Opinion

I got in on the slip-n-slide action last week at the Cassville Intermediate School playground. The Cassville Volunteer Fire Protection District hooked up to the hydrant and turned the playground into a sprayground.

Anyone who has ever found themselves in the Roaring River State Park administrative office has very likely met Elise Buchman and very likely remembered the encounter. In her trademark hat, scarf and boots, Buchman has been a staple of the office for more than a decade as the administrative assistant to the park superintendent or natural resources manager.

Saturday, July 1, 2023, will be a sad day at the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library system. On this day, all library cardholders ages 6-17 will expire due to new State of Missouri regulations.

I have been in the ministry for over 40 years. I have, in that time, served three different churches in vastly different communities. I have observed many changes in the church and our country over these past four decades, and many of them are heartbreaking.

After taking a couple weeks off from reporting, I found myself last week at the Cassville Aquatic Center for the last day of the Safety Around Water program. This is the fifth year of the partnership between the school and the Cassville Area YMCA, and we can’t think of a better summer school offering.

In the late spring and early summer, my office devolves into a racket at least three or four times a day. It’s not my almost-twoyear- old; she’s been in daycare for a while now despite an extra playpen and bouncer still taking up space in my office.

I once overheard Barry County described in a barbershop as a black hole that always pulls you back in after you thought you were out. I bet the Barry County Jail detainees who recently tried to vacate the vicinity early also feel this way.

Cassville has been in a difficult season. So many friends have suffered loss and trauma we feel a collective grief.

Very few people have the mental fortitude to handle the job Brian Martin has carried out since 2006. Retiring this spring after 39 total years on the job, Martin handles the kind of crime that typically does not pass the Cheerios test.