With spring in the air and the weather warming, local children were looking for a fun place to visit and play with their friends. This dream was about to become a reality for the children of Stockton. After receiving a donation from the City of Stockton, the Stockton P.A.R.K. Committee was excited to announce that construction was underway in the lower city park. Ground was broken at the park on March 15 for the new play area, which had been in the planning stages for over a year. Very excited P.A.R.K. committee members and their families, as well as other Stockton citizens present for the ceremony were: Kim Thomas, Mike Heenan, Char Heenan, Willardene Purdum, Harry Purdum, Michelle Storz, Diane Keirns, Virginia Bice, Darrell Sammons, MaryEllen Beck, Lujeana Howell, Doug Howell, Jessica Billinger, Dale Winklepleck, Jana Weidenhaft, Karen Reed, Dave Reed, Conniee Conyac and Chuck Williams. Children pictured were: MaKenzie Storz, Dillon Halton, Isaac Reed, Madalyn Billinger, Trenton Howell, Nate Billinger, Garrett Billinger, Shaelyn Griffin, Lexi Winklepleck, Logan Winklepleck, Cecelia Beck and MaKayla Reed.

In its regular bi-monthly meeting, the City of Stockton dispersed part of the Hansen grant it had received for baseball lights, swimming pool refurbishments and playground equipment. “The 7 Project” was held at the high school on March 5.

Blaine Baxter of Baxter’s Bait and Tackle of Stockton was the front page lead story, written by Mike Corn, in the Sunday, March 2 issue of The Hays Daily News. The story centered around Baxter’s 19-year-old business and the changes he has witnessed over the years.

On Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008, Steve and Stephanie Pfeifer, Miranda Williams, Irvin Earl, Heather Williams and Adam, Kevin and Dena States, Magnus and Ravin, Kay Mason and Dacota Starbuck went to Walmart in Hays to surprise Andy Williams and his friend, Frank Tenorio, and escort them back to a “Welcome Home” reception in Stockton. The men had just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq and “just happened to be” shopping in Walmart with Jed States and Heather Lewis at the time. The guys were paged on Walmart’s intercom and were totally surprised to find the large group of people there to greet them. A “motorcade” was formed to bring the men to Stockton, with American flags flying and a police escort, to the reception held for the men at the Assembly of God Annex.

SPC Andy Williams, a 2005 SHS graduate and son of Stephanie Pfeifer of Stockton, had returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. A surprise reception was planned for him on February 28, and everyone was invited. Andy was on leave and would be stationed at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla.

The Stockton Fire Department was called out Sunday, Feb. 10 at noon to aid the Plainville Fire Department in extinguishing a house fire at 335 O Road, the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Galen Thyfault, in rural Plainville. The family was not at home at the time the fire broke out. Fire crews from Bogue, Damar, Palco, Plainville and Stockton were all called to the scene. The two-story home was fully involved when the Stockton crew got there, and the second floor had already collapsed. The home was a total loss.

Sponsored by the Stockton National Bank, and coming to Stockton from their Branson engagement at the Caravelle Theatre were the Liverpool Legends, for a one-night-only performance at Stockton’s historic Nova Theatre on March 13th. This Beatle’s tribute band was sanctioned by the late, great George Harrison’s sister, Louise, and the “Fab Four” had been performing in Branson on a regular basis for the past two years. The group had performed in Stockton in October of 2003 when they headlined under the name of American English. Since then, the band had reorganized with two of the original members still performing, and they were now garnering even more accolades than ever before.

With the closing of Schult Mobile Homes in Plainville announced on Jan. 21, 2008, Chick Selbe of Plainville scheduled a town meeting at the Plainville VFW. Approximately 40 local and surrounding-area people were present for the meeting. Plainville Mayor Shirley Hendrex said since the announcement she had already received two tele phone calls from businesses showing interest in relocating to Plainville. One of those businesses could employ about 150 people.

SPC Kristen Dinkel, who was serving a tour of duty in Iraq as a ground ambulance medic for the Army Reserves, never told her parents, Vicki and Allen Dinkel of Plainville, a lot about what goes on over there because she didn’t want her parents to worry. But when Kristen went above and beyond all odds to save a life, it was noticed and acknowledged by CW3 John Christian Frobenius, a Black Hawk helicopter pilot for the Combat Medical Evacuation on the Army base where Kristen was serving. Word of Kristen’s actions were sent back to her family through an email from Frobenius to Kristen’s older brother, Matt, describing how Kristen had applied three tourniquets while enroute to the hospital in the back of a moving Army ambulance. He said the patient would have certainly bled out if it weren’t for the work Matt’s sister had performed. Frobenius wanted Kristen’s family to know the kind of work she was doing and that they should be very proud of her.

The assembly for the Stockton High School’s “Be An 11” program was held on Dec. 21 to honor all of the students who exhibited the core values of the program. Students were nominated multiple times throughout the first stemester with the following students picked as the weekly winners from a random drawing of all the nominated students. Those students were: Diego Gallaway, Taylor Morgan, Mary-Lynn Griebel, Clayton Becker, Chris Schleicher, Jordann Wiltfong, Alex Henry, Chelsey Kriley, Stefani Fitts, and Brady Page. Winners of the “Be An 11” drawing during the assembly were Nicci Graf, who won a Sony Digital Camera; Cory Post, who won an Ipod Nano; and Stephen Bellerive, who won a $50 Chamber Check. Principal Keith Hall handed out the awards.