The Houston Herald from Houston, Missouri • Page 4

HOUSTON HERALD A4 Thursday, May 8, 2014 WWW.HOUSTONHERALD.COM COMMUNITY Do you ever wonder what happens to the leaf that falls from a tree or the grasshopper that dies and falls to the ground? Where do the grass clippings go after they come out of the lawn mower? The answer: Decomposition. Plants and animals decompose when they die. Composting speeds up this process. The result: fantastic black rich material we call compost that is a great soil amendment. Compost is rich in nutrients plants need and it helps improve soil properties.

Composting is kind of like cooking. Ingredients like leaves, grass clippings and food wastes are combined with a little water and allowed to Organisms like bacteria and fungi, sowbugs and ground beetles the materials being composted and generate a material that is what our soils need. What can you compost? Well, lots of things. This is interesting: Worms can be used to make compost they can produce their weight in castings each day Compost can be made in your backyard or in giant piles turned by huge machines In 2011, the University of Missouri-Columbia began composting food wastes from its dining halls keeping 270 tons of waste from landfills Fun to Do You can make your own compost. Gather leaves in the fall, grass clippings during the warmer months and make a compost pile somewhere in the corner of your yard or garden.

Put down a layer of leaves six to eight inches thick. Add some water to the leaves. Next add a three- to four-inch layer of grass clippings. On top of the grass clipping you can add a little soil or compost. You can begin repeating the leaves, grass clippings and soil layers adding a little water after each layer of leaves.

Ideally your pile would be at least five feet in diameter and about three feet tall when you are done. After a few weeks, turn the pile by lifting the materials with a shovel or pitchfork and making a new pile. You should begin to see changes in the material it should be getting smaller and darker in color. In three to six months you should have black crumbly compost. This material is ready to improve your soil.

Making Compost! Worms can be used to make compost they can produce their weight in castings each day Making Compost! Making Compost! Making Compost! Making Compost! Making Compost! Making Compost! Amazing Breaking It Down. a little water after each layer of leaves. Ideally your pile would be at least five feet in diameter and about three feet tall when you are done. After a few weeks, turn the pile by lifting the materials with a shovel or pitchfork and making Leaves Grass Clippings Cardboard Paper Food Wastes Wood Chips Coffee Grounds Straw Manure somewhere in the corner of your yard or garden. Put down a layer of leaves six to eight inches thick.

Add some water to the leaves. Next add a three- to four-inch layer of grass clippings. On top of the grass clipping you can add a little soil or compost. You can begin repeating the leaves, grass clippings and soil layers adding a little water after each layer of leaves. Ideally your pile would be at least five feet in diameter and about three feet tall when you are done.

After a few weeks, turn the pile by lifting the materials with a shovel or pitchfork and making a new pile. You should begin to see changes in the material it should be getting smaller and darker in color. In three to six months you should have black crumbly compost. This material is ready to improve your soil. Leaves Manure Manure Do you ever wonder what happens to the leaf that falls from a tree or the grasshopper that dies and falls to the ground? Where do the grass clippings go after they come out of the lawn mower? The answer: Decomposition.

Plants For more information, activities and a field guide, visit improve your soil. For more information, activities and a field guide, visit Brought to you by this newspaper and Wood Chips To learn more about gardening, visit: www.extension. missouri.edu/ lawn-garden Common Core Standards: CCCRA.R.1, CCCRA.R.2, CCCRA.R.4, CCCRA.SL.5, CCCRA.L.6 LOCALS Life Church in Houston hosted a potluck Sunday, May 4, following the morning service. Attending were Carol and David Doss, John and Chasity Petersen, Debra and Andrew Stockard, Stacy and Tanner Cantrell, Trudee Ellsworth, Jerry and Ina Thieman, Donny, Misty and Heather Goforth, Cleta McKinney, Tim and Beverly Hurd, Ethel and Matthew Burchett, Brenda and Don Morgan, Stephanie and Rodney Douglas, Michael Collins, Ashley Smith, Everett Donnelly, Nick and Ana Melton, Lili Melton and others. Shannon, Idalee and Jaden Beasley of Bucyrus went to Pittsburgh, over the weekend to visit aunt, Kay Beasley Quick and family.

Dustin Honig of Houston left May 6 for a visit to Los Angeles, Calif. Virginia and Fred Wood of Houston celebrated an anniversary May 2. They spent the day visiting cousin, Freeda, in Willow Springs and also celebrated birthday, which was April 28. Maya Brown, Ely Todd, Sarah Kelley, Liz Swindell, Olivia Woosley, Lucas Kelley, Sammy Garrett and Kayla Shriver traveled April 29 to Salem to participate in a tennis tournament. Prayers go out to Jacina Crockett, who is recuperating at home from pneumonia.

She recently was a patient at Cox South Hospital in Springfield. Eunice Baptist Church held its end-of-month dinner. Some in attendance were Charles and Marlyn Smith and sister, Marlys Stoe; Elmer and Edith Bailey, Pat and Mark Scheets, Helen Smith, Linda Crane, Ricky Daugherty and mom, Shirley, as well as brother and Mrs. Gordon. Visiting this week in the home of Jean Stilley of Bucyrus were Donnie and Kathy Stilley and Adam Strieby, all of Ozark; Delbert Campbell of Bucyrus; Pam Ragain and Kay, John and Jenna Jordan of Houston.

Texas County Memorial Hospital sta hosted a baby shower May 5 for Doctors Price and Flaim and baby, Ezekiel, in the Mayuga Those attending were hospital sta and many friends. Gri Bathon, Ashtin Bathon, Keegan Speerlin, Skyler Malam and Weston Phipps were among those who traveled to Spring eld to attend a Cardinals game April 30 at Springfield, as part of an E.O.C. (end of course exam) reward. Thomas Parks, Tyler Lake, Monica Hunter, Jefferson Thomas, Kayla Shriver and Ashtin Bathon, members of the Houston High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter, traveled recently to Columbia to attend the 2014 Missouri FBLA Leadership Conference. A Quote from Kate Douglas Wiggin of all the other beautiful things in life come by twos and threes, by dozens and hundreds.

Plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, rainbows, brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins, comrades and only one mother in the whole Do you have any and to include in this feature? Call Wendy Phipps at 417-9674200 or email houstonherald.com HOUSTON CHOIR DEPARTMENT PRESENTING SPRING CONCERT TODAY The choir department at Houston Schools will present Our at 7 p.m. today (Thursday) inside Hiett Gymnasium. There will be a variety of music, including several patriotic songs. The concert will feature both the high school and middle school choirs as well as the state solos and ensembles. Admission is free.

HHS BAND CONCERT IS FRIDAY The Houston High School band will host its spring concert Friday inside Hiett Gymnasium. The middle school performance begins at 6 p.m., followed by the high school at 7 p.m. STUDENTS HONORED AT ART SHOW Houston Schools recently hosted its annual art show with 250 students and adults viewing the pieces. Artwork was judged by four local artists. Ribbons were awarded in each category.

Ben Hugenot received in and the student choice award for his charcoal drawing of Willie Nelson. HHS Art I students earning ribbons: Drawing: Destiny Pounds, Kobe Sutton and Alex Caldwell. Gra ti: Larissa Miner, Veanna Chambers and Paige Feith. Fibers: Elizabeth Scott, Larissa Mainer and Kaitlyn Siegle. Relief Sculpture: Kaytlyn Hu Scott and Jordan Dorman.

2-D Color: Destiny Pounds, Myrickyl Terry and Dale Martin. One-Point Perspective: Mariah Clifton, Mainer and Chambers. Prints: Ryan Giesler, Caldwell, Chambers. Middle school students receiving ribbons were: Drawing: Karson Miller, Logan Cary and Tyee McCallister. Color: Miller, Austin Croney and Thomas Smith.

Prints: Miller, Olivia Gabel and Paydin Cox. Sculpture: Cox, Dawson Koch and Kodie Cooper. Ceramics: Cary, Miller and Koch. Fibers: Olivia Gabel, Koch and Dillon Utley. SCHOOL NEWS HHS FBLA HONORED AT CONFERENCE Members of the HHS Future Business Leaders of America received the Show-Me Growth and Membership Achievement Award for Exceptional Chapter growth at the 2014 Missouri FBLA Leadership Conference in Columbia.

Delegates representing HHS were: Thomas Parks and Tyler Lake in Network Design; Monica Hunter in Insurance and Risk Management; and Jefferson Thomas in Networking Concepts and Introduction to Business. voting delegates were Kayla Shriver and Ashtin Bathon. George Snelling is the local chapter adviser and accompanied the students to the conference. FBLA is a career and technical student organization for all high school students participating in business programs. More than 3,760 members and advisers representing 450 chapters throughout the state made the 2014 conference the largest in the 56-year history.

HHS choir racks up awards at annual State Music Festival The Houston High School choir was awarded 37 individual medals Saturday at the State Music Festival on the campus of the University of Missouri. Singers were scored with ratings from as the highest and the lowest. The choir was under the direction of Beth Williamson. The HHS mixed double quartet received a and perfect score in vocal ensemble. Singers were Maya Brown, Elisa Williamson, Caroline Dunn, Kathy Powell, Trevor Motzkus, Tayler Ward, Taylor Bryson and Caleb Adkison.

Also receiving a in vocal ensemble was the double quartet of Brown, Williamson, Dunn, Powell, Mariah Clifton, Madi Dixon, Liz Harris and Destinee Ullom. In vocal solos, Taylor Bryson received a rating. Receiving scores were Williamson, Brown, Harris and Adkison. Nikki HHS choir students competing at state included, front row, from left, Elizabeth Scott, Elisa Williamson, Liz Harris, Maya Brown, Jaycee Huff, Courtney Mutzebough, Hailey Dodson, Dakota Hugenot and Kaitlyn Siegle. Second row, Aalyah Arbogast, Megan Morland, Marley Stoops, Krista Scott, Mariah Clifton, Destinee Ullom, Kaylea Preheim, Nikki Pinkston and Rae Kirkwood.

Third row, Tayler Ward, Taylor Bryson, Madi Dixon, Trevor Motzkus, Kathy Powell, Caroline Dunn, Jennifer Thomas and Demi Creek. Not pictured: Nikki Coleman. Submitted photo Coleman received a Earning ratings in vocal ensemble were Bryson, Adkison, Kaylea Preheim, Rae Kirkwood, Hailey Dodson, Megan Morland, Jennifer Thomas, Dakota Hugenot, Krista Scott, Courtney Mutzebaugh, Ward, Zach Gregory, Caleb Adkison, Trevor Motzkus, Je erson Thomas, Keegan Spurlin and Stuart Lybyer. Receiving scores in vocal ensemble were: Ul- lom, Scott, Clifton, Mutze- baugh, Moreland, Dixon, Kaitlyn Seigle, Cortney Coyne, Lexi Morgan, Marley Stoops, Elizabeth Scott, Demi Creek, Jaycee Huff, Nikki Pinkston and Aalyah Arbohast. BIRTHS The following births were reported by Texas County Memorial Hospital: Evan Cole Hoth was born April 9, 2014, to Breanna Miller and Mike Hoth of Solo.

Wt. 7 lbs. 5 ozs. Elise Rose Fredericks-Durbin was born April 14, 2014, to Lauren Fredericks and Elias Durbin of Houston. Wt.

8 lbs. 9 ozs. Keila Edith Brawley was born April 17, 2014, to Robert and Shayla Brawley of Cabool. Wt. 6 lbs.

2 ozs. Eight members of the Houston High School Tiger Pride Band traveled last weekend to the University of Missouri-Columbia for the annual State Music Festival, and all eight earned medals. Each of the students qualified for the event by earning a Superior rating at the District Festival in March. Soloist Dustin Calhoun received a Superior rating at state, while the Brass Ensemble of Robert Kinney, Zack Prorok, Spencer Lybyer, Tyler Goff and Jonathan Lewis, and Soloists Ely Todd and Olivia Woosley all received Excellent ratings. Front row, from left, Goff, Calhoun and Kinney.

Middle row, Lewis, Prorok and Woosley. Back row, Lybyer and Todd. The group is under the direction of Michael Roy. Submitted photo HHS band members earn awards at annual state festival.