50 years ago
April 11, 1973
— Cassville’s city council, including two new members who got a real indoctrination, took action on two major programs in a regular Tuesday night session. First approved was a contract with Williamson and Welch of Shell Knob to operate trash hauls from the city effective July 1. Second was initial steps toward annexation that will about double the size of the town’s corporate limits. The two major actions plainly impressed two new councilmen, Gene Schlichtman and Marlee Edie, who were in their first session with holdover aldermen Bill Hailey and W. E. Leonard. Mayor Bill LeCompte was authorized to sign the contract, which will include the contractor’s responsibility to haul trash from here the 24 miles to their landfill operation in southeast Barry County. Annexation programs, which have been before the council over a year, came to a head Tuesday night with City Attorney Joe Ellis instructed to prepare necessary information for filing in Circuit Court. A court decision must be obtained prior to a vote on the plan. Contracts signed with Williamson and Welch will require the contractors to post a $10, 000 performance bond with the state to deposit trash from here in a State approved land fill. Charges for residences will be $3.75 a month with all water meters inside or outside the city limits charged the fee.
— A battle conducted against the elements… a late freeze snap….conducted by Barry County orchardmen will have a final outcome determination within the next week or so. That’s when the peach, apple, grape, cherry and strawberry growers will find out just how much damage the temperatures, ranging from 20 to 26 degrees did. At the most crucial period of the three -day struggle, Monday night, a one degree drop in temperature could have been extremely damaging to the trees, agreed most of the owners. At this point there is a possibility that only slight damage might have been inflicted on the buds. A spokesman for the grape growers figured their crop mi-Bat be damaged as much as 5%. Early shoots from the vines could not have survived the fold wind that belted the entire area Monday.
— The highest award given in Missouri to boys of the Future Farmers of America organization is the degree of State Farmer. Two from the Cassville FFA Chapter will receive this award at the State Convention during the last of this month. Donald Cupps, 16, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Cupps of Shell Knob, and Chuck Nickle, 17, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Nickle of Butterfield have been named. Only two per cent of all Missouri FFA boys receive a State Farmer degree. This year there were approximately 267 so recognized. This is about 54% of this year’s applicants. Both Cupps and Nickle are juniors at CHS. This makes the award even more difficult. John Fergason, Chapter Advisor, stated, Mainly, seniors try for State Farmer, and they usually get top priority. To be a junior and get the award is very difficult.”
— Dr. Vance Cridling has sold a clinic building at Sixth and Main in Cassville to Dr. John Salyer. The 50 × 80-foot building will continue to house the Cridling -Barnes Clinic and Dr. Salyer’s dental offices. Divided into two sections, the brick building also includes basement areas under the separate clinics. Immediate ownership of the structure was transferred with the sale this week.
— The third-year pupils of the Cassville Elementary School will present “Mary Poppins” Friday night, April 13th in the school cafeteria at 7:30 p.m. The operetta will be under the direction of Frances Kelley, elementary music supervisor.
40 years ago
April 6, 1983
— The Spudnut Shop in Cassville has a new owner and will have a new name. Lee Klinger, formerly of Huntsville, Texas, has purchased the business from Mr. and Mrs. Jim Scritchfield and will change the name to The Donut Shop. Klinger, who attended Cassville schools 1960-61 will reside on property he owns in Roaring River Hills. He has been involved in the oil industry. Scritchfield will go into the fulltime ministry as pastor of Mt. Olive Baptist Church.
— Paul Johnson, ranger of the Cassville district of Mark Twain National Forest, predicted this week that the top display of spring Dogwood blooming in this area will be the weekend of April 23-24. Johnson said a number of factors in weather conditions will fully determine the best bloom for both Dogwood and Redbud trees.
— Trash, at least some of it, is easily converted to cash in the area spring clean-up program, coordinated this year with the Ozark Beautification Association. Cans, with a small OBA ‘83 decal on the bottom, have been placed throughout the area and are redeemable for $S each. Local and OBA officials are hopeful the weeklong promotional effort will virtually eliminate trash and unsightly deposits from city, rural, highway, lake reservoir and stream bank areas. Being covered by the program is 1,008 miles of shoreline, riverbanks and roads from Table Rock Lake to Monett. Richard Groves, resident manager of the Army Corps of Engineers project, is OBA chairman. Cassville’s participation for the first year is coordinated by Mayor Bill LeCompte and city officials. The prize cans, redeemable at a conclusion picnic for participants with tickets, will be recognized during a 3 p.m. event at Roaring River State Park this Saturday. There will be an entertainment program at the Shelter Kitchen and service of a free luncheon, with Cassville Rotary Club members in charge.
— Normal Moisture First Quarter Here The Cassville area received about normal rainfall for the first quarter of 1983 according to Mary Ann Thomas of the U.S. Forest Service. Measurements at the Cassville district of Twain Mark National forest amounted to 7.93 inches as of Tuesday afternoon. Ms. Thomas said recordings at the station for January were .95, February 1.18, March 2.70 and 2.60 for April following the Easter storm that swept through the area. The weather observer said April 1983 had gone ahead of the recordings for this month last year when a total of 2.22 inches were measured at the station.
— Wildlife Area Open For Public’s Use: The Roaring River wildlife area, along the stream below the state park, is open and accessible to public hunting and fishing, subject to respective seasons and proper licensing, according to the Missouri Conservation Commission. The area accessible off Route Feast of the park, was purchased last year with Design for Conservation sales tax funds. Consisting of 165 acres, further development of the area is possible in future years. The Commission has provided a parking lot at the highway side of the location, according to Charles Curry, hatchery superintendent of the park. Opening of the area makes approximately one-half mile additional stream available for public use. Curry said while plans for the area had not been completely finished, periodic stocking was definitely in the making. Use of the area by Fishermen will require an annual trout permit but not a daily tag purchase by anglers.
— Morning rain showers or voter apathy kept 75 percent of Barry County’s registered ballot casters away from the polls in Tuesday’s spring elections. County Clerk Rex Stumpff, in announcing unofficial returns, said only about 25 percent of those eligible went to the polls to decide municipal, school, special district and road district issues. Election observers said the absence of competition in some issues also resulted in less-than-usual voter interest. Stumpff, the county’s chief election official, conducted the elections for all polls in the April 5 date. Road district results for commissioners and levy propositions were not announced Tuesday night as officials sorted through the number of write-in candidates in several where no filed candidate appeared on the ballot. Stumpff said it appeared by initial tally that all districts deciding a levy had given approval.
30 years ago
March 31, 1993
— Despite acquisition of air easements and outright purchase of property involved in the project, Cassville city government is proceeding with plans of awarding a $630,000 airport improvement bid April 23. Mayor Rolland Meador said pre-bid conferences are being scheduled April 14. City officials said this week that since none of the actual construction was located on easement or property that was being acquired, they could proceed with construction plans. City clerk Jo Ledgerwood said appraisal work on the parcels was being completed under contracts approved by the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration grant funds. Air easements will be necessary from property owners Mr. and Mrs. Troy Sapp, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Weddington and Mr. and Mrs. Gene Schlichtman.
— Dorothy Ross of Seligman has Been reappointed to the Barry County Welfare Commission for a term ending in 1995. Her appointment was confirmed by the Missouri Department of Social Services on recommendation of the Barry County commission. Other members of the county group include Art Hegi of Shell Knob, Shirley Ethridge, Brenda Erway and Lorene Licklider of Exeter, Mary K. Allen of Purdy.
— Two Barry County pupils are among the 22 recently inducted as charter members into Zeta Alpha chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha. Included are Michelle Vineyard, junior art major of Exeter and Carla Williams, sophomore general business student from Washburn.
— Barry County’s first election to not use paper ballots and be counted individually at the discretion of officials, will be conducted next Tuesday. To function in the county’s first use of punch card voting, counting and tabulation, will be a total of 91 judges in the 26 precincts set by county clerk Rex Stumpff. The judges will be on hand at the polls from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. But at that time, they will simply bundle up the voted ballots and bring them to the county seat in Cassville. From there, election officials in Stumpffs office will collect the bal. lots and put them through an electronic counter. The machine will then provide a computer printout of votes. Ballots are color coded to provide the counting machine access to various issues that will be provided. Ballots will be inserted in groups of color. So, there won’t be any late-night duties for the election judges who formerly counted and tallied the votes before bringing them to the election official’s office.
— Senior Prank Brings Five-Day Suspension: Five senior boys involved in breaking into the Cassville schools and spreading a syrup and flour mix over floors, spraying lockers with a mustard mixture and marking parking lots, have been suspended for five days, according to principal Ron Richardson. The “senior prank” also involved pouring baby oil on hallway inclines and classrooms, and rearranging class furniture. Richardson said a class day was delayed some while about a 40-minute cleanup by staffers and custodial staff was accomplished. The five boys are also performing service to the school in restoring some of the damage and might be asked to make restitution on costs if further work is needed.
