50 years ago

June 2, 1976

— Jaycee Awards And Officers During Banquet

Jaycees installed officers for the coming year and presented club and community awards in their banquet meeting at Dell’s Cafe last week. President John Bartkoski and Dr. Chip Kammerlohr were in charge of the program. Bob Holbart of Springfield, U.S. Jaycee vice-president, spoke to the group on attitude and motivation. He told the community’s youngest civic club they had “new adventures of another year… use them for the benefit of the community.” The officer slate installed, consisting of hold-overs who were involved with organization last winter, included: Bartkoski, president; John Stringer, vice-president; Kammerlohr, vice-president; Vaughn Smith, treasurer, Raymond Fisher, secretary and directors: Harold Brock, Hal Smith, Rex Stumpff, Max Stumpff and Allen Sparks. Hal Smith installed two new members, Ken Sharp of Seligman and Roger Hilburn of Shell Knob. Awards presented included: Outstanding community and club service, and honorary J.C., to Bob Mitchell and the Cassville Democrat. General appreciation certificates to Bob Edwards, Bob Whitescarver, Johnny Brock and John Seely. Kammerlohr received the officer of the quarter award. Merl Rogers, chairman of the quarter award for archery shoot organization; Jaycee of the quarter went to Millard Andrews and local merit awards went to Doug Samuel and Allen Sparks for organization of Little League and youth activity events. Principal Jaycee project this summer is organization and administration of the Summer Youth Baseball activities. They have also included adult softball participation at city park. Among the major improvements have been infield rebuilding and addition of lights to the field for play which begins next Monday.

— Board Reduces R-4 Faculty Requirements From 17 to 6

The Cassville board of education is whittling away at the vacancy list of the R-4 faculty, adding six new members during a meeting Thursday night. Board president Charles Thompson noted the first of May the system had 17 vacancies, with the number now reduced to six. For the total replacement need, the board has received 80 elementary applications and 154 in the middle and high school divisions. Last year the faculty had 76 professional members. New assignments in contracts offered by the board last week included: Rebecca Scroggs of Cassville will teach second grade. Sheryl Sieve of Roaring River offered remedial language arts pending Title I approval. Karen Helton of Monett, migrant tutor pending Title I approval. Rebecca Ryder of Purdy will teach elementary physical education. Mrs. Sidney Smith of St. Louis and Cassville, employed as junior high art instructor. John Maddox of Bartlesville, Okla., employed for both football and basketball and physical education in junior high. Maddox, a former coach at Southwest High, will assume all athletic duties in the middle school, eliminating one position in this department for funds to be used in curriculum enlargement. Remaining to be employed by the school is a K-12 speech therapist and social studies instructor in grades six and seven. A contract offered Cathy Nations of Cassville was voided after Miss Nations accepted employment with the Neosho schools. Four vacancies remain in the high school system, including football and basketball coaches. Board action could fill these with combination posts in coming weeks. In addition to Thompson, board members attending the session were James Stephens, Ronald Stewart, Freddie Evans, Carroll Craig and Herschel Stehlik. Superintendent-elect Ronald Evans, principals Paul Watson, Eunice Thomas and Don Trotter were also at the meeting. In other business before the board, minor alterations in bus orders had been completed with successful bidder, Blalack-Koon Chevrolet. School audit will be completed by Neosho firm as per low bid submitted to the board of education. Everett Williamson, adjoining campus property owner, requested school assistance in road repairs on access route to main parking lot. Superintendent Evans is to obtain bids on the project. Trotter granted expense allowance for attending Big 13 meeting at Stockton next week. Will be accompanied by either J.C. Duncan, athletic director or John Jones, assistant high school principal. Board moved into executive session to discuss personnel. Of the six remaining vacancies on the staff, review of the large number of applications is being handled by principals involved to present recommendations to the board.

40 years ago

June 4, 1986

— City Last To Get Outdoor Grant For New Park Work

On try number four in that number of years, and last in line this year, Cassville finally got an outdoor recreation grant from Missouri. The $30,000 fund grant was approved by the Missouri Inter-agency Council for Outdoor Recreation. It will be matched by local funds for acquiring about seven acres of land and making other park improvements here. City clerk Jo Ledgerwood, who was in Jefferson City, said 56 cities, counties and school districts made applications for funds totaling $2.7 million. The clerk said more than $900,000 in funds were awarded for 25 projects in Missouri. The eight-member council distributed funds, coming from the federal government, originating from mineral rights leases, federal surplus property sales, motorboat fuel taxes and recreation fees. Mayor Rolland Meador said the funds would be matched by local money which has been planned for a year in advance. Development of the project was guided by Meador, Ledgerwood and city engineer George Ulmer. This was the fourth year for Cassville to make application for grant funds. Unsuccessful in years past, city government developed this year’s plan on acquiring additional land for park purposes. Included in the acquisition phase will be a 3.65 donated piece of land adjacent to Flat Creek by Evan Hutchens Construction Company. The Cassville contractor has agreed to donate the property which has been used for years as a dump for demolished concrete and dirt. Also in the project is a proposed purchase of just under four acres from Rachel Rush of Hollywood, Florida. Asking price on the property is $10,000 at last report. The property, just across Flat Creek on the Seventh Street bridge, is the site of the old Rush Canning Factory. Mrs. Ledgerwood said federal law requires a registered appraisal of the property before purchase could be completed. A breakdown of the proposed city project, costing a total of $60,000 with state and local funds, includes: $15,000 for streets and parking paving; $20,000 for lighted multi-use court; $7,600 for playground equipment, benches, trash containers; $3,000 fencing; $1,200 move utilities underground; $1,200 drinking fountains; $7,000 planning and engineering and $5,000 acquiring land. City officials said acquiring the land, on the north side of Seventh Street, adjacent to Flat Creek and behind the Sam Bowsher property, would be a good clean-up project for the area. The land is located north of the present city park complex on the east side of Flat Creek. While subject to flooding, and located in the Cassville flood plain, the area has proven quite adaptable to park facilities. City plans for the area include a nature walk and running paths along the Flat Creek portion. These probably would be accomplished further down the line when funds become available. Ledgerwood said the park development funds had been provided in previous budget items. She said recent reductions in street programs and departmental cut-backs would not affect the park program. Sergeant Lonnie McCullough of the Cassville police force, who doubles in Emergency Preparedness Office, accompanied Mrs. Ledgerwood on the Jefferson City trip and met with disaster officials in the state capital. He said future dates would be established for testing of emergency sirens in the Cassville area. Cassville has been approved for assistance in making warning equipment available. McCullough said testing agreed upon by state officials would be necessary here because of the Seven Valley location of town. He said residents would be notified when state disaster people would be here to make the tests. At the May 28 award, the Federal Land and Water Conservation Funds were allocated to one county, one school district and 23 cities, according to Frederick A. Brunner, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, administrating agency for the program.

30 years ago

May 29, 1996

— Golf association members “tee off” on new clubhouse

Members of the Cassville Golf Association voted to proceed with construction of a new $500,000 clubhouse during a meeting held last Thursday night. The vote was almost two to one in favor of the project. According to Steve Chasteen, board member and head of the building committee, the 6,000-square-foot facility will be built on the site of the existing clubhouse. The old building, erected 31 years ago when the course was first established, will be demolished to make room for the new facility. During construction, the club will operate out of a temporary facility. Architects Jim Lohmeyer and Randy Russell of Springfield designed a cross-shaped structure that will include: a pro shop, dining area, kitchen, conference room, men’s and women’s locker rooms, a covered entrance and vestibule area. The clubhouse will be of wood framed construction with brick and block veneer. The roof structure system will utilize a standing seam metal roof over wood trusses. The blueprints also show several enclosed, open air patios with roof overhangs. These outdoor spaces provide an additional 1,000 square feet to the facility. Plans also include a new parking lot, which will park close to 100 cars. The paved lot will be located on a one-acre tract north of the course that the association recently purchased. Funding for the project will not require an increase in club dues, Chasteen said. “We feel like we can restructure our existing debt back out to 15 years and handle it (construction of the clubhouse) under our current dues structure,” explained Chasteen. Construction of the clubhouse is scheduled to begin in the fall and should be completed by the first part of April. By building the facility during the off-season, the club hopes to minimize disruption to play. A new clubhouse is part of the association’s master site plan, which was approved by members last year. A new $80,000 swimming pool was constructed last spring, and a restroom and concessions building adjacent to the pool was completed in May. Association board members include president Ken House, Chasteen, Bill Roller, Fred Arning, Stan Boyd, Dennis Ledgerwood and Dennis Swofford. The association has 249 members.

— Cassville receives grant approval for phase two of Greenway Trail

City officials dedicated Cassville’s new Greenway Trail last month, and area residents are already asking about phase two of the project. Greg Beavers, city administrator, said the city has been approved for a $72,760 enhancement grant through the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission to complete the second portion of the greenway through the city’s new park area. Under the grant program, the city will receive $50,932 in federal funds and will have to provide $21,828 in matching funds. The first portion of the greenway was funded through a similar grant. Beavers said completing phase two of the greenway will be a “long process.” He said the city was now waiting for approval to proceed with bids on engineering specifications. He anticipates that the project will take 23 months to complete. The second portion of the greenway will extend 2,500 lineal feet along Flat Creek. It will include 2,220 feet of paved asphalt and 280 feet of boardwalk and bridges. Beavers said he budgeted $14,000 for landscaping in the grant proposal. Cassville’s newest park will also receive some help from the Missouri National Guard. The 203rd Engineering Battalion out of Pierce City will be in Cassville July 13-27 to work on the new park area located off of Sale Barn Road. Guardsmen will grade the land, provide surface drainage, install fencing for three youth ballfields and excavate and haul gravel to the parking area. The city will be required to provide materials and fuel for equipment.