50 years ago

May 7, 1975

— MRS. REDING INVITED TO CARSON TV SHOW

An invitation to be a guest on the Johnny Carson television show has resulted in the talk show personality receiving a clipped story from the Cassville Democrat. Invited to make the trip to California for filming of an appearance is Mrs. Dona Reding, retiring school teacher from Shell Knob. The story of Mrs. Reding’s retirement published last week, was forwarded to Carson by Mrs. Amos Adams of Shell Knob after their paper was received last Thursday. Tuesday morning, Mrs. Reding received a telephone call from the producer of the show. Included in the trip was all expenses plus a fee for appearance, to tell her story of teaching in rural schools of the area for 39 years, 18 of them at Shell Knob. Mrs. Reding was not sure at press time about accepting the invitation. Many of her friends here and at the Knob have urged her to make the trip and tell her story of a colorful Ozarks career.

— HEAD START FINISHES 10TH YEAR OPERATION

Children of the Cassville Head Start attended their last day of classes Wednesday. Center staff, Lucille Brooks, Frances Hobbs and Frances Ennis will work the remaining two days, cleaning the center and putting the equipment away for the summer. The last unit studied by the children was animals and fish and their habitations. Field trips taken to support their study were to the z00 in Springfield and Roaring River to feed a pool of fish. All through the year, the staff has leaned heavily on the volunteers in the center. Those who spent time in the center working with the children, preparing articles, equipment etc. at home and delivered them to the center, money making projects by the parents, made it possible for new rugs, curtains, and the latest item, a large wooden outdoor rocker, materials paid for with parent money and the labor by George Madison, grandfather of Terry and Kerry Madison, students at the center. Parents and grandparents, children and staff met for a home made ice cream supper last week and the last meeting of the year, which was presided over by Janice Paul. This year marks the 10th birthday of Head Start program.

— FARM GROUP LEADER CRITICAL OF VETO STRIKE OF FARM LEGISLATION

President Ford’s veto of the bipartisan Emergency Farm Bill is a disheartening blow to farmers, thinks Fred V. Heinkel, president of the Midcontinent Farmers Association. “If weather and acreages combine for bumper crops, farmers will find themselves in a sea of falling prices without a life raft,” the MFA leader added. The average of all farm prices is down 7 percent from a year ago while the average of prices paid by farmers is up 11 percent above a year ago. Parity ratio for the month of April was 69 compared to 83 a year earlier. “These facts make it obvious that farmers can ill afford to subsidize the nation’s food supply,” Heinkel declared. “In a feeble attempt by Secretary Butz to justify an unwarranted veto of the Emergency Farm Bill, he loosely used figures in a frantic effort to discredit the bill. These figures were partly based on the assumption that HR4296 if signed into law would be in effect for three years, when the bill plainly states it is for one year. This is hardly a fitting act of a high level official,” Heinkel said. “Making the farm bill veto even more deplorable is the fact that it comes on the day after the President stated he would take executive action to remove all price controls from domestic crude oil over a twoyear period. Agriculture is the single largest user of petroleum products. Certainly the rapidly declining farm economy will be further eroded if the prices of petroleum products are de-controlled,” the MFA leader continued. “Secretary Butz also shouts about the virtues of the free enterprise system and the free markets and then he weeps about what he alleges the HR 4296 would do to the free markets. However, it should be noted that the signals of the free market are now busy telling farmers to produce less, not more as he has asked farmers to do.” Heinkel explained a noted economist indicated that a 5 billion bushel corn crop would bring farmers $300 million more than the 6 billion bushel crop projected by the March crop report. “It is obvious that farmers could save $1 billion in production costs,” the MFA leader added. “HR 4296 is a good bill, It is much needed to help stabilize agriculture, and assure the people of the United States of a constant supply of food. The congress is justified in overriding the veto. We sincerely urge such action,” Heinkel concluded.

— SHELL KNOB WOMAN ESCAPES BURNING BOAT

A Shell Knob woman escaped injury by jumping from a burning boat five miles above the Viola Boat Dock on Table Rock Lake. The incident was on the Kings River arm of the reservoir. Dorothy Devine, 50, told Sgt. Jim Bradford of the Missouri Water Patrol, she was operating a 16-ft. pleasure boat owned by Charles T. Cauthron, Shell Knob, when the incident occurred at 1:45 p.m. Friday. She said she smelled gasoline fumes, then heard an explosion and the boat caught fire. She grabbed life-saving devices and jumped out of the boat. Cauthron estimated damage to his boat and equipment at about $7,000.

40 years ago

May 15, 1985

— 150TH ANNIVERSARY PAGEANT AT SHELL KNOB

Shell Knob’s Sesquicentennial Celebration continues on June 1 with a historical pageant, that will be presented at the Saddle Club Arena, at 8:00 p.m. The historical pageant will include drama and music. Scenes of the past will be portrayed by a cast of over 100, beginning with the Indians, progressing through the Schell wedding and covering such things as horseracing, moonshining, the Carney murders, the only lynching in Barry County, Civil War, cotton farming, White River Pearls, WWI, 1920’s General Store, CCC, WWII, and how Table Rock Lake has changed the land, the people and the economy. On June 1 and 2, Shell Knob will be hosting the Schell Family reunion, for descendants of Henry and Elizabeth Schell. Also, the Cottrell family will be having their reunion for the descendants of Isaac and Sarah Cottrell.

— HONOR RECEPTION

A Barry County native, Wanda Gray, who recently completed a career in education, will be the honoree at a reception Sunday, sponsored by the Springfield Elementary Principals. The event will be 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Field School, 2120 Barataria in Springfield. Officials of the event have invited friends in this area to attend. Ms. Gray, born and raised in Butterfield, was educated in area schools. She began her teaching career in 1939 in rural schools of the county. Upon retirement this year, she was assistant superintendent in Springfield schools directing the department of elementary education.

— PROPOSED FOREST PLAN OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULED

All Mark Twain National Forest Offices will be having an open house for the public on Wednesday, May 22, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The specific focus of the event will be to encourage the public to come in and broaden knowledge about the proposed Forest Land and Resource Plan for the Forest. Forest Supervisor Leon Cabre has urged interested people, who have a stake in the Forest’s future, to come by one or more of the offices and visit. He says “the proposed Forest Plan and it’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement have been sent out for public review since April 5. By this time a number of people may have questions or concerns about the planning documents could be answered or cleared up during a visit.” Forest officers will be available to discuss the project at all of the Mark Twain offices. Maps and plan copies will also be available for people on their visit. Included is the Cassville district office on Highway 248 East. The Proposed Forest Plan contains management goals, objectives, standards and guidelines for accomplishment and descriptions of management areas and their future forest conditions. The accompanying Draft Environmental Impact Statement has information about affected environments and plan alternatives. The Forest Plan for the Mark Twain National Forest in its final form will guide management of the Forest for at least the next 10 years.

— LAW SCHOLARSHIP

Miss Laura Ellis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Ellis, has been selected as summer scholar for Southern Methodist University Law School, which she will attend this fall. Five students in the eight-state area were chosen for the full tuition and expense scholarship of $38,000. The CHS graduate will graduate Friday evening Magna cum Laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia as one of the top 10 finance majors in the School of Business and public Administration.

— NURSES’ SCHOLARSHIP

Two outstanding young women share the South Barry County Hospital Auxiliary nursing scholarship this year. They are Jennifer Bowen, who is completing her first year of nursing training at Burge School of Nursing in Springfield, and Rebecca Miekley, who has completed a year at SMSU and has been accepted at St. John’s School of Nursing in Springfield. Both have records of community service, participation in school activities, high scholastic achievement, and were well recommended by teachers and counselors. Rebecca was a Candy Striper at South Barry County Hospital during her high school years. Parents of the winners are Dr. and Mrs. Miekley, Cassville, Route 1, and Mr. and Mrs. Don Bowen, Mineral Springs Road. The decision to give two awards this first year of the nursing scholarship was made by the Scholarship Committee of South Barry County Hospital Auxiliary. This year’s committee was Maxine Rowland, chairman, Jean Melton, and Margie Fields. Jean Melton will serve as chairman for 1986. An applicant must be a resident of South Barry County Hospital District, accepted by an accredited School of Nursing or presently enrolled, show academic excellence, must show just economic cause, and must furnish two references. Students from Cassville, Southwest, Exeter, Wheaton and Purdy high schools were invited to apply. The cash award is $300, with $150 going to each winner this year.

30 years ago

May 3, 1995

— SECOND ACT FINDS HOME IN FULLER GIFT

Second Act of Cassville, faced with having to vacate city property in which they have been operating several years, has a new home, courtesy of a gift of commercial property from a local woman. Mrs. Juanita Fuller of Cassville has given the old Anita’s Pizza property on Highway 112 near Southern Hills to the voluntary advisory board Jim LeCompte, president of the advisory group, said the well-suited property was being presented by Mrs. Fuller in honor of her mother, Mrs. Rita Cummins of Cassville. Vacant for three years, the property includes about 2,000 square feet in the main floor and an upstairs area. LeCompte said the former business location also had parking space. The lot on which the building is located is approximately 160×160 feet square. LeCompte said advisory board plans are to install a new roof on the property and make window repairs. Arvilla Stringer is manager of Second Act, a facility to supply food, clothing and furniture items to low income persons of the area. Special participation is through the holiday seasons. Advisory people have also been notified by the city of Cassville of a reprieve of first announced vacating of old city hall facilities at Eighth and Townsend. The new date for a move is July 1.

— ROARING RIVER RESORT NEW OWNER MCMULLIN

A major Cassville area motel, Roaring River Resort, has changed hands. The new owner is Mark McMullin, formerly of Rockfall, Ill. He has assumed ownership of the facility on Highway 112 just outside Roaring River State Park from owners Lex and Clara Elliott. In the purchase was the 21 unit facility and adjoining private campground. McMullin comes to this area after having resided in Springfield the last eight months. The facility was constructed and first opened in 1978, by Mr. and Mrs. Lee Jones. They operated the motel 12 years, selling to the Elliotts in 1990. Mr. and Mrs. Elliott also originated and operated for several years at Roaring River Deer Park.

— CATTLE PROBLEMS TIED TO FESCUE WEATHER

Research in Kentucky shows cows on fescue fields infected with an endophytic fungus will have lower conception rates when bred in hot weather. University Extension livestock specialist Mark Grotheer says the findings are applicable to Southwest Missouri. The cows exposed to bulls for 45-day periods beginning April 21 or May 21 had acceptable 85 percent pregnancy rates. When exposed to bulls starting June 19, the pregnancy rate dropped to 50 percent, he says. The low breeding rates correspond to a time when Kentucky temperatures often surpass 90 degrees. In Southwest Missouri, 90 degree temperatures were reached in May 1991 followed by a summer drought. Grotheer says cows of many area producers had lower conception rates that spring. Fescue later that spring and summer had more endophytic toxin and ergot toxin, he says.