April Showers ...

... does more than just bring May flowers, it provides support for families in need.

Last weekend, local Girl Scouts stood outside of Wal-Mart collecting donations for their "April Showers" personal care item drive.  They also went door to door passing out empty bags to be filled with donations.  On Saturday, April 28 they went back out collecting those bags.  I tagged along with troop number 4596 as they collected and turned in their donations.

The girls worked very hard going door to door, checking for bags filled with items such as bath tissue, toothpaste, diapers etc.  They were very excited to see all of the items that were donated!

The adults had a chance to teach a valuable life lesson to the girls while they were working.  The girls wondered who the items were for and why they needed them.  We talked to them about caring for families that are in need, and I could tell that they understood.

After all of their bags were collected the next step was to mark out the barcodes and sort them into piles of like items. 

Then they counted each individual item and boxed or bagged them up to be delivered to the Union Food Pantry.  Troop 4596 collected 2,365 items and earned 2 hours of community service for each girl.

When we arrived at the food pantry, volunteers were hard at work placing items on shelves and in boxes.  Their faces were lit with joy over all of the items that the Girl Scouts had collected!

We stayed and helped put items away for a little while.  It was so wonderful working beside the dedicated volunteers!  They have such a heart for our community!

In all, the Union area Girl Scout troops collected over 16,000 items that will be used to help people in our community.  It will be a little while before national totals are tallied, but if one small town collected over 16,000 items ... you can just imagine the impact that a nation of small towns and large cities can make!

Way to go girls!  We are proud of your hard work and your dedication to serving your community!

Gussie Schmitz

Where in Union? {April 27}

Where in Union did I find this?

Please comment with the exact location, including street/streets, buildings, any identifying landmarks, and even GPS coordinates. The first correct comment wins a surprise. You may comment on this blog post or on the Facebook picture.

Photo by Marcink Designs.

Where in Union? {April 20}

Since the hitching post was a pretty difficult game to begin with, here is a Where in Union that should be a little easier. I was on a Sunday evening walk in downtown Union when I came across this gorgeous reflection. Where is it?

Please comment with the exact street/streets, building, any identifying landmarks, or even GPS coordinates. The first correct comment wins a prize package from this week's sponsor, MK Designs Photography Fine Art and Portrait. You may comment on this post or on the Facebook post.

Photo by Marcink Designs

Kids Caring for the Community

Local Girl Scout's Daisy troop #4596 did more than have a play date at the park Tuesday night, they were there to work!  The girls showed how much they care about their community by planting two red bud trees at the main city park.

They were all smiles as they got to each take turns shoveling dirt onto the trees and then watering them.

These first grade girls were very proud to know that they would always have a reminder of how they helped to make their park more beautiful.

Planting the trees was fun, but they weren't done yet!  After donning their blue gloves, they ran around the park picking up litter.

They were very excited every time that they found a cigarette, soda can, plastic wrapper or other piece of trash.  When they were finished, they had filled a large sized trash bag!

"Look how much we found!"  Each girl was very proud of what they had accomplished.  While wrapping up the work day, many of the girls were talking about how they were so happy that they could make the park a healthier and safer place to play!

These girls are the future of our community and are trying to do their part to take care of and protect it.  Way to go girls!!


Gussie Schmitz

Gotta "hitch" in your "giddy up" ;-)

Being one of three ladies who are the "think tank" for Experience Union is fun. Why? We all three seem on the same page. We want people to get out and Experience this great town. We decided, with a little inspiration from Slava Bowman with Re-Discover Washington, that contests to get folks out and about in Union would be fun.

So... contest one is born...

The following events are as accurate as I can make them...

Tyann writes: "A good pic would be of the old hitching post from the 1800s still standing in town. "

and I jumped on it!

Only to find... I do NOT know what a hitching post looks like.

After driving around the area with my first-grader who is full of questions... I wrote to Tyann: "Is it a rock? Stone?"

No response.

She must have a life outside of Facebook. Shocking in this day and age!

So after much debate and consideration between myself and my child, we decide if we were to "park a horse" it would be here... at this stone... and we clicked this photograph...



If my first grader can do it, you can do it! Get up. Get out. Walk about. Experience Union. There is so much to learn and see... just right here in our own town. No airline tickets or posh hotels required! :)

Congrats to our first winner: Tammy Stowe. You won $20 to Marcink Designs!
Next week, I am going to sponsor the contest thru MK Designs.

*note, we did NOT choose to name our photo biz's the same with "Designs" at the end! We didn't even KNOW each other before that choice. Hence, the joy of us all thinking alike (see paragraph one!).


Article and Photographs: Michelle Anne of MK Designs

The Thrill of the Hunt! :)

Disclaimer: Don't let the title fool you, this entry is NOT about hunting animals (all though this author/photographer LOVES deer sausage).

This is all about the great online hunt that encourages people to use their GPS devices and smartphones with GPS technology to get off their couches, out of their houses, and explore new areas...

GEOCACHING!

Since the main purpose of our project is to encourage people to "Explore Union" - this seemed like a logical topic to blog about.

It's pretty simple, go to www.geocaching.com to learn more and create an account. Download the app to your device, in my case my iPhone, for a modest $10 or less, and start exploring. Just know that you need to have a healthy sense of adventure, and be respectful of the caches and the land they are located on.


You are using the GPS to help you, along with different clues and hints about the caches you are seeking... some will be as small as a quarter and others as large as a coffee can or ammo box.


It's amazing to see all the signatures and where people are from who are out geocaching. My daughter was in awe of this signature and wished we'd been just a few days sooner so she could have met him. :)


Above all else, it's a great way to bond (and fairly inexpensive) with friends and family. For example, on Saturday my daughter and I were greatly frustrated when we couldn't find a cache right here in Union that we were clearly inches away from according to my iPhone. We got another hint (thank you to the cache owner who responded to our post about it!) and tried again on Sunday after church. It was my daughter, not me, who spotted it and was squealing with delight when she was able to locate it. This photograph says it all...


Author/Photographer: Michelle Anne of MK Designs
Sources: Personal experience and geocaching.com

A Glimpse of Union's Intriguing History

Maybe you have lived in Union or the surrounding area your entire life. Maybe you are a "transplant" that has only been here a short time. Either way, how much do you know about the community in which you live?

Union is more than just "the place where your house is located."

This city has a history rich with significance and intrigue! Travel back in time with me now as I take you through a quick tour of Union, from its roots to what you know today.

The city of Union, as many of you know, is the county seat for Franklin county. The name Union was chosen to represent a coming together of people and ideas. In 1827, the post office was established and is the longest running post office in Franklin County.

The first courthouse was a small, log building that was replaced with the current building in 1923. In 1970 it was completely remodeled after being bombed as a diversion for a bank robbery.

The first settlers were French, followed by people from states like Virginia and others east of the Mississippi, soon after followed by German immigrants. In 1887, Union experienced a population boom after the St. Louis-Kansas City and Colorado railroad made it's way here.

By the 1840's there were businesses such as general stores, a hotel, a tavern, flour mill, blacksmith, and several tradesmen, including a cabinet maker, a shoemaker, and a wagon builder. In 1907, the first successful factory was established, National Corn Cob Pipe Works. Now, Union boasts over 300 successful businesses and factories.

There were several Civil War skirmishes that occurred right here in many of our back yards. The only two states that had more Civil War battles than Missouri are Virginia and Tennessee.

In 1920, on Palm Sunday, there was an outbreak of tornadoes all across Missouri. Due to the lack of technology, ability to forecast, public awareness and communication, many people were caught off guard. According to newspaper reports, several barns and a bridge (one of the famed covered bridges) were destroyed, and the shoe factory was unroofed.

The Bourbeuse River, starting in Gasconade County, winds its way through Union before emptying into the Meramec River. It was named by the French pioneers: "bourbeux,-euse" meaning muddy, murky, sloughy, sloshy, an adjective derived from the noun "bourbe," mud.

East Central College, positioned on 200 acres and enrolling 3,500 students a year, was established in 1968. The first classes were offered at the temporary location of City Hall.

So you see, there is much more to Union than you might think. This was just a quick overview of some of Union's rich history, but there is much more to learn.

Come along with us as we help you Experience Union!



Sources: Union, MO Chamber of Commerce, City of Union, Missouri, The Historical Society of Missouri, National Weather Service

Author: Gussie Schmitz
Photography: Michelle Anne of MK Designs

And it begins...

Experience Union.

What does it all mean and who are we?

We come from varied backgrounds, we three who are starting this adventure.

Some of us are transplants to the area, while others are locals with family lines that go far back.

What brought us together is our love of photography, telling stories, and of the town we live in: Union, Missouri.

We found great inspiration from our friend Slava Bowman and her work with Re-Discover Washington, and it has been with her blessing that we have started this venture, or more like an "adventure" in our own backyards.

Gussie, Tyann, and Michelle will find the stories of the people, places, and events that make Union a place to experience. The stories and photographs will all be done by us and for you our readers.

Maybe you are a bit like us, and have found yourself NOT experiencing Union as much as you could, but if this blog can get us out of our little routines in life and seek out new experiences in our own hometown - perhaps it can do the same for you. At least that is our wish...

Thank you and welcome... to Experience Union.