50 years ago

Oct. 23, 1974

— 40 CASSVILLE FFA MEMBERS AT CONVENTION Forty members of the Cassville FFA Chapter attended the National Convention in Kansas City last week. Friday afternoon the group also took in the American Royal where they heard President Gerald Ford and saw the top livestock and horse shows in the country. Accompanying the group were Advisor and Mrs. John L. Ferguson, Mrs. Dwight Samuel, Pete Wisely, Gene Fare, and Barton McCaslin. Members attending were: Kerby Brooks, David Flet-cher, Lynn Moore, Kerry Brooks, Vicki Lebow, Mark Renfrow, Greg Marbut, Mary Ann Farwell, Raymond Ra-ine, Bennie Harper, Doug Hinds, Randy Thomas, Larry Craig, Lee Sheperd, Royce Burke, Raymond Sanders, Marty Henry, Clyde McCaslin Alan Stubblefield and, Earl Stephens. Stanley Beeson, Tony Pr-yor, Doug Fare, David Fisher, Glen Edgin, Randy Munday, Steve Moore, Rick Jagger, Audy Holman, Jim Riddle, Richard Glatz, Allen Taylor, Donna Sturgell, Michelle Morris, Johnnie Hopk-ins, Kirby Edmondson, Steve Pouncey, David Samuel and, Wendell Stacy.

— MEMORIAL PARK CLOSES; NEW OFFICERS NAMED The Memorial Park board of directors met Monday in their final meeting for 1974 at the Town House Restaurant. Members attending were Mr. and Mrs. Harry Eaton, Maxine Kammerlohr, Ed Leonard, John Gardiner, James Kortebein, Lanola Hodge, Ida Blalack, Clyde Hoover and Mr. and Mrs. Bill Ward. Following the business session, a discussion period covering needed improvements and repairs to the park and plans were made for next year. The board expressed their thanks to the many people, who through their generous contributions and efforts, have made this a very successful season. The closing business was the election of officers for the coming year. A motion was made by Clyde Hoover, seconded by John Gardiner that all present officers be re-elected by acclamation. Motion carried and the officers for 1975 will include Harry Eaton, president; Ida Blalack, vice-president; Maxine Kammerlohr, treasurer and Bill Ward, secretary.

40 years ago

Oct. 24, 1984

— 10 RURAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS PROVIDE WIDESPREAD COVERAGE A fire alarm sounds in the dead of night. The method of calling out volunteer fire departments in this area might vary, but the results are the same, a response of help to those who need it. That alarm could come by way of a wailing siren, more than likely it will be through a network of telephone connections that have become more popular during the last few years. What happens is that at least key members of a particular department have a separate telephone which rings when a fire call arrives. It’s often the duty of a spouse or other family member to answer, and then remain on the phone to give directions to other responders. There are, in all, 10 rural departments in this area of Barry County, providing services to their respective areas. In cases of mutual agreement with municipal departments, personnel and some equipment is interchangeable. Regardless, their purpose is all the same, to be of assistance to folks in time of need. And, for the most part, the investment is so small its difficult to figure at times how the equipment is maintained, personnel paid a small compensation for their trouble, and all those costs. For instance, three departments checked, charge an average of $30 for membership and then $15 annual fee for making their services available. Remember, that’s average, the high was $45 and the low $20 for initial membership. The low for annual dues was $10 and the high was $25. Before proceeding, let’s outline the departments in this immediate area and the head of each organization. Cassville, Tim Miller, chief of city forces and rural department, Nolan McNeill is the chief. Volunteers provide personnel for both groups. Butterfield, Charley Mitchell is the chief. Wheaton, operating both city and rural, with Bob Lombard as chief. Purdy, also has a rural and city department, Kip Cullers is chief. Exeter, another of those who fight fires in both rural and city areas, James Hargis, chief. Seligman, James Appleton is chief of this department, operating both in and outside the city limits. Eagle Rock, Mano, Golden, the three Table Rock Lake Communities and surrounding area are in protection area, Cliff Mitchell, chief. Central Community Table Rock, Shell Knob and Viola communities, Ron Rickard is chief. Jenkins, Raymond Lassiter as chief, covers this east central rural area. Washburn, Albert Pendergraft, with forces that answer emergency calls in the town and rural area. Rural departments are strict about requiring membership before they respond to a call. To some this seems heartless, but stop and think about it. It’s quite possible their expenses would not be met, did they not make this requirement of their service area. The hard facts are, some people wouldn’t put out the cash in advance of an emergency if they thought it not necessary. Fire department people, those who have kept equipment improvements and training in line with requirements, have a new selling point these days, it’s reduced insurance coverage. While reductions for membership in a department vary with insurance company involved, it’s quite possible a $100,000 residential or commercial property which holds a membership can save up to 16 percent of their premiums. In some cases the savings might be even higher. A farm ownership policy will run at least five percent lower when the homestead is covered by fire protection. There have been argument about rural protection that follow the pattern that they can’t respond with sufficient promptness due to area covered. In some cases this might be true, but the firemen counter with the fact of saving adjoining structures, and in some instances lives have been saved due to the presence of emergency personnel on the scene. In dry weather seasons, rural departments have been instrumental in extinguishing grass fires that threatened property. Additionally, insurance folks say some risks can be covered if the property owner is a member of a fire department. This varies on companies, with insurance firms becoming tougher all the time in accepting insurance on property, both residential or commercial, which do not have fire protection available. These same fire departments are like their city cousins, often called to respond to other emergency situations. They are also a very important center for involvement in community projects. Gene Page, Barry County disaster director, keeps in contact records with the departments, having a knowledge of their equipment availability, personnel training and willingness to respond to various types of emergencies. Equipment maintained by the departments, for the most part, is designed for their particular needs. Government agencies, including the Conservation Commission and federal levels, have made equipment available for a number of years. While most needs some repair or modification, most is of rough terrain design and fits quite well with the type calls most frequent in these hills.

30 years ago

Oct. 12, 1994

— LOCALS IN CROWDER COLLEGE MUSIC EFFORT Music from the past and present will echo off the walls of the Elsie Plaster Community Center auditorium, Neosho, Thursday, October 27, 7:30 p.m., when the Crowder College Chorale, Jazz Band, and Swing Choir perform “The Big Band Concert”. Works by Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington and many others will be featured in this combined musical effort. Marsha Wilson Thompson directs the jazz band efforts, with Reuben Phelps heading up the chorale and swing choir contribu-tion. Piano accompaniment is provided by Clint Newby, Joplin. Students involved with the Crowder College music department are: Chorale/Swing Choir: Jeremy Hilburn and Jeri Jones, Cassville; Jazz Band: Gene Stouder and Jim Rudd, Cassville and Chris Fielding, Washburn.

— FLU SHOT SCHEDULE TO RESUME After giving 726 flu shots in the first clinic of the season at Cassville last week, public health nurses of the Barry County Health Unit will resume a schedule this week that will eventually use just under 3,000 doses of vaccine. Pat Tichenor, administrator, said the clinics would cover virtually all communities of the county. Tichenor said the clinic schedule was made where facilities were available and were certainly accessible to all residents of the county. Targeted in the clinics are people over 65 years of age, those with medical problems and children under 13 years of age with a medical problem who have a doctor’s prescription for the vaccine. Clinic resumptions this week will have nurses at Purdy and Wheaton on Wednesday. — ORDINANCES POSITION POLICE IN CASSVILLE Four ordinances passed by the Cassville city council Monday night were requested by police chief Bob Ruggles in an effort to assist and clarify regulations which will be enforced by the department. All four became effective with their passage Monday night. In one, it will become more expensive to be arrested in Cassville in alcohol and drug related traffic offenses. Under the ordinance actual costs assessed against the city and county for apprehension or confinement will be paid by the defendant in a recovery of expenses move. Also covered will be issuance of a warrant or summons, mileage, chemical test, blood processing. The ordinance states a schedule of applicable costs shall be established by the Cassville police department and filed with the clerk of the municipal court. Council also passed a Model Traffic Ordinance, following suggestions in revised statutes of Missouri. Providing for child restraint for youngsters under four years old while in a motor vehicle traveling on the streets of Cassville provides for a $25 fine and costs. Costs in municipal court vary, for a dismissed charge $12, the same for non-moving charge; with ordinance violation $19; $5 additional charge for driving while intoxicated which is remitted to the State of Missouri. Police training requirements were covered in the final ordi-nance, noting newly hired law enforcement officers in Cassville will be required to have 300 hours of training as of August 28, 1994; going to 450 hours as of August 28, 1996. Officers shall have one year after appointment to be certified by the Missouri Department of Public Safety. Officers will be required on a quarterly basis to satisfactorily pass a firearms qualifications course.