Endnotes
July 01, 2009
On the Job: Fireworks Wholesaler
Midway has an eclectic assortment of businesses and organizations: Larry’s Boots, Midway Heights Baptist Church and Phillips 66 Gas Station, to name a few. The small community at the intersection of I-70 and Route 40 is also home to Spirit of ’76, a large distributor of wholesale fireworks. As the man in charge of the operation, John Bechtold has been lighting the skies since 1987. Although most Americans look forward to the Fourth of July as a relaxing holiday, this Saturday will be Bechtold’s busiest work day of the year.
June 24, 2009
On the Job: Eco-Friendly House Cleaner
Two brown-eyed girls rush to open the door of their brick house, yell for their daddy, Cam Laird, and dash away. Once upstairs, the down-to-earth dad and owner of Casa Bonita Cleaning Services relaxes in his living room adorned with Ecuadorian pottery and photos of his kids. Laird and his wife run their “green” cleaning business and regularly service over 100 homes in Columbia.
Vox Asks Columbians
June 17, 2009
On the job: Bouncer
Many people see bouncers as gatekeepers to their favorite bars. They are trusted with allowing entrance to the legal. Among the ranks of Columbia’s nightlife guardians is Trent Kesterson. Kesterson has been a bouncer for numerous clubs in Columbia and mainly works to ensure everyone has a good night; that means no one drives home obliterated or gets injured at the bar. Embarrassment, however, is something he can’t control.
Vox Asks Columbians
Lori Stoll, 48 “Last summer we had my son’s entire apartment furnished in one day.”
June 10, 2009
Vox Asks Columbians
What do you like about Columbia in the summer?
June 03, 2009
On the Job: Private Investigator
Between hanging with her little girl and practicing martial arts, Melinda Kidder scopes out scenes to get the dirt on unanswered questions and finds out some unwanted information, too (like public officials taking a leak). No, she’s not a stalker or a creep but a highly experienced private investigator who has never been caught in her line of work and doesn’t plan on it either.
Vox Asks Columbians
What is the best advice you have ever received?
May 27, 2009
On the job: Trophy engraver
From beakers to bedpans, frames to footwear, Hervey has engraved a ton of wacky stuff for her son’s business. With her smiling blue eyes and lively laugh, her insight goes past engraving and extends to life’s problems, her grandchildren and flip-flops.
Vox asks Columbians
What was your worst summer job, and why?
May 20, 2009
On the job: Entrepreneur
Cooper’s Landing belongs to one Mike Cooper, 60, who in 1983 took off to Costa Rica in an old pickup truck to see a solar eclipse and the comet Kohoutek, which he regards as one of the most rewarding experiences of his life. He bought the one-acre spread past Missouri 163 along the Missouri River in 1986, founded the music venue and campground in 1995 and has been battling Mother Nature ever since. As a child, Cooper says he didn’t have a lot of ambition and lacked a plan. Now, he works seven days a week and an astounding 16 hours per day to maintain the venue. His hair is pepper, his mustache is salt, and as he cradles a Miller Lite, Cooper’s sitting in the basement of a mobile home raised six feet above the ground. It’s a good job — until the river floods.
The good, the bad and the ugly
The good Found Boy! Joshua Childers walked away from his home in Arcadia. After a couple days of searching, the 3-year-old boy turned up in the woods near his house. How’s that for hide ’n’ seek?
Vox asks Columbians
What is your worst camping experience?
May 14, 2009
On the Job: Golf Instructor
Dennis Goettel is large and in charge — of your golf lesson. At 6 feet 5 inches, the Goliath of Perche Creek Golf Club might be overwhelmingly tall for a golfer, but his biggest impact has been teaching golf to the community. When he was a child, he wanted to be a baseball pitcher. But once he realized how fierce the competition was, he decided it was time to get into another outdoor sport. The 1977 Missouri State Amateur champion played in the 1980 U.S. Open. Soon after, the accomplished golfer decided he could do the most good as a teacher. He now enjoys sharing his knowledge with beginner golfers of Columbia. Goettel says that watching the progress of his students is what makes his job worthwhile.
The good, the bad and the ugly
the goodSmash your probs! When Paul Brown needed an outlet for his stress, he didn’t just take a day off. He found a new business concept: Smash-N-Shatter. Customers at the Lee’s Summit store can throw glassware in the “Smash Room” or take a hammer to drywall in the “Shatter Room” for as low as $14.95. Take that, boss!
Streetside Chatter
Vox asks Columbians what three people would you invite to your fantasy dinner party?
April 30, 2009
The good, the bad and the ugly
The good Mizzou six, Kansas nothing! The 2009 NFL draft will be remembered as a record event for MU, which had six Tigers get drafted. Jeremy Maclin and Ziggy Hood were first-round picks. Apparently the Jayhawks rank lower than Mr. Irrelevant.
Streetside Chatter
Clarence Hayes, 24: “I would name him Samson, and his strength would be in his mane.”
On the job: vending machine operator
Dentists might have a hit out on Mike Zimmerman. The owner of Zim’s Vending and a Snickers enthusiast, Zimmerman has been providing artificially colored concoctions since the ’90s and could be the culprit behind some of the cavities in mouths across Columbia. But Zimmerman has more to offer than just tooth decay: He can provide useful advice about how to finally get that bowling score above 100. He also tells great stories, including one about his friend being the third Blues Brother. So before dropping some change for a bag of Cheetos, get to know the man behind the munchies.
April 23, 2009
On the Job: Meteorologist
The weather is no laughing matter — just ask Jeff Huffman. When it comes to predicting wild weather, the fast-talking meteorologist and director of new media at KMIZ/Channel 17 is prone to pulling all-nighters. Huffman’s day begins at 2 a.m. and can last anywhere from six to 15 hours, depending on what the atmosphere throws at him. This does not include his off-camera work, which involves updating the Stormtrack 24/7 and maintaining the station’s Web site, which he built. It sounds exhausting, but for Huffman, who has wanted to be a meteorologist since the third grade, it’s just an average workday.
