Years

Jan. 29, 1975

— BICENTENNIAL COMMITTEE PLAN FEB. 21 EVENT Cassville’s Bicentennial Committee has set plans for a Friday, February 21 program during which the community will receive a U. S. Bicentennial Flag from state officials as the official designation of the Chamber of Commerce sponsored participation in 1976 events to observe the nation’s 200th anniversary. The 2 p.m. program will be held in the Mall of the Cassville school’s campus. In case of inclement weather, the program will be held in the senior high gymnasium. Bob LeMon and Carl Borresen, co-chairmen of the C of C sponsored event, outlined the program during a meeting of 15 committee members Tuesday. The com-mittee, which will eventually include over 30 persons, is being organized to kick off local participation and then start planning events for the official observance next year. Officials said Ken White, Missouri Bicentennial Commissioner and other state officials were scheduled here in next month’s program to officially present the flag to the community. Also discussed during the meeting was possible cooperation between the City of Cassville and C of C committee in obtaining Bicentennial Grants for civic improvement and dedication to the anniversary observance. Attending Tuesday’s meeting as representatives of various organizations in and around Cassville who have been asked to participate were: Glen Nicoll, Harry Eaton, Reba Wolf, Bunny Carney, Bob Mitchell, Louise Mitchell, John Knight, Frances Davis, Bill Hailey, Nancy England, Rev. Earl Knowles, Bill Wiley, Larry Quinalty and Bill Ward. Committees suggested for 1976 events were as follows: Bicentennial Jamboree, Nicoll, Joyce Vaughan, Knight, Mary Beck, Eaton, Mrs. Davis, Larry Bottom and JoAnne Ellis. Bicentennial July 4th, Forrest Lowe, Mitchell, Clyde King and Ward. Gateway to West contests, Ken Morris, Mrs. England, Mrs. Carney and Mrs. Cook. Butterfield State Parade, James Ford, Hailey, Knowles and Quinalty. Schedule Committee, Charles Saunders, Eunice Thomas; Crafts Festival, Mrs. Wolf, Mrs. Mitchell, Wayne Betts, Barton McCaslin, Charles Vaughan and Maxine Kammerlohr. Flat Creek Recreational and Trail, Bill LeCompte, Marlee Edie and Wiley. Bicentennial; RCA Rodeo, Cherry Warren, Vernon Still and Lige Frost. Old Fashioned Reunion and Church Bazaar, Earl Knowles and Russell Davis. Publicity, Ken Johnston, Ward, Lillian Ennis, Irene Horner and Sue Mitchell. Town and community wide participation in next month’s event will be encouraged. A brief program, patriotic and informative in nature will include a concert by the CHS Concert Band.

— MUSICIANS AT CHS GATHERED MORE HONORS Fourteen students are representing Cassville in the All-District Honor Band and Choir which will present the annual concert Saturday at Evangel College in Springfield. This concert involved the talents and efforts of outstanding musicians from 43 area schools. John Knight, CHS music director, explained that “over 600 people tried out for the two bands and only 200 made it. We feel that Cassville is fortunate in having 14 students selected for the honor groups.” Students chosen are as follows: Choir 1st Honor Choir Danny Preddy. Second Honor Choir, Connie Dudley, Tracy England, Marcia Henbest, Mike Dye, David Fletcher and Darrell Davis. All eight members of the choir that tried for honors made either first or second honor choir. First honor band: Alan Cannady, bari sax. Second honor band: Rocky Mills, trumpet, Becky Thompson and Pam Stewart, clarinet; Holly Edmondson, tenor sax; Greg Roark, trombone, and Steve Vaughan, drums. Knight will conduct the second honor band on concert that night. Compositions be performed will be “Masque” by McBeth and “Pentland Hills” by Howe. Last Thursday the CHS stage band received the honor of being selected to play for the Missouri Music Educators Convention in Jefferson City. The concert was presented in the Stratford Room at the Ramada Inn. Members of the Stage Band are Roberta Painter, Cathy Hollingsworth, Judy Smithson, Mike Casteel, Holly Edmondson, Alan Cannady, Greg Roark, Danny Seely, Charles Mizer, Jerry Beuterbaugh, Larry Ray, Rocky Mills, Jill Stephens, Doug Hart, Mike Fitzpatrick, John Cowherd, Jamie Bowers, Steve Vaughan, Kathy Sisney, Joe Linenbrink, Danny Priest and Laurie Dahlstrom. After the performance, Jerry Hoover, band director at Jefferson City, awarded the CHS Stage Band a certificate for an “outstanding and distinguished performance at the 1975 Missouri Music Educators Convention”. “This was the first time a band from the Big Ten had the honor of being invited to this convention,” Knight said.

40 years ago

Jan. 30, 1985

— $1,075,512.73, COUNTY BUDGET, UP TWO PERCENT

Barry County expects to spend $1,075,512.73 on government operations next year, according to figures hammered out by the three-member County Commission over the past two weeks. Commission Clerk, Rex Stumpff, who is budget officer, said the figure represents just over a two-percent increase of the $1,052,088.03 budgeted for 1984. County expenditures for this year will amount to $23,424.70 above the previous year budget. Actual cost of government in 1984 from the budget amounted to $1,033,205.73, plus approximately $88,000 the county borrowed from current year tax collections to pay reassessment costs through a private contract firm from Indiana. Reassessment continues to be the county’s biggest cost, amounting to a total of $276,841 for the current year. Of this amount, $58,621 is the assessor’s normal operations $218,220 and for a reassessment-equalization account. Some of this figure is reimbursed by the State of Missouri. Second highest cost is law enforcement through the offices of sheriff $206,155.63, jail operations $13,000, prosecuting attorney $52,590, and approximately $35,000 for courts, juvenile officers. Finalization of budget figures for general office operations include the following: county court $36,600, county clerk $46,689.65, elections $42,200, buildings and grounds $55,880, employee benefits $46,700, and bonds $4,000, publication costs $900, treasurer $15,567, collector $17,980, circuit clerk-recorder of deeds $30,723, associate court $10,450, court reporter $1,550, court administration $4,865.02, coroner $4,270, other expenses $71,716 and emergency fund $22,122.18. Total expenditures, reassessment, amount outside to $702,348.43. Anticipated revenues for the county, including general revenue and Revenue Sharing funds, amounts to $737,406.10. General revenue anticipated sources for funds includes: property taxes $279,222.94, intangible and private car tax $11,721.12, licenses and permits $5,635.94, fees from county officials $82,039.99, grants, distributions and reimbursements $229,777.62 and miscellaneous $4,376.64. Presiding commissioner Lloyd Dilbeck, northern commissioner Vedes Davis and southern commissioner Gilly Chappell were in charge of the budget review sessions.

— BARRY COUNTY AMONG LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT

December figures provided by the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations indicate Barry County is among the lowest unemployment counties in Missouri. Report period statistics had the county as one of 19 of the 114 in Missouri which was below the six percent unemployed status. Missouri’s 6.7 percent unemployment rate in December was down 1.7 points from the 8.4 rate of the same month in 1983. Barry County stood at 5.9 percent the state figures said. Statewide, 58,200 more people were employed in December than one year ago. Seasonal and temporary layoffs combined to move the unemployment rate up slightly in December from the six percent rating in November. Barry County figures placed this area as the lowest in the southwest corner of the state. Comparison counties in the area, Joplin district 6.3, McDonald county. 7.3, Stone county 17.9 and Lawrence 7.3.

— SECOND ACT INTO ENLARGED LOCAL SPACE The Second Act is expanding and will open Tuesday, February 6, in additional space at the same location, Eighth and Townsend, Cassville. More space was recently approved in the old city building by Cassville board of aldermen action. Volunteers have been working to move, rearrange, and size clothing, shoes, etc, to make it easier for people to find what is for sale. Snow and cold weather have hampered ef-forts, but shoppers should find most work accomplished. “We are especially in need of all kinds and sizes of children’s clothing” said Maxine Rowland. So far in January, The Second Act has helped provide necessities for five families whose homes have burned. In addition, a baby bed, play pen, and high chair were donated for one special family whose needs were not met at Christmas time. Donations from Ruth Chastain, Mark and Patti Smith, Joan Richardson, and waterproofing of foam for a baby bed mattress by Marie Crowe made this possible. Special thanks to Lester Thien, Roy Sutherland, Don Beeson and Carl Roy for carpentry help and to Mark Smith and Hershel Stehlik for donating shelving. Hours for The Second Act will be 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 10:00 a.m. until noon on Saturday. Quilters will begin work cutting, sewing and tacking quilts at 9:00 a.m. Monday, February 5, and continue each Monday until sometime in May.

30 years ago

Jan. 18, 1995

— LIBRARY FILES TO COMPUTER Finding books at the Cassville branch of Barry-Lawrence Regional Library will come at the touch of a computer, once patrons learn the system. Three units are in place at the Main Street location of the facility according to supervisor Marion Stubblefield. Accessing the system will give patrons the location of 35,000 titles. Installation of the equipment is the second for the ninebranch sys-em according to David Doennig, Mirector. Monett’s headquarters Morary was the first to receive the system. Mrs. Stubblefield said functions of the Cassville branch will expedited with initiation of the system. The branch has 35,966 collection, 33,573 adult circulation, 25,172 children circulation and 2,152 story hour attendance. Branch locations yet to receive the computer equipment will include Mt. Vernon, Miller, Aurora and Marionville in Lawrence county and Shell Knob, Eagle Rock, Purdy and the bookmobile in Barry County. Personnel also on station in the Cassville branch to assist patrons in operating the new equipment include Hope Leonard and Becky McQueen. Just in case there are those who want to continue using the file index, it’s also still in place.

— NEW SCHOOL COMPLETION IN APRIL Cassville R-4 school district will have a new high school facility completed in April, according to information provided by the board of education last week. However, completion of the sprawling facility at Route Y and Partridge Drive north of the existing campus, will not signal a move of classes. Dr. Dan Bailey, superintendent, said the new high school, vo-ag and industrial arts facility, will accept pupils for the first time in August 1995. “We will finish this school year at the present campus, possibly moving equipment of some departments to the new locations in late spring,” he noted. The $4.5 million facility was voter approved in 1993, with ground broken in mid-November of that year. In relation to the new high school, at least partial furnishings for the structure were accepted in bids from five companies in the board meeting. Directed by purchasing agent Marvin Henningson, expenditures were in the $50,000 range. Other action by the board included: Extending contracts for administrators, with years of service noted: Ron Richardson, high school principal, six years; Joe Canvess, assistant high school prin-cipal, three years; Jim Orrell, middle school principal, two years; Martha Dunnam, elementary prin-cipal, Il years; Dr. Larry Quinalty, assistant to superintendent, 12 years; Marvin Henningson, purchasing agent, three years and Lindy Gibson, director special ser-vices, three years. Action came after closed session evaluation of the administration personnel. Salaries of administrators will be set later. Computer education director Jim Rabourn presented program for directors present, John Sullivan, Jeff Cooper, Mike Ball, RaDonna Fancher, Tim Frye, Greg Allen, with Landon Fletcher absent. Bills payable excluding salaries $264,790.24. A rehabilitation consultant, Wilbur Searingen, discussed title programs as they relate to disabilities acts. Conflict of interest and financial disclosure policies were re-adopted by board. Jon Horner was named board treasurer, with no particular duties performed. Signature is required as second signer on financial transactions.