Small-town living invites a greater sense of community than big-city life, and only a few communities exhibit that in the way of those whose lives revolve around Roaring River State Park.
The most-visited park in the state for the third year running, we all know what a treasure we have here.
Yet, despite this being my 10th Opening Day, I still find new friends, new stories and new sources of pride every time I turn my pad and pen to the news seven miles south of Cassville.
This year marks a decade of producing Trout Times, and the first as publisher and not just editor.
There’s something about being wholly responsible for something that makes you want to make it better. I’m proud of each of the editions of Trout Times from 2014 on, but this being the first I’m paying to have designed and printed, I wanted to go above the norm.
As February approached and I needed to start working on stories, I developed a list so extensive it spilled into this week’s print edition.
My adventures this year started at the Nature Center, where I interviewed the new naturalist/ resource interpreter at the Nature Center, 23-year-old Anna Skalicky. A couple of days later, I returned to the facility to interview another Missouri State Parks employee, 27-year-old Natural Resource Ecologist Taylor Steinfeldt.
Both enjoy their jobs at the park and contribute to the wealth of information about plants, animals and more. Seeing the passion they have for what they do is encouraging and exciting.
Also, not to age myself, but having such youthful employees contributing to the next generation of Roaring River staff is pretty awesome.
From there, I turned my attention to the park’s edge, featuring a story on Shadow Bluffs Retreat. Owners Dan and Tammy Hamm reminded me greatly of my wife and myself as they got their business here off the ground last year.
One thing that stood out to me was the fact the couple stays in their own RV on site throughout the season. Talk about commitment to the camper!
That level of involvement brings a greater sense of community for visitors to Shadow Bluffs, and I hope they and all the resorts near the park continue to see success.
A story that was not on my radar but may have been my favorite was the interview with Kyle Campbell, who ties flies live on TikTok at the handle HealthyObsessionOutdoors.
His story began with a breakdown of his vehicle at hilltop. Locals helped him straighten out his vehicle, and in the process, got him a job. Because of the kindness, he and his girlfriend abandoned moving to Kentucky to plant roots here.
A doppelgänger to Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame, Campbell unofficially goes by Knot Willie, a nickname given to him during one of his streams.
Watching him work, you could tell why he’s so popular. The care put into tying flies is satisfying to watch, but Campbell also has this welcoming personality and sincerity that keeps your eyes and ears glued.
Along with those stories were an update on the park projects and a summarization of the critters found in Roaring River Spring, one of which may be an entirely new species.
Stories on Scott Hettinger, Charlier 22 Outdoors founder who is shooting the gun this year, and Brad Farwell, manager of the Roaring River Hatchery nearly entering his second year, were relegated to the newspaper today, but only because time and space to put them in the magazine did not exist.
As I wrapped up my Roaring River coverage for the season’s opening, I thought back to something Cpl. Steve Jabben, Park Ranger at Roaring River, says frequently.
“We are like our own little town down here,” he says.
That sense of community arises time and time again, from the creation of new events in recent years like Bluegrass and Movies in the Park to the statewide awards leaders at the park have received for literally saving the lives of visitors.
Roaring River is a great source of pride for Barry County, and I’m proud to report that won’t change any time soon.
It’s 17-1/2 hours until Hettinger fires the gun, and the only thing I don’t love about Opening Day is the audacity of my alarm clock.
However, as the father of an 18-month-old, I’m much greater prepared this year to wake up at 5 a.m. than any other in the past.
See you at the river!
Kyle Troutman has served as the editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014. In 2017, he was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers, and in 2022, he won a Golden Dozen Award from ISWINE. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com.
