Community

50 YEARS AGO: The Shell Knob girls softball team is dangerous with the bat when they step to the plate as many opponents either have or will find out this summer.

40 YEARS AGO: The Cassville Chamber of Commerce board got an idea of how big the proposed nativity scene characters will be and the color scheme to be used during their meeting Tuesday. Five C of C workers on the project are pictured here with an actual design of a wise man as one of 12 characters planned. On the left side are C of C president Jack Nickols, project chairman Cecilia Miller and Truman Baker. On the right are Jane Smith, the design committee and John Miller. Mrs. Miller said the actual- size character would be mounted on cardboard for display around the community. Construction, placing and lighting of the scene is scheduled in December in conjunction with the Cassville Christmas parade. Democrat file photo

40 YEARS AGO: Each year about this time, the Cassville Democrat features a Barry County dairy farm family on the front page in a salute to June Dairy Month. This year’s representatives of an important part of the area’s economy are Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Dilbeck and family of the Wheaton community. Included in the family portrait is the dairy barn during the milking process are Rusty, 8, Brad, 11, Lori, 16 and Lynn and Donna Dilbeck. Their 60-cow herd is supported by a 220 acre farming operation. The native Barry County family has been in the dairy business 17 years.

— 30 YEARS AGO: In recent years at least, this year's strawberry crop is one of the best, according to Dennis Epperly of near Cassville. He termed the quality and yield off his patch about the best in the past 10 years." Epperly said he suspects there are less than six total acres of berries in Barry County this vear. Years ago, there were hundreds of acres and berries were shipped out of several associations by the carload. Epperly's patch is in the Corinth community and is mainly devoted to U-pick operations. As he holds a display sample of berries, individuals picking for their own supply are pictured in the background. The Epperly patch is about an acre in size and is yielding good according to the grower. For the strawberry shortcake lover, the unfortunate part of the season, it's too short!

40 YEARS AGO: It’s official, the Cassville Chamber of Commerce’s doors are open at Sixth and Main in the PACE building. Signing the location was completed Monday by Gary and Kenneth Corn. As the sign says, the C Of C location is also a visitor center in the new location to provide a source of local information for tourists and locals alike. The center will also be the meeting location for a rumber of civic groups that are offsprings of the C of C. Secretary Sonia Chasteen said open house activities at the new offices will be observed in the near future when moving, relocation of materials and furnishings are complete.

50 YEARS AGO: Probably the most outstanding job of traffic control ever experienced in this area was in the process of being carried out in this photo. Sheriff Vernon Still, second from left, and three members of the Missouri Highway Patrol, are shown working vehicles in the vicinity of the Ozark Folkfair over the Memorial Day weekend. Local and state officers confined their efforts to the Missouri side of the line. Just over the wooded hill in the background, and in Arkansas, there were an estimated 25,000 people attending the Bluegrass music event throughout the holiday. The fog shrouded tree line gives an idea of the typical weather throughout the three-day holiday.

50 YEARS AGO: Members of Girl Scout Cadette Troop 154 of Cassville put the triple-tap on a Cassville businessman Saturday for the benefit of the American Legion Auxiliary veteran’s poppy sale. Receiving his recognition for the contributions is Russell Moore. The three young ladies among troop members assisting Saturday, from the left are: Cheryl Weigel, Holly Edmondson and Brenda Snyder. Efforts last Saturday yielded $60 for the veteran program, according to Mrs. Sue Mitchell, project chairman.

Cassville’s two ball parks now have the most modern lighting available. Summer activities will be conducted on he two parks, giving much more play area available to programs. Installation of new lights on the second field was com-Meted this week in a joint effort of Barry Electric Cooperative and equipment from KAMO Electric at Vinita, Okla. With quick dispatch the project of installing eight poles, ranging in length from 60 to 70 feet, was completed during part of a morning’s effort. KAMO crews assisted since local equipment will not handle the lengthy poles. Costing an estimated $16,000, the new lighting was provided by the recreation appropriations of city sales tax collections. Democrat file photo

This was the scene at the old Blalack Motor Co., building at Fifth and Main in Cassville about 2 p.m. Monday, by nightfall the building was completely down. The structure, dating back to the late 1920° was being demolished to make way for a new Hardee’s fast-food franchise here. The franchise will occupy the entire block between Fifth and Sixth Streets, with a former service station building eliminated from the site earlier. Owners of the franchise say the business will be in operation within 45 days of construction start.

IT’S REALLY EASY FELLOWS: One lady turkey hunter just can’t understand all the difficulty some of her male counterparts are having bagging a wild turkey during the current season. Mrs.Coleen Yokum of Cassville got her turkey Friday morning and made it back in town in time for a beauty shop appointment. Mrs. Yokum, wife of Forest Ranger Olen Yokum, is pictured above with the trophy bird which weighed 21 pounds and had a 10 inch beard. No, she didn’t take the bird to the House of James with her, Yokum furnished transportation for the bird for the picture.