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Opinion
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Written by Editorial Board
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Friday, 30 July 2010 13:46 |
Miami County residents more than likely at some point this week have visited the Miami County Fairgrounds. There’s a lot to be said for county fairs bringing communities together through hard work, dedication and a lot of fun, too.
Not only do area 4-H and FFA youths work hard to make their projects stand out, but residents have also been involved with keeping the inner workings of the fair running smoothly. Without the help of countless county residents, staff members and the Miami County Fair Association members, the fair would not be as anticipated by so many.However, one thing to keep in mind during fair week is the relentless Kansas heat. For those who have lived in the Sunflower state for awhile, the heat is nothing new, but participants, as well as visitors to the fair, need to keep themselves hydrated while battling the humidity and sun.
Not only that, but hundreds of animals also participate in the fair and rodeo each year. We cannot afford to neglect them during such a stressful week. Keep your animals watered, cooled off and under the shade if possible. If we treat our animals like we treat ourselves, they may just help some area youths win that prized purple ribbon or grand champion trophy for our sincere efforts to keep them comfortable.
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Opinion
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Written by jessetrimble
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Friday, 30 July 2010 13:44 |
Ah, fair week. This year will be my first to experience the Miami County Fair, but this isn’t my first rodeo, folks. 
Oh no, I was involved in fairs as a youngster. Coming from a small town myself, Columbus, Kan., in Cherokee County, just south of here, the fair is just as big an event for our little community.
I can remember my mom and dad pulling out photos of me as a baby at my first fair. I was riding the carousel with my dad.
As I grew older I wasn’t so interested in the rides, but the animals at the fair. I would make my rounds, stopping by to see the rabbits, chickens, goats and sheep. Then on to the bigger things, such as the pigs and cows. Bucket calves were always one of my favorites, too — with those big eyes staring up at you, who could resist falling in love with that? At least until they grow up, right?
We had a neighbor who lived a few houses down from us with a huge long-horned Brahman bull. He would bring the beast to the fair every year and set up shop in one of the stalls and kids would line up for a mile to get a chance to sit on him.
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Opinion
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Written by Vickie Vetter-Skruggs
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Friday, 30 July 2010 13:38 |
Twelve reasons to visit a farmers’ market:
1. Find foods not available in a grocery store.
2. Take home a truly tasty tomato! Make a tomato, basil and olive oil bruschetta or other recipe!
3. Enjoy really fresh sweet corn. Fresh from the field means fantastic flavor!
4. Purchase a pretty plant you know will grow in your state because it was locally grown in your state.
5. Meet with a master gardener. Extension master gardeners are available at some of the farmers’ markets. They’ll answer your garden questions and help make your garden grow!
6. Make memorable meals. The meal at right features toasted sunflower wheat bread with lettuce and smoked bacon cheese, kale sauteed in olive oil with green onions and garlic, purple (graffiti) cauliflower ... all from one Farmers’ Market! 
7. Have fun with your family and friends. Many farmers’ markets feature special events, such as cooking demonstrations, music, festivals and more.
8. Get really fresh food that didn’t travel long distances to reach you. Freshly picked produce not only tastes better, but keeps longer, too! Look for the Buy Fresh Buy Local sign used many places to identify locally-grown produce.
9. Buy a beautiful bouquet of locally-grown flowers.
10. Get to know your farmer. Ask questions about how the food was grown, how to cook it and more.
11. Support your local economy. If every household spent $10 every week on locally-produced food, think how much could stay in your local economy each week.
12. Farmers’ markets are full of surprises – you never know what you might see!
Be sure to visit your local farmers’ market this summer in Louisburg, Osawatomie, Ottawa, Paola and Spring Hill on Saturday mornings. The local produce is coming on strong.
Here are two recipes to use those flavorful vegetables found at your local farmers’ market.
Tomato Basil Bruschetta 
8 ripe Roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red onion or sweet onion, chopped
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 loaf Italian or French-style bread, cut into 1/2 inch diagonal slices
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil and olive oil in a bowl. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Set aside.
Arrange bread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake about five to seven minutes until it begins to turn a golden brown.
Serve the tomato mixture in a bowl with a serving spoon and let everyone help themselves. Or spoon some on each slice of bread just before serving. (Hint: bread may become soggy if allowed to sit).
Skillet Zucchini with Chopped Tomatoes
1 teaspoon butter or cooking oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 small (6 inch) zucchini, thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
Freshly ground pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)
In a skillet, melt butter or pour cooking oil over medium heat; add onion and cook, stirring until softened. Add zucchini and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for three to five minutes or until zucchini is tender-crisp. Season to taste with pepper. Sprinkle a spoonfull of Parmesan on top before serving.
Source: Alice Henneman, MS, RD of UNL Extension. |
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Opinion
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Written by Gene Morris
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Friday, 30 July 2010 13:31 |
Football is one of America’s passions. Soccer is the world’s passion. America calls the world’s game soccer. England, the world mecca for its sport, plays the rest of the world’s game of football. 
So, it was fitting that Manchester United of the English Premier League, the New York Yankees of soccer, would play on American soil during its four-city tour and set a new Kansas City record for soccer fans with more than 52,000 on hand at the newly renovated Arrowhead Stadium — home of the Chiefs.
Arrowhead Stadium, known for making fans see red in support of its hometown Chiefs, sported the color for the enemy Sunday with thousands turning out to see the most recognized “football” team in the world.
The skill level on display — from the footwork in tight spaces, to precision passes and diving head-first leaps to direct the ball on the net, were something to behold. It was art in motion, these were not ordinary soccer players, but craftsmen.
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Opinion
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Written by Dave Alsbrooks
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Friday, 23 July 2010 08:00 |
Fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, boating, gardening and many other outdoor activities are currently best experienced by me on TV during this hot weather, a few hours per week are about all I can plan for or attempt to enjoy. We have been fortunate to have measurable rains this summer, and the days are now getting shorter. 
Soon the fall cold fronts and hopefully rains will cool us off. I yearn to get out and set up new deer stands, fish for more than just a few hours, and prepare for the fall harvest. I will be on the road soon heading north for a week of relief and fishing on the cool waters of Minnesota.
I did get out fishing for a few hours last Sunday morning at our favorite fishing pond, but getting out of bed at 3:30 a.m. to start fishing at daybreak is tough on this old guy. The morning bite is always exciting, and we caught plenty of bass, bluegill and green sunfish. Mother Nature was kind and sent in some clouds for the first few hours of daylight.
We did not land any lunkers, but the numbers of smaller fish made up for the lack of larger ones. As the clouds dissipated and the sun began to bear down on us, we decided to call it a day at about 10 a.m.
As we headed for the bank to beach the jon boat, my fishing buddy Curt threw a moss frog toward the bank, and a sizable bass exploded through the moss. We were not about to leave if the fish would bite another time or two. I picked up my pole with a buzzbait that I had put down hours before and tossed a cast to the rocks, and pow!
The sun was high, and the fish would give us another chance to land a few more keepers before we packed it in. I had experienced this action before in the heat while fishing a bass tournament at Truman Lake many years ago. So when you think all of the action is over, try something completely different and you never know what might happen.
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