50 years ago

May 21, 1975

— SW SCHOOL BUILDING BID TO ARKANSAS FIRM

A Rogers, Ark., firm has successfully bid construction of a new high school building for Southwest of Washburn, according to Superintendent Johnny Fite. The SW board let the contract to the firm for $83,000 during a meeting last week. The general contract includes electrical, heating and plumbing stubbed in the structure. Fite said construction could start at any time since initial excavation work had been completed by the district. The Southwest high school building was destroyed by fire on March 23. Fite said the project financing was included in a four-year levy increase of $1, plus insurance received on the building, amounting to $80,000 on the structure and $40,000 on contents. The school head said furnishings and equipment were running extremely high for the class-rooms. The district has also received a special needs grant from Title II in the amount of $4,000 to assist in equipping a library.

— TAX INCREASE FACING COUNTY REAL ESTATE

Unless the current tax assessment of Barry County reaches about a $2 million increase, the Missouri Tax Commission plans to order a blanket increase to make up the difference. That’s the word received by county officials in a meeting in Taney county last week. Meeting with the commission were Howard Bounous, county clerk; Warren Drake, collector and members of the county court, Nolan McNeill, Dick Sanders and Lige Frost. Bounous said this week that Assessor Glen Nicoll was in the process of completing the tax valuation process. Books in the rounds are scheduled for turnover to the clerk for tabulation by June. The commission told Barry County officials that if real estate valuations remained the same at $19,982,583 figures, an 11% plus increase would be required to put valuations at a state required level of 33%% of value. This presents problems, since anything over a 10% increase would require the lowering of levies by all political subdivisions in the county. Bounous said the commission, or board of equalization could make adjustments in the tax value figures of the county. A tax commission order would make his office responsible for the increases. Individual tax levy sub-divisions of county government, roads, schools, county, special districts and cities, would be required to follow a lead if valuations go over the 10% growth figure. Barry County’s present assessed valuation is $34,059,167. Included in this figure in addition to real estate, are personal valuations $8,191, 098, merchants and manufacturers $902,825 and railroad and utilities $4,982,661. The latter valuation is assessed by the state commission. Bounous concluded his information that the county would not know what the tax situation is until totals are run on the assessor’s valuation books, probably about the second week in June.

— BURGLARS HAVE TROUBLE FINDING RIGHT STORE

What is believed to be a pair of confused burglars finally found their mark in Cassville early Tuesday morning. Sheriff Vernon Still’s office pieced the story this way. Burglars apparently entered the Thomas Abstract Building by breaking down the rear door.. .only to find they had entered the wrong building. Officers theorize the intruders thought they were in Western Auto, which used to be next door. Realizing their mistake, they went to the front office and composed an apology on one of the typewriters, saying they were sorry but had hit the wrong building. They apparently went across to the west side of the square, Western Auto and Simpkin’s Home Center new location, broke out a south window, entered the building and took a television, stereo and other minor items. Investigator Leo Sellers said the breakin was apparently after 4 a.m. Tuesday morning because mud was tracked to the window sill on the entry. Sellers, Still and Deputy Launce Bunnell investigated the break-ins.

— SENIOR CITIZEN PROGRAM GETS $7,645 AMOUNT

The Southwest Missouri Area Agency on Aging has announced a six month grant of $7,645 to the Barry County Neighborhood Center, Cassville, for the purpose of conducting Senior Citizen activities in Barry County. The grant, which will be matched by $1,680 in local resources, will assist in the development of activities at Senior Citizens Satellite Centers in Cassville, Purdy, Washburn, and Eagle Rock. Freda England, project director, stated that the activities in each center will depend upon the needs of the Senior Citizens in each community. In Eagle Rock activities include games and a social on the first and third Thursday of each month. The library offers its services on Thursdays and a business meeting is held every second Monday. The Eagle Rock group is active in sponsoring an Arts and Crafts Show each October and the gala opening of the Roaring River State Park. In Purdy the Senior Citizens meet each third Thursday and their activities include pot luck suppers, games and social activities as well as films and quilting. In Washburn the activities include bake sales, rummage sales, quilt sales and other money making projects to help pay expenses as well as supplying cancer bandages and other health needs for area Senior Citizens. The group enjoys pot luck suppers three times each month as well as library services, films and other social activities. In Cassville, the Senior Citizens hold a pot luck dinner once a month, ceramic classes twice a week, craft classes once a month, as well as acting as the contact point for OATS, the Older Adults Transportation System. The Barry County Neighborhood Center is operated by the Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation, a private non-profit corporation serving ten counties in Southwest Missouri. OACAC also operates Adult Basic Education, Head Start, Home Health Care, Foster Grand. parents, and Family Planning in Barry County.

40 years ago

May 22, 1985

— 40 REASSESSMENT CALLS RATED SURPRISINGLY LOW

Since opening last Wednesday, the Barry County clerk’s office has received what is rated a “lower than anticipated”’ number of appointment calls for appearance before the tax board of equalization. Rex Stumpff said Tuesday, the office had recorded 40 calls, involving 17 parcels of land. Appointment calls will be received by the office between now and the June 3 start of equalization hearings. Appointments are being made. in connection with reassessment equalization values that were placed on 22,000 parcels of land this year. Being taken on a firstcome, first-served basis, appointments will place property owners before the board who have differences of opinion with assessed valuations under the new state program. Members of the board include Assessor Glen Nicoll, administrative court members Lloyd Dilbeck, Billy Chappell and Vedes Davis, with Stumpff serving as clerk.

30 years ago

May 10, 1995

— ALCOHOL BANNED AT TABLE ROCK LAKE

To curb alcohol-related accidents and disturbances and to return to a family-oriented atmosphere, the Army Corps of Engineers is banning alcoholic beverages from all swim beaches and adjacent parking lots at Table Rock Lake. The no-alcohol restriction has been in effect for some time at Moonshine Beach on Table Rock and will now be applied at the remaining parks with swim beaches. Similar no-alcohol bans are in effect at all Missouri State parks and at surrounding Corps lakes. The ban is designed to curb escalating problems related to excessive drinking. Other Corps lakes where similar bans have been instituted have shown decreases in the number of drownings, disturbances and incidents of vandalism.

— PAVING PROJECTS AWARD; R-4 PROJECTS COVERED

Cassville R-4 board of education met in special meeting last week to accept the base bid from Hutchens Construction of $83,825 for parking lot paving and base-work at the new school. Rejected were alternates number one and three, accepted alternates number two and four. Alternative number one was repair of the existing parking lot, alternative number three was overlay of asphalt at the elementary playground, and alternative number 2 which the board accepted is the area behind the high school gymnasium that will be sanded and sealed. Alternate number four is the final paving, etc., at the bus barn lot. Dr. Dan Bailey, superintendent, presented various handouts relative to capital projects. Various financing methods were discussed as were some of the projects listed were future expansions in elementary window replacement and bricking elementary wing, heating system replacement, finish re-roofing of old cafeteria, development of lighting improvements. No dollar figures were attached to the projects. Board members present were Mike Ball, Landon Fletcher, John Sullivan, Tim Frye, Gregory Allen, Wayne Hendrix and Jeff Cooper. Administrators in attendance were Ron Richardson, Joe Cavness, Martha Dunnam, Lynthia Gibson, Marvin Henningson, Larry Quinalty and Bailey.

— TROUT BEWARE KIDS FISHING DAY IS SATURDAY

Once again, Missouri Department of Conservation is sponsoring Kids Fishing Day, Saturday, May 13, at Roaring River State Park. Kids 15 years old and younger will be able to fish for free, says Jerry Dean, hatchery Participants will be provided a free daily tag that they must wear while fishing and while in possession of fish. At Roaring River these tags may be picked up at the hatchery office and will be available Friday evening and all day Saturday. Fishing time in the Trout Parks will be from 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. on Kids Fishing Day. At Roaring River State Park the special area for the youngsters, 12 and under, will be the first hole adjacent to the hatchery. Department of Conservation staff and volunteers will be on hand not only to make sure that the hole is kept well stocked throughout the day but also to do some teaching and help make sure that as many kids as possible are successful. Kids who participate will also receive free stringers, coloring books and other information on aquatic subjects. Kids are requested to have their own fishing pole. Parents and volunteers are welcome to come and lend a hand to the children. However, we do request that the kids do the actual fishing. Springfield chapter of the Missouri Trout Fisherman’s Association will hold a fly casting/ fly tying class for 25 youngsters at 10 a.m. that day. Anyone interested in attending the class can sign up at the hatchery office. Class equipment will be furnished, according to Dean.

— BEES ESSENTIAL TO MANY GARDEN CROPS

Where would we be without bees? The arrival of spring reminds us that many of the flowers we depend on to give us fruit or vegetables depend on the honeybee. Among the fruit trees that are largely pollinated by bees are apple, peach, plum, cherry and pear. Blackberry, blueberry, gooseberry and raspberry are also largely dependent on bees for production. The work of bees extends to many vegetable crops which include squash, cantaloupe, watermelon, cucumber, green bean and lima bean.