50 years ago

June 30, 1976

— Community Programs To Honor Nation’s 200th Birthday July 4-5

There will be plenty of “bangs” around for community residents to celebrate the 200th birthday of these United States during the coming July 4 weekend. First of two big fireworks displays will be Sunday, July 4, at Shell Knob. Second will be an equally big aerial display over Cassville on Monday evening, July 5. In excess of 300 aerial display bombs will be exploding in the two events. For Shell Knob, it will be the first community effort for a July 4 observance. D.F. Murphy, Bicentennial chairman for the community, says Saturday and Sunday programs call for event-packed activities all open to the public. Cassville’s program, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and Irwin-Easley American Legion Post, will be centered around the one-evening program at the American Legion Grounds. Bill Ward, C of C manager, said the following schedule would be observed. Beginning at 6 p.m. and running to 7 p.m. Monday, the merchants committee will provide a free watermelon feed. Members of Boy Scout Troop 76 will assist in serving over 3,000 pounds of melons. From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Cassville High School stage band, directed by Russell Robinson, will present a concert. Southern Judge Lige Frost will be master of ceremonies for the program. At 8 p.m. and running to 9:30 p.m., the Legion post will sponsor a series of youth games, with cash prizes awarded in various age groups. The giant fireworks display is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. above the Legion Grounds, where free parking will be available. Authorities will patrol the grounds, on which no individual fireworks will be permitted. The Memorial Park Board will operate a refreshment stand on the grounds, with proceeds going for the operation and maintenance of the facility. Organizations throughout the Central Crossing area are participating in the planning and execution of events. Included are Masonic Lodge, Lions Club, Central Crossing Women’s Auxiliary, Shell Knob School PTA, Saddle Club, Boy Scout Troop 51, Cub Scout Pack 51, Girl Scouts and Brownies, and various business organizations. Representatives of these organizations participating include Murphy and Roy Pratt, Chuck Dagman, Mildred Voris, Bro. John Mehrens, Loren Roden, Olen Epperly, David Crates, Creighton Cox, Mary Delaney, Joyce Short and Felix Cieslak. Proceeds of the events over and above expenses will be divided between the Shell Knob-Viola Community Building Fund and elementary school. Bicentennial connections have been approved by Missouri designating the group as official observance committee, according to Murphy. The schedule of events for Shell Knob’s initial Independence Day program is as follows: Saturday, July 3, 10 a.m., Saddle Club arena, games for all ages, sack races, egg pitch, horseshoes, greased pig contest, donkey ball game for women, dunk the Lion, kissing booths and stock penalty racks for non-whiskered gents of community. 6:30 p.m., Little League baseball game, Shell Knob vs. Jenkins. 8 p.m., cakewalk at Bridgeway Plaza and square dancing. Sunday, July 4, 2 p.m., parade starts at old Highway 39 and proceeds to the arena. Thirty-two units have been allocated parade space. Creighton Cox, chairman, is assigning positions. Parade will consist of three floats, Barry County Sheriff’s Posse, Stone County mobile patrol unit, new Shell Knob fire engine, three wagon teams, Cassville High School band unit, Boy Scout and Girl Scout units from Central Crossing area. 3:30 p.m., pony pulling contest at arena, entries from Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma; events at arena will continue through the afternoon. Concession stand will be operated by Shell Knob Saddle Club. Ambulance for all events furnished by Axley-Culver Ambulance Service. 9 p.m., fireworks display from south end of Central Crossing bridge with aerial display over Table Rock Lake amounting to about 150 rounds.

— State Orders Golden Rural School Closing

The Missouri Board of Education has ordered one of three remaining rural schools in Barry County closed. Jefferson City officials said this week the Golden C-9 District would not be allowed to continue classes this coming year. Under state law, a board spokesman explained, when a district has an average daily attendance of less than 15 pupils, the board shall close the district, providing an investigation shows it would be in the best interests of all concerned. Last year the Golden district had an average daily attendance of 11.4 students. The Golden district is located on the south side of Table Rock Lake. The district boundary is between that of Cassville and Shell Knob. Closing of the district would leave the county with only two rural districts, Jenkins and Shell Knob, according to Charles Vaughan, county superintendent. Vaughan said the Golden area would transport six students this coming school year to the Cassville district. That was the decision reached this week, according to information from district board president Al Couthron. State action on closing the district will leave one year for final decisions to be made. Vaughan said the district would have that length of time to decide if they wish to continue transporting students or effect a reorganization proposal with an adjoining district. High school districts touching Golden include Cassville and Blue Eye. A reorganization plan would also necessitate disposal of school property. Vaughan said he understood several organizations, including the Golden Circle Shores Association, had expressed an interest in keeping the facility for community events.

40 years ago

July 2, 1986

— Wal-Mart Opens Cassville Store Tuesday Morning

Wal-Mart, operating 859 stores in 22 states, will include Cassville on their map with a grand opening of their new facility on the west edge of town next Tuesday morning. Jim Von Gremp, company director of corporate and public affairs, said the 9 a.m. opening July 8 would be open to the public. Completed some four weeks ago, company tasks since that time have been to stock the 43,926-square-foot store. Grand opening activities will include a ribbon cutting at the site, at Highway 37 and Old Exeter Road. Construction on the store began last year with a Springfield contractor in charge. Wal-Mart purchased the site from Mr. and Mrs. Marlett Sanders of Stillwater, Okla. The site was the former Ott Turner home. Tim Watkins of Cassville, store manager, said the store here would open next week with a total of 101 employees on the payroll. The manager and Von Gremp said the firm was “very excited about the completion of this store and we are looking forward to becoming active members of the Cassville community.” Serving the trade area with a store of 36 departments, the chain was established by Sam Walton of Bentonville, Ark. A number of company officials from the nearby headquarters are expected for the Cassville opening.

— R-4 School Plans Expenditure Decrease For 1986-87 Budget

Tentative budget sessions have been completed by the Cassville R-4 Board of Education, indicating less expenditures for the 1986-87 school year than last year. Superintendent Dan Bailey said the amount was about $260,000. However, this doesn’t mean there will be less costs involved in conducting classes on the local campus; the new budget does not include a bond issue as did last year. Projections call for revenues of $3,436,108 with expenditures totaling $3,514,237. Actual expenditures this year will run about $3,776,052. That’s $261,815 more than called for in the new budget. Directors in regular session Monday set the tentative amounts, with finalization set for the July session. Members Don Stockton, John Anglum, Tom Cardin, John Sullivan, Dennis Ledgerwood and Steve Buchheit concurred in the session. Board action also approved a salary base of $15,000 for instructional staffers, with increments set forth by the salary and welfare committee of the Community Teachers’ Association accepted. Members of the committee, Jim Williams, Lou Ann Priest, Lindy Gibson, Connie Christen and Becky Henningson, attended the session. Mrs. Gibson, president of the CCTA, expressed appreciation of the teachers for the board action. Resignations were accepted from Sharon Noel, high school language deficiency teacher who has accepted a position with the Carthage schools, and Marilyn Haenig, library aide, who will become a full-time employee of First Christian Church. Tuition rates for some 80-90 non-resident students will be increased next year. Bailey said the actual amount will be set in the July meeting. Currently, $1,650 is charged for non-resident pupils attending R-4. Transportation charges are in addition to this amount. The superintendent said parking lot paving bid dates were changed from July 21 to Aug. 14, due to a wage determination required from the State of Missouri. The project is estimated to cost $35,000. With secretary Wanda Paul and principals Wayne Brower and Martha Dunnam in attendance, the board amended their meeting format to include an item entitled Approve and/or Amend Agenda. Bailey said a 30-day waiting period would be required before the addition was effective.

30 years ago

June 26, 1996

— Contract awarded for new lodge complex at Roaring River State Park

It’s official. Work on Roaring River State Park’s new lodge complex could begin as early as mid-July. The state awarded the construction contract for the project to Edgewater Construction on June 20, one month after the second set of project bids were opened. The Eureka Springs, Ark., company was the low bidder at $3,940,000. This total was well under the $4.2 million allocated by the state for the project. The four other bids submitted ranged from $4,280,000 to $4,745,000. The first round of bidding in January produced bids that were $1 million or more too high. The project architect went back to the drawing board and made 30 modifications in an effort to “fine tune” the complex and reduce costs. The state then advertised for a second set of bids based on the modified design. The 47,000-square-foot lodge will include a store, restaurant and 26 guest rooms on two levels. It will be situated atop the hill overlooking the current restaurant and lodge. Pete Landstad, park superintendent, said his family moved into their new residence last Tuesday. His former residence will be torn down to make room for the new complex. Presently, park crews are salvaging what they can from the house before it is demolished. The old lodge and restaurant will remain open until construction on the new complex is complete. According to state officials, Edgewater will have 440 days to complete the project. The completion date on the contract is September 1997.

— Contract awarded for Barry County Jail expansion project

Barry County commissioners signed a contract Thursday with Branco Enterprises to construct an addition to the county jail for $353,888. The commission also accepted bids on security electronics from Capital Prison Systems in the amount of $36,470 and on detention modules from Fibrebond Corp. in the amount of $138,950. All three portions of the project add up to a total construction cost of $529,308. When architectural and engineering fees of $42,344.64 are added, the project carries a $571,652.64 price tag. The decision to go ahead with the project came 49 days after bids were opened on May 2. The delay was caused by a bid total that came in $169,000 over the estimated project cost of $500,000. To make the project feasible, county commissioners asked the architects of Archetype Design Group to modify the project with an eye toward reducing construction costs. Presiding Commissioner Cherry Warren said a $13,000 electric generator was eliminated from the project, as was a $700 plaque. The architects were also able to shift some responsibilities from Fibrebond to Branco to save the cost of having Fibrebond supply an extra crew to set up the detention modules. Branco will now install the modules as part of their construction contract. Warren said this change saved the county around $26,000. Branco’s original bid was reduced by $17,112, and Fibrebond’s bid was dropped $13,750. The bid from Capital Prison Systems was pared down by $9,185. After modifications, the project will still cost the county about $70,000 more than originally planned. Warren said this money will most likely come out of the county’s emergency fund. $500,000 in general revenue has already been budgeted for the project. “We felt the jail addition needed to be built,” Warren said. “Re-bidding the project would have cost a considerable amount of money. We thought it was wise to go ahead and award a contract.” Survey work at the jail site is being completed this week to determine the property’s east boundary line. The existing sheriff’s annex will be moved to the line and placed on a permanent foundation to make room for construction. “It (the move) is supposed to take about two hours,” Lt. Connie Collins said. “I’m surprised it won’t take longer, but I guess it shows how close they are to construction.”