50 years ago

July 18, 1973

— Cassville has joined a select group of Missouri communities in achieving 5-Star status in the state Community Betterment program according to Kent Ansorge, area representative of the C-B department under the Missouri Resources and Development Commission. Ansorge acknowledged this week that evaluators had completed study of Cassville’s comprehensive plan and marked it for approval, the final step in this community becoming the 23rd in the state to achieve this status. Ansorge said there were 300 participating communities in the C-B program which started in 1963.

Other southwest Missouri communities included in the 5-Star list are: Carthage, Southwest City, Neosho, Joplin and Monett. Barry County claims two of these distinctions.

Fostered by the Chamber of Commerce, Cassville started participating in the C -B program and 5-Star advancement with its conception. A review of the progress of this town in the achievement is as follows: Education features of the program were achieved in 1965. This involved a building program for the R-4 school district and evaluation of the educational program offered. Utilities star completion was granted also completed in 1965, after a water sewer program was completed. Also under this department is a streetlight program whose extension and modernization completed the phase in 1967. Transportation qualifications were also finished in 1965 when a street modernization and air marking of the town for recognition by flyers was achieved. The air marking remains on the junior high gymnasium roof on the school campus. Community Planning phases of the program were started in 1965 when zoning and the industrial designation for the town were completed.

The comprehensive plan completed this year finished this phase of the steps for 5-Star ranking. Community Services were finished in 1967-68 years. Un-this division, health services, fire protection and leisure time activities updates were completed. Included was fire truck acquisition and Memorial Park construction. The Memorial Park phase of the division also led to Cassville’s receiving a first-place award of $750 through the C-B program in community achievement competition. Ansorge said recognition for Cassville would be a major feature of the statewide C-B conference in Jefferson City in October. Chamber of Commerce action on a program of recognition here probably will be taken during the August meeting of the board of directors. Aside from the program toward 5-Star achievement, Cassville’s participation in the program has not included competition for annual awards over the past few years.

Previous activity included a scrapbook entry each year covering the achievements of community programs.

Ansorge and C -B judges and evaluators in Jefferson City were preparing proper notification for the C of C when the Democrat inquired as to the pending approval this week. The C-B department was highly complementary of this community for achieving top-ranking in the pro-gram. Most of 23 towns in the state who have completed the program are centers of much larger population than Cassville. Signs on Cassville’s approaches designating the community as a C-B participant will receive a fifth star at an appropriate time in the future.

— Airman First Class James C. Mitchell has arrived for duty at Clark AB, Philippines. Airman Mitchell, a law enforcement specialist with a unit of the Pacific Air Forces, previously served at Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan. 1969 graduate of Fort Smith (Ark.) Southside High School, he attended Ozark Bible College in Joplin, and Missouri Southern State College. The airman’s wife, Charla, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Curry, Cassville.

— Fire of undetermined origin Saturday night destroyed a house and two adjoining buildings on the old John Dunlap farm near Washburn owned by J. T. Williams of Pea Ridge, Arkansas. Living on the property were Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Pettit. According to reports, the three buildings burned at the same time with the cause unknown at this time.

40 years ago

July 13, 1983

— One of Cassville’s oldest businesses, Crystal Springs Trout Farm has been purchased by an Edmond, Okla. couple. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Burns announced the purchase from Mrs. Virginia Pottebaum. Crystal Springs, established in 1922 by the late Dr. E.L. Blankenship, had successive owners until the Pottebaums bought the business in 1958. Mr. Pottebaum was associated with the business until his death in 1976. B urns, associated with electronic media for a number of years, has for the past seven years been executive director of the Oklahoma Trial Lawyers Association. Mrs. Burns practices with an Oklahoma City law firm. Possession of the business, serving the Midwest in Rainbow Trout for fish out and restaurants, was immediate. The residential property will change hands in 30 days. The property includes 34 acres in the northeast edge of Cassville. Mrs. Pottebaum plans to leave Cassville to make her home in Bartlesville, Okla. A daughter, Mrs. Karen Befort, is associated with Phillips Oil Co. there.

— Barry County road district and County Aid Road Trust projects this summer went to an apparent low bid from Corky Stehlik of Cassville. and Nick Garrison of Lampe in a proposal opening Thursday before the Barry County Court. The low bid was $109,428. Another proposal from Evan Hutchens and Son Construction Co. was in the amount of $121,170. Engineer estimate on the project was $105,100. Engineer George Ulmer said five firms had requested plans on the projects. The two bids reported were the lone proposals before the county court. Work scheduled will include one and onehalf miles of new paving, 15 miles of single seal and 40 miles of spot patch and seal work. Ulmer said the projects approved would include CART and road district fund expenditures.

— Two area youngsters, Dean Ellis of Cassville and Jeff Shore of Shell Knob, are now in Japan as part of a Lions International summer youth exchange program. The sons of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Ellis and Mr. and Mrs. Don Shore will be staying with families in Japan for a six weeks program. The pair is sponsored by the Shell Knob Lions Club.

— A benefit account at Charter Bank of Cassville has established to assist a 10-year-old Butterfield youth, Billy Goutney, who underwent brain surgery at Baylor University Hospital in Dallas, Tex. The son of Mr. and Mrs.

Gary Goutney has undergone brain surgery twice at the hospital and is scheduled for surgery again. Bank officials said the contributions would be forwarded to the family.

— Cassville ranger district of Mark Twain National Forest has a new assistant ranger. Elizabeth Gerard assumed the post this week, according to Ranger Paul Johnson. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri, having previously been assigned in the U.S. Forest Service at Dale, Ore. She replaces Joe Walker in the Cassville district post. Walker is now assistant ranger in the Fredericktown district of Mark Twain.

30 years ago

July 7, 1993

— A University Extension farm-management specialist says that southwest Missouri’s poultry industry is a major force in helping to pump more than $1 billion into Missouri’s economy each year.

Ron Wright, formerly of Barry County now stationed in Newton County, said that there are nearly 460 poultry producers in Barry, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald and Newton counties. Most are independent contractors who work on contract with companies. The producers own 1,900 poultry houses and produce between 190-and 200-million birds each year. Most produce broilers, but some are breeder farms or egg farms. Wright estimates that 20 percent are turkey farms.

“In terms of dollars, a very Conservative estimate of gross income per house would be $20,000 annually,” Wright said. “With 1,900 houses this would rep-I sent some $38 million, annually in direct dollars paid to local farmers. Another $19 million is thought to be generated by secondary jobs or support- industry income.

“The traditional agricultural Multiplier which would measure how many times those dollars would tum over in our economy is six,” Wright said. “This would mean that the original $38 million turn over six times in a year and would represent over $228 million in total impact on our economy.”

Wright said that the “lion’s share” of Missouri’s 11,000 jobs at poultry processing plants and production sites are in southwest Missouri. With a direct payroll of more than $180 million, more than $55 million is generated for state and local taxes.

“An additional boost to the economy is provided by a byproduct of the poultry industry in the form of an organic fertilizer,” he said. “The sometimes-controversial byproduct known as poultry litter, as related to the cost of substituting for commercial fertilizer, is worth about $7,125,000 annually.”

Wright estimated that dollars generated from the production and processing of poultry, along with the various spin offs, amount to slightly in excess of $1billion annually. Industry involvements with the area began in the 1950s when Mozark Poultry, Inc., operated in Cassville.

— Cassville Chamber of Commerce is welcoming two new members, Travis Enterprises, planning development of a mobile home park for senior citizens on Highway 37. The owners are Mr. and Mrs. Frank Travis. Eighth Street Deli, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Doug Larson, is located just off the northwest corner of the public square, as C of C secretary Sonja Chasteen says, where else but Eighth Street.

— Zina Bartolotta, from Springfield, has been named manager of the new Hardee’s in Cassville. Miss Bartolotta said the facility will open July 15. About 60 employees have been hired. Operations will include a community meeting room.

— First steps toward capital improvement projects connected with a Barry County general revenue sales tax going into effect later this year have been taken by the county commission. Bids will be received until August 5, 10 a.m. for roof, elevator and other repairs at the courthouse and jail. Bids for architectural-engineering services will be opened August 12 by the commission, according to presiding commissioner Lloyd Dilbeck.

— Initial tax assessment figures or Barry County show a growth in property values of $6.4 million dollars, according to assessor Glen Nicoll. The assessor’s figures include $173,653,006 for 1993, compared to $167,161,594 last year.

The preliminary figures do not Include board of equalization add ins or local assessed railroad and utility properties. The latter ran about $339,570 last year.

Divisions of this year’s assessment, with last year’s figures listed second, include: personal $45,260,740 and $42,767,608. residential $70,971,384 and $67,926,805. commercial $134,659, 761 and $34,257,44. agriculture $14,101,547 and $I3,952,063.

In the state assessed category, (including railroad and utility prop-ties, real property this year and last year were $5,541,040 and $5.164,560 with personal valuations for the two years, $3,118,534 and $3,093,114.