50 years ago

June 16, 1976

— Garrett Mfg. Purchases IDC Building Here

Garrett Manufacturing, Inc., of Cassville has completed negotiations with the Industrial Development Corporation for purchase of five acres and the firm’s building on County Farm Road here. A corporate resolution and warranty deed filed in the Barry County Courthouse this week revealed the action. Completed on June 11, the IDC action did not require approval of the membership. Bill Wiley, president, and directors Glen Hall, Jack Byrd, Doyle Thomas and Kenneth Johnston completed the sale in the amount of $57,862.50. Indebtedness by the IDC on the structure amounted to about $37,000. This would leave about $20,000 for IDC use in other industrial efforts. The structure, originally constructed at a cost of $65,000 for Cassville Tool and Machine in 1972, consisted of 10,000 square feet. Glen Garrett acquired the property and business in October of 1973 and immediately doubled the size of the manufacturing facility. Garrett said this week the firm presently has 55 on its machine job shop payroll and is preparing to hire additional personnel. The Garrett building, financed by the IDC through the Small Business Administration and First National and Barry County Banks of Cassville, was built for the Preddy and Sanders family operations that preceded Garrett’s purchase. The IDC, which now has only the Wells Aluminum building in ownership, consists of 152 stockholders who own 1,793 shares. The corporation recently sold remaining land in the IDC park on West 11th Street to Garrett’s brother, Melvin, who is in the process of establishing a shop on the property. Garrett Manufacturing is under contract by several firms throughout the country in machining parts. The shop is considered one of the most modern in this area. Most of the shop equipment is computer-driven. The firm has its own computer facilities for record keeping and equipment programming.

— $195,000 Purdy School Bond Vote July 13

Purdy School District residents will go to the polls July 13 in a special election to decide a $195,000 building bond issue, according to Superintendent Tom Kurucz. Action by the board of education set the date. The proposal calls for the district to incur an indebtedness of $177,000 in bonds and to transfer for a period of one year 72 cents of the existing 95-cent debt service levy to operation. Superintendent Kurucz said this transfer would provide an additional $26,000 for the program, of which $18,000 would be used for the new building construction, $6,000 for band uniforms and $2,000 for the existing new gymnasium. Complete details of the bond presentation are scheduled for a board session this week. A public session will be set for patron information prior to the bond election date. In other action before the board, Melvin Casper was released from his teaching contract to attend graduate school in Colorado. Mrs. Ruth Johnson, formerly of Neosho, was employed as a bus driver. Superintendent Kurucz was authorized to seek insurance need bids for the district with a 10 percent increase in coverage. The board approved a 6.6 percent salary increase for teachers. The school’s food service department — Carolyn Gage, Freda Schad, Lena Coones, Lauretta Sharp and Charlene Fly — were commended for their performance this past year. Covering the bond issue, board intentions are to involve school patrons in the proposal and in circulating information. Those desiring to take part in this effort should contact school officials.

40 years ago

June 18, 1986

— County Road Finances Best Of All; $157,760 Bid Award

Barry County has one segment of operations in good financial condition. That’s the road districts that will, at the end of the year, start reaping benefits of a one-half cent sales tax. And, the road districts will complete their final year of operations without the extra tax with a program of $157,760 County Aid Road Trust contract. Presiding Commissioner Lloyd Dilbeck said the county should award a contract this week to Hutchens Construction Co. of Cassville for the 1986 road program. Dilbeck said the contract would cover CART road funds only. These are financed through state gasoline tax returns to the county. The Hutchens firm was the lone bidder on the county’s road work for the second year. Last year’s contract called for $172,400 in work. George Ulmer, consulting engineer, said the work will include about 39 miles of chip and seal work in about 20 of the county’s 26 special districts. He noted earlier that some would do only grading, ditching and maintenance work on gravel roads for their 1986 projects. Next year the districts will benefit to a total of $500,000 in new tax money. That will be distributed on a total tax valuation and miles of road basis for a full year of collection, according to Ulmer. Districts can expect to receive about one and one-half times their CART funds from the one-half cent sales tax. Road officials said the sales tax receipts, scheduled to begin later this summer, will mean different things to various districts. County officials said some districts had certificates of deposit investments while others were continuously broke. CART funds that will pay for the contracts awarded last week do not include those funds districts have from their local tax levy. Approximation of district local revenues that will be available for local fund work with the new sales tax revenue is as follows: Ash, $6,788.97; Roaring River, $21,431.72; Sugar Creek, $12,907.65; Washburn, $15,797.74; White River, $17,973.00; Shell Knob, $25,014.84; Mineral Springs, $16,340.55; Flat Creek, $40,052.25; Exeter, $23,262.39; Corsicana, $10,267.02; Butterfield, $17,961.36; McDonald, $8,642.22; Jenkins, $8,195.55; Viola, $20,855.97; Mountain, $6,087.40; Crane Creek, $11,425.38; Aurora (Ozark), $11,899.28; Pleasant Ridge, $11,179.14; Kings Prairie, $14,814.30; Purdy, $21,253.19; Wheaton, $19,560.13; Pioneer, $5,165.91; Capps Creek, $13,806.27; Monett, $11,319.45; Liberty, $1,592.70; Greasy Creek, $5,220.75. Commission plans are to build a reserve in the county from which emergency and special projects, such as bridge repair, can be accomplished.

— Council Sets Budget Considerations For Public Hearing Next Tuesday

What is termed a close Cassville budget will go before public review in hearings next Tuesday night. Department cutbacks and shifting of designation of city sales tax funds have been ordered by the city council here in budget preparations. Worksheets of expenditures this year to date and proposed 1986-87 budgets reflect a spending of $323,927 less than last year. Expenditures last year amounted to just over one million dollars, $1,063,937, compared to a proposed budget of $740,010 for the new budget period. Actually, Cassville won’t be spending that much less than last year; there just won’t be some big-ticket items to pay out of city revenues. Included will be some $200,000 in water refunds resulting from court action filed by Leon Jackson and others, bond payments that were retired last year, less street expenditure and 10 percent reductions in all departments. Total general fund costs last year were $642,150 and would be $442,345 under the new budget. Water and sewer operations last year cost $345,476 and would be $278,155 for the coming year. Mayor Rolland Meador noted the 6:30 p.m. hearing next Monday would be open to the public. Major expenditures proposed in the new budget include the following: administrative, $88,425; police, $151,670; treasurer, $7,400; building inspector, $2,550; animal control, $350; parks and recreation, $36,130; streets, $125,100; airport operation, $4,220; water meter deposit, $4,000; and disaster planning, $2,500. Water and sewer distributions call for $174,435 in the water department and $103,720 for wastewater treatment. Other expenditures listed in the budget include: general obligation bonds, none; water-sewer revenue bond, $22,360; water-sewer revenue reserve, none; water-sewer revenue bond depreciation, none; revenue sharing, $16,000; and airport trust, none.

30 years ago

June 12, 1996

— Park parties offer area teens a break from cruising

When Friday night rolls around, area teens usually have three choices for weekend adventure. They can head out of town to watch a movie, stay home and hang out with friends, or jump in their cars and hit the streets of Cassville to cruise town. It’s been the same routine for years. But a group of community-minded citizens want to change that. A committee, spearheaded by Public Education Officer Lonnie McCullough, has met twice in the last week to discuss plans for creating an entertainment alternative for area youth called Party in the Park. The intent of Party in the Park is to give young adults a place to party that’s drug-free, alcohol-free and violence-free. The party idea came about when city officials and community members identified the lack of youth-oriented entertainment outlets as a concern that needed to be addressed. The first party has been tentatively scheduled for Saturday, June 22. It will be held at the city park, beginning at 8:30 p.m. Young adults who attend will be entertained by Berryville, Ark., DJ Jerry Blackston, who performed earlier in the year at the Dogwood Car Show at Roaring River. The event will give teens an opportunity to dance, converse and just hang out with friends. Upcoming parties might also include basketball, softball, swimming and sand volleyball. These parties would be open to young people who have finished their freshman year of high school through age 20. If the program is successful for the older kids, then a similar program may be created to target younger-aged kids. During discussion at the meetings, participants emphasized the need to create a party atmosphere that is non-threatening to area teens — an event that can be labeled as “cool.” Promoting the parties will be left up to teens who said word of mouth was the best advertisement. Police Chief Jay Reyes reiterated the fact that the party would not be a chaperoned event. Reyes said although the Party in the Park idea was initiated by the police department, he did not intend for the event to be a “police program.” He said he hoped the parties would help break down the barrier between teens and Cassville cops. McCullough agrees with Reyes’ assessment. “We want the community to adopt it (the party concept),” McCullough said. “We need to do something for our young adults besides chase after them.” Reyes said police officers would be present at the parties to maintain some degree of order and to insure that the event stays alcohol-, drug- and violence-free. He said his officers would dress casually in shorts and polo shirts. The program received a good response from planners who attended the meetings. Joe Cavness, Cassville High School assistant principal, said: “I’m proud to see that our city officials and police department are actively trying to do something for the young people of this town, and I think it’s long been needed. I do think it’s starting off on the right foot. We’ve got some good ideas. Not everything we’re going to try to do is going to work; but if they can draw some of the kids off the streets and into these gatherings, I think it’s going to be a positive thing for the city.” Parties in the Park will be held twice a month initially and could possibly be sponsored more frequently as interest increases. The first party will be sponsored by the Cassville Chamber of Commerce with funding assistance from city D.A.R.E. funds. A grant has been submitted through the Community 2000 program to secure additional funding for future parties, which will be offered to teens free of charge. “This is not a money-making thing for us,” said Reyes. “You (our youth) are our city’s most valuable resource.”

— Bids for new Barry Electric facility came in under projected cost figures

Bids on Barry Electric’s new headquarters came in under the estimated project cost of $1.5 million, according to Bill Shiveley, general manager. Project bids were opened yesterday. Shiveley said the bids would be reviewed by the co-op board at its June 24 meeting. If the bids meet specifications and receive approval from the architect, a contract will be issued, Shiveley said. The project was divided into nine separate categories. Bids received for each portion of the project are listed below. Building shell, concrete and earthwork: $854,000, R.D. Dale, Inc., Joplin; $787,038, Merit Contractors, Inc., Springfield; $945,945, Rich Krammer, Springfield; and $825,000, Branco, Joplin. Interior and finishes: $215,000, R.D. Dale; and $290,000, Branco. Shiveley said both of these bids were contingent on the companies receiving the building bid. Mechanical: $165,000, Allen’s Mechanical, Springfield. Electrical: $138,965, Bill’s Electric, Branson and Webb City; and $167,718, Joplin Industrial Electric. Plumbing: $165,000, Allen’s Mechanical; and $59,500, Rusk Plumbing, Joplin. Landscaping: $15,808.44, Hillcrest Landscaping, Neosho. Off-site utilities: $51,000, Branco; $48,000, Allen’s Mechanical; and $40,149.64, Stewart Construction, Cassville. Alternate bid on asphalt paving: $17,950, Masters and Jackson, Springfield; and $12,250, Hutchens Construction, Cassville. Shiveley said right now bid totals stand at around $1.46 million for the project that will provide Barry Electric with a new 7,000-square-foot office and 15,400-square-foot warehouse and truck garage. The 10-acre site, located on Business 37 north of Cassville, will also provide space for open material storage and utility pole racks. Shiveley predicts that the project will take 10 to 12 months to complete.