legal system is that it devalues women and children.  The second problem is that Islamic extremist leaders are using this as a political movement rather than a religion.  This type of political system teaches religious intolerance and world conquest through violence.  Although we allow a variety of political philosophies in our country, we still have only one set of laws that can be modified only through one standard process.  Even the Klu Klux Klan cannot change our laws nor have judges give special treatment to their ideology.

In America, our laws are opposite from Sharia Laws regarding many foundational points because we believe in:

1. Equality for both men and women.
2. Freedom of speech.
3. Freedom of religion.

These are values we should never trade away.

If you don't believe it could happen here, read what already happened in Great Britain: Sharia Law in Great Britain

Here is a link to a story about why Oklahoma passed this amendment: Oklahoma's Ban of Sharia Law

Dialoging with you is important, so please let me know what you think about preventing Missouri judges from using Sharia Law to determine court case. You can send me your opinion by clicking here: Cynthia Davis

A Little Bit of Humor

Today's Inspirational Lesson:

Never irritate a woman who can operate a backhoe!

Schupp: Spoede Parent Request

Spoede Elementary School Parents Request Your Help, Too!!

Accessible Playground

Dear Friends and Neighbors

The 82nd District parents and students are busy working to make our public schools even better!

The 82nd District State House includes parts of the public school districts of Ladue, Parkway and Pattonville (in alphabetical order, of course!)

Spoede Elementary is another worthy contestant in the Pepsi contest to help improve their school.  Please read below and see why Spoede parents have been emailing me about their efforts to build an accessible playground at Spoede. 

Spoede Elementary School Competing for $250,000 Grant to Build a New Accessible Playground
You can help!

Through participation in the Pepsi Refresh Project, Spoede Elementary School is competing to win a grant of $250,000 that will enable the school to build a new playground specially designed for all elementary school age children, including those with disabilities.

"We are fortunate to have a very diverse student population," states Principal Dr. Connie Brawley.  "Approximately 46 percent of our students are minorities, and 1 in 5 has been diagnosed with a disability.  A playground of this caliber would enhance our ability to serve each and every student's academic, emotional and physical needs."  The playground will also be available to neighborhood children outside of school hours.

Anyone interested in helping Spoede Elementary School win the grant can do so by casting votes during the month of November.  Three methods of voting are available:

1. Log on to the Pepsi Refresh Web site at www.refresheverything.com/spoedeschool
2. Text your vote to 104016 to Pepsi at 73774.
3. Vote using the Facebook application on the Pepsi Refresh Web site.
   

If you'd like a daily reminder to vote, just send an e-mail to ssaplaygroundbuzz{at}yahoo{dot}com.

So, weigh in and help one of our schools win and put into place a worthy project for our kids and our schools!

All the best,

Jill

Nance: A Veteran's Story

Pictured [at left], Mike Reeder at St. Andrews with ESPN.

"It is an honor to serve you as your state representative for the next two years. Last Wednesday, I traveled to Jefferson City to meet with fellow legislatiors and vote on leadership and discuss priorities for the next year."

A Veteran's Story

Mike Reeder, a school and church friend from Excelsior Springs will be on a spot with ESPN Sports Center at 6:00 and 10:00 CST on Thursday.

A medic in Vietnam, Mike came out of the war with an injury that changed his life.

He found his life changed by a command detonated "booby trap" on April 2, 1970. His legs were amputated just below the knees. Mike can hit a ball 200 yards from his chair, and chips and putts on his knees.  His U.S.G.A. handicap is 9. Please go to www.ForeWheelGolf.com for more information.

In the District

Veteran's Day is Thursday and I look forward to speaking at the Ray County Courthouse. Hope to see you there.

Click here for a flyer for the Ray County Senior Center.

Rupp: Honoring the Heroes and Remembering the Lost

We live in a wonderful country where we have the freedom of speech, religion, and many other liberties that some across the world do not. All our rights and privileges that we possess today, however, have come at a cost and should not be taken for granted. Throughout Missouri, we have close to 550,000 veterans. These men and women have sacrificed so much for our country, and they deserve to be honored this Veterans Day on Nov. 11.

Veterans Day was first observed in Nov. 1919 when President Wilson elected Nov. 11 as the date for the national holiday, saying, "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

To pay tribute and aide our state's veterans and their families, the Missouri Veterans Commission, then the State Federal Soldier's Home, was founded in 1896 and was then deeded to the State of Missouri in 1897. The organization's first objective was to assist the aging Union soldiers that served during the Civil War.

Today, the association provides many services to Missouri veterans and their families. Some of those services include possible disability, educational assistance, work-study, vocational rehabilitation and counseling, insurance, home loan, burial, survivor and employment benefits.

Many of the veterans who have not applied for benefits are the women who have served our country. The organization estimates that out of more than 36,600 female Missouri veterans, 30 to 40 percent have not applied for veteran's services. Medical support is included in these services, assisting women with disease prevention, maternity and infertility issues, and long-term care.

When a veteran has reached senior age, they may apply to reside at a Missouri Veterans Home, which provides nursing and physician assistance; physical, speech and occupational therapy; and dietary care to these admirable men and women.

I would like to thank the veterans of Missouri for protecting our freedoms and fighting for our country. I appreciate your service and dedication. I would like to show my gratitude to your families as well, for they represent our country by standing tall and proud on our home front.

Please take Nov. 11 to thank a veteran for his or her service, and always remember our soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our homeland safe and protected. For more information on the Missouri Veterans Commission, please visit www.mvc.dps.mo.gov.

If you have any questions regarding this matter or any other issues within state government, please visit my website at www.senate.mo.gov/rupp.  You can also e-mail me or call my office toll-free at (866) 271-2844.

Roorda: Tuesday's Set-Back

Greetings!

I suffered a set-back last Tuesday night in what has otherwise been a rewarding and successful career in public service.  I was one of 15 incumbents in Missouri who were not re-elected in a trend that could be seen nationwide.  I was among Eleven state House members, two state Senators, a long-time Congressman and the first non-gubernatorial statewide officeholder to lose since 1968.

We live in difficult, volatile times.  For three straight national elections there have been sweeping electoral shifts that have ousted record numbers of incumbents.  The message from the voters has been clear: put aside petty, divisive partisan differences and do something about job loss, government spending and the economy.

Unfortunately, many politicians at the national level have failed to hear that message.  At the State level, we got the message loud and clear.  In Missouri, we passed a major jobs bill that kept Ford Motor plants in our state, we cut $1 billion out of the state budget, and our state economy is one of the most robust in the nation.  Governor Nixon singled me out as one of the leaders responsible for these accomplishments.

Despite our successes here in Missouri, voters, angry over political gridlock, wanted to send a louder message to all incumbents.  Only incumbents in the safest of districts were spared the wrath of an understandably frustrated electorate.

I am proud of our successes here in Missouri and I only wish that we could have more effectively communicated those successes to voters battered by a dismal national economy and disappointed by political gridlock in DC.

I hold my head high today.  I have served my community for 27 years, as a volunteer firefighter, as a 911 dispatcher, as a police officer and as an elected official.  I called my opponent, Paul Weiland, and congratulated him on his victory.  I also offered to help in any way to make the transition as smooth as possible.   Although, I don't know what I will do next, I can guarantee you that I am not yet finished serving the community that I love and have worked so hard for.

I was surrounded by family and friends Tuesday night and that meant the world to me.  I am happy that this set-back means that I will have the opportunity to spend more time with my family.  After six years of splitting time between Jefferson City and home, it is a welcomed blessing.

I thank you for your friendship, your support and your words of kindness.

Yours in service, always,
Jeff Roorda

Schupp: Parkway North Students Request Your Help

Student-Lead Solar Initiative

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

Parkway North students are asking for our help to make the Parkway School District the first "completely solar school district" in the Midwest.

Wendy Low is one of the dedicated students at Parkway North High School who is part of the group "Envirothon."  Wendy and her peers have been using technology, including the telephone, to convince people including you and me to help support their vision of making a difference in their school, the community and the environment.

I agreed to help by getting the word out to you.   Why?  I am excited about supporting our students as they work hard, take risks and follow through on their dreams.  This particular project is designed to support a cleaner environment, make use of alternative energy sources, and save the taxpayers money.

It is a commercially-run contest.  Pepsi is challenging our students to make something positive happen in our schools.  Pepsi will provide the seed money...a quarter million dollars!

If you are willing to support Parkway North students' efforts on behalf of the entire Parkway District, then use one of the various methods of voting...and in this case, go ahead and vote early and often!

From the Students: 

David and Calvin, students at Parkway North Senior High, began thinking about Envirothon's efforts two years ago.  They see this contest, put on by Pepsi, as an opportunity to support their school, and the entire district, by installing solar panels, saving energy, helping the environment and cutting costs to the taxpayers.

They envision this opportunity as one that might serve as a model for the rest of the country. Assuming they win the contest, the district plans to measure its savings on heat and air conditioning as solar panels are installed.

Currently in 11th place, the students feel that they have a real possibility of winning the contest.

"We need you to help us by voting, and if you feel this is important, forward this on to anyone you think would also like to vote for a plan that grows, cleans the environment, increases investment in home grown energy generation, and saves taxpayers money. All you need to do to vote for our $250,000.00 proposal in the Pepsi Refresh Project is: (you may use any or all of the following)

• You can vote by texting 104078 to PEPSI (73774) We are told no additional charges apply
• You can vote using Facebook
  • You must add the Pepsi Refresh Voting App
  • Next you go to RefreshEverything.com
  • Then, at the bottom of the page, you click "Sign In" and "Login with Facebook"
    
  • Finally, you find this project and click VOTE
• The final voting option is to creat a Pepsi username and VOTE by going onto http://www.refresheverything.com/solarforparkway
  • Click on vote for this idea
  • Sign in or create an account and vote

Granted, there are some very interesting and heart-wrenching projects in the running. So what sets ours apart? Our project is asking for the seed money from which we will seek matching grants and donations. With this money, we would invest 100% of it into solar power panels, interface systems, and monitoring hardware.

The Parkway District has agreed to take the money saved and allow it to be used to gain additional matching grants and donations year after year and reinvest it in further solar expansion until the district is completely solar and geothermal. This means that Parkway tax payers would conceivably eliminate the energy bill for their school without spending a dime of their own tax money.

The district has also agreed to be very transparent about this process so the public can see where all of the money is coming from and where mistakes and successes occur so surrounding school districts can follow the same process for the benefit of their own students and taxpayers.

Vote for our project today and everyday in November. You can vote once each day using each method listed above for a total of three votes per day and in the process, turn a student-driven dream into a reality that sets the stage for solar adoption across the Midwest. Solar technology has now matured to the point that it is viable. Why not put it to work creating jobs, clean energy, and revenue?"

Thank you

Parkway North Envirothon

Contact Russ Barton at rbarton{at}pkwy{dot}k12{dot}mo{dot}us with any questions or see our website http://www.parkwaysolar.org