On the Street

Randy Little, president of PFI Western Store in Springfield, has invited President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry to visit Springfield Oct. 1-2 for what he calls a “bull-off,” during the 2004 PBR-X National Tour at Hammons Student Center.

Citing fatigue among Missouri voters, Little sent letters to both presidential candidates, inviting them to ride a 2,000-pound bull. The rules are simple: Both men would have a chance to ride the same bull. The candidate who stays on the longest will be declared the winner.

Little’s letter to the candidates said, “I realize this might sound a bit silly. But consider how similar bull riding is to politics. Both are fierce, fast-paced and grueling endeavors with the shared goal of staying above the dirt. Bull riding is often called America’s original extreme sport. Politics is a close second. Perhaps most importantly, both bull riding and politics require raw courage and the ability to perform from the seat of your pants while withstanding constant upheavals under public scrutiny.”

Take a stroll

The Japanese Stroll Garden at Nathanael Greene Park is now Mizumoto Stroll Garden at Nathanael Greene Park. The Springfield-Greene County Park Board approved the name change Sept. 10 at the request of the Springfield Sister Cities Association. The garden is named in honor of Yuriko Mizumoto Scott, in recognition of her longtime contributions to the stroll garden and the successful relationship between Springfield and its sister city, Isesaki, Japan. She has assisted SSCA as an interpreter, hostess, gardener and advisor. She and her husband Ben were married for 51 years before his death in 2002.

Urban adventure

The first Springfield Urban Adventure Challenge, presented by the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, will be held Oct. 2 in downtown Springfield. Coed teams of three people will walk, run, bike or bus a course of hidden checkpoints in center city. The race will begin at 8 a.m. and will last six to eight hours. The race will measure individual mental and physical agility and stress the critical nature of teamwork. Urban adventure racing is a new sport that provides physical challenges and allows participants to learn more about the city where the race is held. Early-bird registration for teams that register on or before Sept. 24 is $75 per team; after that, the price increases to $110. For individuals interested in urban adventure racing, a free seminar and scavenger hunt will be held at 10 a.m. Sept. 25 in Doling Park’s Family Center. Registration for the adventure race is available online at www.parkboard.org.

Slice of Nice

United Way of the Ozarks has announced that its 2004-05 campaign goal is $3.37 million. This amount is nearly 2 percent higher than the goal for 2003-04.

“This year’s campaign theme, You Matter, was selected because each person is important to United Way – as a volunteer, a donor or a recipient of services,” said Joe Turner, president of Great Southern Bank and campaign chairman, in a news release. United Way raises funds and distributes them to 26 health and human service agencies in the Ozarks. The 2004-05 campaign runs through Nov. 10.