Republican Chronicle - Crane Chronicle / Stone County Republican

Page 8 THE CRANE CHRONICLE/STONE COUNTY REPUBLICAN Thursday, APRIL 15, 2010
Stretching the Food Dollar
By Diane Olson
A small town girl by upbringing
and a bargain hunter by training,
I find shopping an interesting
art and science. Always on
the lookout for a savings, perusing
ads and checking out bargain
racks and tables is a way of life.
In my book, a good sale should
not go unnoticed.
The same shopping passion
carries over to grocery purchases.
Prices in the supermarket rise
and fall, but shopping the sales
and promotions has become my
personal challenge in an effort to
stretch the food dollar.
The First Quarter Market Basket
Survey results show food
prices dropped from this time
last year, but increased over the
last quarter of 2009. This quarterly
survey is a comparison of
prices for 16 common food items
representative across the major
commodities. Shoppers across
the state gathered prices for
these items to create the statewide
average. This number is
forwarded to the American Farm
Bureau Federation for inclusion
in the National totals.
During the first quarter, Missouri
shoppers paid on average
$43.41, compared to $47.40 one
year ago and $42.78 during the
final quarter of 2009. In short,
Missouri prices were $3.99 less
than a year ago and $0.63 more
than last quarter. The national
average for the same items in the
first quarter was $45.54. Show-
Me State shoppers found food
prices $2.13 less than the national
average.
Comparing prices between the
last quarter of 2009 and the first
of 2010 found most meat prices
increased, including sirloin tip
roast, bacon and sliced deli ham.
Decreases in price were found
in ground chuck and chicken
breasts. At the dairy case, milk,
eggs and shredded cheese all
saw increases in price. Produce
prices were up and down with
apples and orange juice ringing
in higher while potatoes and
salad mix were lower. While the
price of flour increased, toasted
oat cereal and bread reported
lower prices. Vegetable oil was
also lower in cost.
The price changes aren’t startling
but rather a slow increase.
According to AFBF Economist
John Anderson, increased food
prices are a sign of a recovering
economy. Despite inconsistencies,
consumers appear to be regaining
normal spending habits
and the food demands are reflected
in the prices. Energy prices
moved higher in the first quarter
to an 18-month high at the end of
March. If this continues to hold,
food prices will likely increase
in the next quarter to compensate
for the additional energy expense
to process and distribute foods.
Tomato Grafting
Workshop in Springfield April 22
A popular workshop on tomato
grafting will be conducted by
University of Missouri Extension
from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday,
April 22 at the Hog Barn, Nathanael
Greene Park, 2400 S.
Scenic, Springfield, Mo.
Grafting vegetables to manage
soilborne disease is a simple process
according to Patrick Byers,
horticulture specialist with University
of Missouri Extension.
“Researchers around the world
have demonstrated that grafting
can be effective against a variety
of soilborne fungal, bacterial, viral,
and nematode diseases with
increased yield and keeping fruit
quality,” said Byers.
Byers will teach attendees how
to grafting tomatoes on disease
resistant rootstocks.
The class fee includes tomato
rootstocks, scions of several
heirloom tomatoes, grafting supplies,
and care of the plants following
grafting for each attendee.
Surviving plants may be claimed
seven days after the workshop
according to Byers.
The root stock and scions
for this class will be grown at
Schaffitzel’s Greenhouse, 1771
E Atlantic St, Springfield, Mo.
The class size is limited due to
materials and costs $10 per person.
Register by contacting the
Greene County Extension Office
at (417) 862-9284.
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“What Have I Done?”
New Work Zone Campaign Aims to Reduce Work Zone Fatalities and Injuries
JEFFERSON CITY – A second
of inattention can lead to a traffic
crash, and when you’re in a work
zone that can cost more than a
fine – it could cost lives. That’s
why the Missouri Department of
Transportation is reminding drivers
not to barrel through work
zones with a new television spot,
called “What Have I Done?”
Road construction season kicks
off this year with Work Zone
Awareness Week April 19-23.
The video features a motorist
after he’s been in a crash in
a work zone – time has seemed
to slow down for him. Moments
before, he was driving along and
calling his family to say he’s
encountered some road work,
but not to worry, because he’ll
“fly right through it.” After getting
out of his vehicle in a daze
he walks over to where he’s hit
something in the work zone and
discovers it’s a person. It ends
with a reminder to all, “Don’t
Barrel Through Work Zones.”
“Every year we try to educate
motorists about the importance of
paying attention and obeying the
signs in work zones,” said Pete
Rahn, MoDOT director. “For the
last couple of years though we’ve
had increases in both work zone
fatalities and injuries, and it’s
time motorists realize how serious
driving errors in work zones
can be for everyone involved.”
In 2009, 13 people were killed
in work zones, an increase from
2008 when 12 people were killed.
There were 670 people injured in
2009 work zones, compared to
599 in 2008. This is an increase
of 11.9 percent. Between 2005
and 2009, 64 people were killed
and 4,260 people were injured
in Missouri work zones. Since
2000, 15 MoDOT employees
have been killed in the line of
duty.
“We need drivers to pay attention
to highway construction and
drive with caution through it to
prevent senseless deaths and injuries,”
Rahn said.
The top five contributing
circumstances for work zone
crashes in 2009 were inattention,
following too closely, improper
lane usage/change, driving too
fast for conditions and failure to
yield - in this order. Of the 878
traffic fatalities in 2009, 693
were vehicle occupant fatalities
and 67 percent of them were not
wearing a seat belt.
“We’re also reminding the
public to rate work zones they’ve
driven through because that firsthand
information will help us
make adjustments and increase
safety for motorists and our
work crews,” Rahn said. To fill
out a Work Zone Customer Survey
and help improve MoDOT
work zones, visit www.modot.
org/workzones/comments.htm.
Besides the new TV spot, Mo-
DOT will remind motorists of
the need to drive safely in work
zones around the state with radio
and internet banner ads, as
well as safety advertisements
on fuel pump tops at various gas
stations and messages on the department’s
changeable message
boards.
More than 250 bridges
are scheduled for construction
this year under MoDOT’s Safe
& Sound Bridge Improvement
Program, a statewide effort to
repair or replace more than 800
of Missouri’s worst bridges by
the end of 2013. Statewide, work
continues on a number of economic
stimulus projects, as well
as the Better Roads, Brighter Future
program that is improving
5,600 miles of roadway by the
end of 2011.
For more information about
construction projects statewide,
look for work zone locations on
MoDOT’s interactive traveler
information map at www.modot.
org or call 888-ASK-MODOT
(275-6636).