I always hear it: “Troutman, I see you everywhere.” Yes, I tend to be “everywhere,” and not only due to the nature of my job.
Last week was one of those fast-moving weeks, starting on Monday at the Cassville High School baseball field.
Some Cassville school officials’ fingernails may be bitten down to the bone — and I bet the crews working on it hardly got a wink of sleep in the last week — but the new turf field saw its first action.
Regarding turf baseball facilities, the only other I have seen is Seneca’s at its athletics complex. It’s an excellent facility but a fair distance from the schools.
Cassville’s athletics facilities have wrapped around the back end of the high school, with soccer, softball and baseball all there, and the football field is within walking distance from the high school. The proximity of those more major athletics facilities so close to the high school is something Cassville kids should be spoiled by.
Someone recently said the new turf brightens up the grounds, and those traveling down Highway Y past the high school will agree — it looks sharp.
The first pitch was thrown by School Board President Jeremy Marple, Cassville graduate and baseball player who continued his career after high school.
The name Marple is synonymous with Cassville, and Jeremy throwing that pitch is a prime example of the impact made by those who left the area but return and find success.
Tuesday is deadline day, so it is usually my only without an event. You could count my sorting papers and transporting them to the post office, but there’s not much excitement in that for people who aren’t Jordan or me.
Last Tuesday, however, I was up bright and early to live stream and shoot the Chamber of Commerce’s Breakfast and Ballot Issues event. I’m hoping to incorporate more videos in the future, and I hope that stream gave the 3,500 people who viewed it an idea of the candidates and issues that appeared on yesterday’s ballot.
I rode with my wife to make deliveries for the first time on Wednesday. We have 21 rack or sales locations across the county, from Cassville to Seligman, Purdy to Shell Knob and everywhere in between. It’s 100 miles every Wednesday to get our papers out, and we’re proud to be handling distribution in-house now!
On Thursday, it was Family Night at the primary school. Cassville has added the events quarterly, and this one, themed “Game Night,” gave children who entered a free book, board game and meal.
Family nights have become a grand draw at the district, a surplus service Cassville staff do not need to provide, but they wouldn’t miss it. They are a massive hit with our daughter, and it looks like ours isn’t the only one who loves them.
Friday was the “Enchanted Ball” at the High School. I had seen a social media post about it and planned to take my oldest, thinking she knew nothing of it. I’m not sure how they promoted it Friday, but she came home dying to go, and many of her friends attended.
The event was about 98 percent run by the Cassville High School Student Council, and I applaud their efforts. From the giveaways to the food, conga line to the limbo and line dances to Simon Says, they entertained about 40-50, mostly girls ages 5-10 — not an easy feat.
Finally, on Saturday, my oldest and I took off again to Eagle Rock for the Friends of the Library Easter Egg Hunt. This hunt delivers every year, and we had a ton of fun going through the eggs and guessing how many jelly beans were in the jar, though I still have yet to be contacted about being correct!
Overall, last week was on the medium scale of busy, nothing like the week in February where wrestling state in Columbia and a district hoops final in Diamond came on back-to-back-to-back days.
I can’t always be everywhere, but I do my best to be. As my daughter is getting older and can join me more, that adds another layer of fun.
This week, I plan to, first and foremost, be at the courthouse for election results, a luxury I can afford now as the publisher of the Democrat, but the rest of the week is undecided.
If you see me, don’t be afraid to say hello.
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.
