Disc Golf tournament comes to Forsyth!

Forsyth MO - July the 11th in Liberty Utilities Park near the town of Forsyth MO. witnessed a disk golf tournament the drew a surprising large number of contestants. 

I went down to the park to get a little bit of exercise and was thus surprised to see groups of 'golfers' roaming all over the 18 hole course that required sturdy legs as the competitors had to walk over five miles to finish the course. Only one golf cart was in evidence, so most competitors had to grind it out on their own two legs!

The sponsor of the event, I believe, was Innova who has affiliates that make disc related equipment.

This growing world wide sport looks to be a ton of fun while also giving all who compete a great workout.

License tag waiting at the DMV!

Forsyth MO. - Among the various forms of fallout delivered by the Coronavirus has be the partial or even complete breakdown of various government offices. Take the local DMV for example.

On a hot and moist 88 degree day, I had finally assembled all the paperwork needed to get my license tags renewed. This included an inspection, copies of my personal property taxes and proof of insurance. That done, I headed over to the DMV office on Main Street only to discover a rather long line of people being forced to sit or stand out in the heat. When I approached them I asked how long the wait was. No one had any idea, but those at the head of the line told me they had been standing there for over 15 minutes!

I had two problems with that scenario; 1) a recent back injury had made it difficult to stand and 2) sitting on the pavement was not an option as I would have a difficult time standing back up!

A call to the State office left me in a waiting line die to the 'virus'. A call to the local police left me with leaving a message. Lastly, due to the nature of my plates, I did not have an option to renew online. And, with the virus expected to come back in the fall, I was thinking that I would have to take my chances once the tags had expired.

Update: The very next day, I bit the bullet and got over to the office at 8:15 AM. My thinking was by arriving 15 minutes early, I'd get in quickly. No such luck. There was already 8 people inside the office with a line forming outside!  I got into line as #3 and by 8:30 AM, there were about 12 individuals standing around waiting..... After 30 minutes, I got into the office and so was at about the number 7 position. There were three people working, but it was a slow slog. The total time I spent waiting for get my plates and tags was about one hour!

Local Taney County gas prices rise, but will be lower than normal.

Chart runs from mid Jan 2019 to Mid June 2020
Conoco, Forsyth MO.

Taney County MO - Every summer, regional refineries change over from so-called winter blends of gasoline to the summer mixtures. This often accompanied with high prices that reflect the cost of the change over. Not so for the summer of 2020, as the Covid-19 virus has greatly impacted travel!

The above chart was compiled by the author and reflects dates and the cost of regular gas per gallon  at the White Oak Conoco station on Highway 160 in Forsyth Mo.

Arvest Bank location to become office and event space!

Forsyth MO. - I talked briefly with the owners who acquired the Arvest Bank building and who have work crews there now transforming the former bank into office and event space. I was informed that information concerning the structure would be made available as early as the 12th of June (Friday) and that I might be able to get inside for pictures. So, an update is coming...

Update: I stopped at this site on Tuesday, June 16 and was told it would be another two weeks before the office spaces would be 'presentable'.

A delicate balance of a few billion tons of water!

Forsyth MO. - For whatever reason (although I'll get into some in future blogs), the two bodies of impounded water controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers could just possibly get into trouble due to both recent and imminent future rainfalls. First, some factual information;

[Source – Wikipedia] 'The original purpose of the reservoir was for flood control on the White River. The dam had been authorized a month earlier under the Flood Control Act of September 3, 1943. The reservoir has a fluctuation of 16 feet (4.9 m). When the reservoir is above the maximum flood pool, excess water goes over the auxiliary overflow spillway at the north end of the dam.

Table Rock Dam’s spillway capacity was evaluated as a result of a dam safety program in the 1990s. Using improved weather data and more modern technology and safety requirements, engineers determined that the lake would rise ten feet higher during the worst-case flood than previously calculated. An event of this magnitude would over top the earthen embankment and destroy Table Rock Dam with catastrophic losses in downstream areas, including Branson. To prevent the potential loss of life and property damages, congress approved and authorized construction of the Dam Safety Project. After considering several options and gathering considerable public input, an auxiliary spillway was determined to be the best solution. The auxiliary spillway was completed in 2005 at a cost of approximately $65,000,000.

The worst case scenario of a catastrophic floodwater discharge from Table Rock Lake using the auxiliary floodgates would roughly resemble this:

At elevation 931 Table Rock Lake is at full flood capacity. The ten Tainter gates are opened to accommodate additional lake inflow from the White River Basin including the James River and Beaver Lake discharge.

At elevation 937 Table Rock Lake is 6 feet above flood capacity. The ten Tainter gates are opened wider in an effort to stabilize reservoir rise. Outflow from the Lake under these circumstances will be nearing 200-300 thousand cubic feet per second (CFS).

At elevation 942 Table Rock Lake is 11 feet above flood capacity and at its "design pool", or the maximum elevation that the reservoir is engineered to reach, under "probable maximum flood" scenarios. The dam’s ten Tainter gates will be fully raised to their maximum height of approximately 30 feet letting loose 550 thousand CFS into Lake Taneycomo. This scenario would effectively submerge and destroy the powerhouse, power transmission grid, hatchery, and wreak serious destruction down stream.

At elevation 947 Table Rock Dam would be at its maximum capacity and water would be at the very top of the dam. The auxiliary spillway would be brought online, in concert with Table Rock’s fully opened floodgates. This catastrophic or "last resort" protocol releases 1 million CFS of lake waters into Taneycomo and deals dreadful destruction to Branson, Hollister, Point Lookout and possibly the Powersite Dam. At this point there is a danger of water over-topping the concrete dam and breaching the earthen structure, which imminently leads to cataclysmic structural failure and the uncontrolled release of the Table Rock Lake impoundment—nearly 3 million CFS of water.

Historical facts: Table Rock Lake has a record crest of 935.47 feet, which occurred on April 27, 2011.

In December 2015, the dam released 72,000 CFS at its peak. This is the highest amount ever released.'

As of May 23rd, the water levels were at;

Click to enlarge

Now while the smallest impounded Lake (Beaver) was doing OK, her two downstream neighbors were carrying a bit of a load. The biggest worry being Bull Shoals, currently at 693 feet or just two feet below flood pool levels. Note that 'flood pool' as defined by Law Insider reads;

30 (24) “Flood pool elevation” means the maximum water surface elevation of a reservoir, equal to the elevation of the spillway.

This is the point at which a dam would be forced to start discharging 'against the will of those in control'. (Note that the Table Rock Dam level was at 926 feet with their flood pool set at 931 feet - That's 4 feet away)! Also note that when were are talking about the height of a body of water, we are referring to msl or height above mean sea level.

So, even though the coming week of rain only equals about an inch, the water game is certainly getting a bit dicey, to say the least!

Save A Lot plants and seedlings!

Forsyth MO. - I noticed the owner, Mark, of Save A Lot was setting up lots of milk crates in the front of his store on a Monday, April 20th and I inquired as to when he might have some plants and seedlings for sale. I was told that the supplier was due to arrive shortly before noontime on Tuesday, April the 21st.

The weather for Tuesday was expected to be sunny and around 74°. I made plans to show up!

www.taneyweather.com

A tip for clean hands in a time of viral attacks!

Forsyth MO. - I'm not sure now just how long I've been cooped up in my condo, it seems like ages. Everyone, it seems, is hyper sensitive to getting the coronavirus on their hands which could then be transferred to their face! God forbid!

One practice I adopted, even before the bug hit us, was to add a bit of bleach to the soapy water when I hand wash my dishes. Yes, as a single guy, I hate to waste water using the dishwasher and feel I do as good or even a better job in getting my glasses, dishes and utensils ultra clean.

I also get two side benefits; 1) My hands come out virus free and 2) that old porcelain sink really shines! That's a win win for me!

Playgrounds ordered closed by the City of Forsyth!

Forsyth MO. - Local City of Forsyth officials have ordered area playgrounds closed for the foreseeable future due to worries about the Coronavirus outbreak! A spokesperson confirmed this order by phone, will also indicating that the Shadowrock Park area would remain open, until it was forced to close due to expected flooding.

Meanwhile, local fishermen were in wide abundance due to so many not currently working.

The author planned to visit the parks for as long as they remained open as this would likely be the last time for the 2020 season.

Forsyth Mo - Kar Lot dealership!

Forsyth MO - On what was a glorious Thursday in Late March, and like many others who had become stir crazy what with the virus, I decided to take a drive around town. As I passed the Kar Lot located on Highway 160, I noticed some movement inside the office building and stopped to inquire if the auto service area was open for oil changes and thing like that. The owner, Lonny, informed me that they were taking appointments as was normal. You can call (417) 546-8484 and set one up if you need any service done. I was also informed that they could take a customer around the lot if one was interested in buying some wheels. 

You can go online and check out their inventory by clicking on the Kar Lot. I noticed that the dealership had some mighty fine rides and perhaps they might be more willing to wheel and deal amidst the current viral outbreak.

Fat Daddy's reopens to limited traffic!

Forsyth MO. - A popular eatery called Fat Daddy's located on highway 160 re-opened with limited service, recently and was allowing ten diners in at any one time, in order to satisfy local ordinances that arose due to the coronavirus pandemic. When I entered, I was asked how many were in my party (just me) and was then told that I needed to go wash my hands before being seated. (Note that there was no limit on take out orders).

At the time I was there, there were only three or four other diners. If you're thinking about dining out, you can reach them at 417-546-4604 to check on their status!

Rockway Bars and Restaurant report For March 23, 2020!

Rockaway Beach MO - After a few people asked me if I know anything about what was going on in some of the bars and eateries in Rockaway Beach, I decided to take a run down there and see what was what.

AMVETS  - My first stop was a local American Veterans club that looked closed to me. There was also a sign that stated that fact.

 Note that they normally open at 3PM, according to one website page, you you might want to give them a call to find out the real deal. They can be reached at (417) 302-5201.

Pizza Cellar - I stopped at the local Pizza Cellar and found the doors were open. When I approached one of the employees, I was told that they were 'sorta' open but were also on a waiting and see what the owners wanted to do. I didn't ask, but had the impression that I could have ordered a beer or a pizza.

Dockside Pub - I was able to talk with a spokesperson who informed me that as of that 'moment', they were open for business. They also informed me that while the City of Rockaway Beach had not said they had to close, that there were still constraints on the number of people that would be permitted. I Was told, 'sure', that I could order a drink.

The bottom line is that you are likely to get some service somewhere in Rockaway Beach, it just might change with time. Much of what is happening is happening due to fears that, in my opinion, are largely baseless.

A coronavirus bet with myself!

Forsyth MO. - After looking at some numbers generated by the John Hopkins hospital, I did not bother focusing on the numbers of cases or the recovered,. but rather the number of deaths this disease has caused. Why? Well, the battle fog surrounding those infected is complex and even foggy. One of the biggest effects that's adding new cases have been vastly increased testing. The more people tested the higher the number become. Another factor was linked to the discovery of infectious people who were carriers. People walking around spreading the virus with out showing much in the way of symptoms. Those were the only two we could talk about since about the mid part of March as the following efforts were implemented across much of the US:

1) Closed border policy. No one in or out.
2) Social distancing. People asked to stay 6 feet apart
3) Elimination of large sporting events.
4) Closing of venues where groups like to gather such as bars and restaurants!
5) An intense program of awareness to get people the wash their hands frequently.

These draconian acts should have a very dramatic effect on the rates of newly acquired infections. The result will be a rapid downhill graphic in the long term coupled with the fact that warmer weather (the bane of all viruses) is on our event horizon!

A number I do like to consider, when thinking about the direction of this pandemic, is the total number of people who succumb to the virus or to some secondary complication like pneumonia. That is what is known as a hard number statistically. As such, it should provide us with something to watch as it should begin to flatten out and then begin dropping as the wave passes on by.

I'm betting that on or before the 28th of March, those figure will begin to  take a rather dramatic drop and that by mid April, this whole mess will be behind us, not including the two to three trillion price tag that will have been added to the National Debt.

Saturday, March 21st drive in Forsyth Mo!

Fat Daddy's

Forsyth MO. - After hearing the news about the partial or complete shutdowns of businesses, I elected to do a drive-about and see what was up in the City of Forsyth.

My first general impression was how quiet the roads were for the noontime hour. It was a Saturday, and normally the traffic would be robust. That was not the case for the start of an otherwise nice and sunny day! So, here is a breakdown of what I've seen or heard;

Banks - Closed. I wasn't sure if it was because it was the weekend or not. ATM's were up and running, however.

Churches - All closed was my understanding.

Gas island/convenience stores - As they are considered essential services, they were all open. On a positive note, gas prices were at very low levels.

Eateries - Most eateries like Fat Daddy's were closed. I was able to talk with an owner and he informed me that he was investigating ways to maintain some cash flow. I got the impression that some options, including carryout and home deliver were a go. He also indicated he might have food service in an outdoor setting by utilizing the open air eating area and by possibly supplementing those with some tables in the parking lot when the weather was warm.

Mountain Williams Pizza

Other locations that had drive thru's like McD's, Sonics and the Hong Kong Express were open for that sort of traffic even as the lobby areas were closed to the public. The Thrive Bistro was also open possibly due to it limited capacity. Other food related businesses such as Williams Mountain Pizza were offering curb and home delivery services. (When you arrive a sign instructs you to call 546-2012 for curbside delivery).

City Hall - Only the drive thru was open.

Save A

Grocery stores - Both the Country Mart and the Save Alot were open and were getting normal traffic. These both were considered 'essential' services and are able to have unrestricted numbers of shoppers. Once again, customers are urged to shop as you normally would. Supply channels are ramped up with tighter delivery schedules to assure the customers will be able to purchase needed items. Sadly, some items, most notably TP is still in short supply due to greed as some have cleaned out area stores in order to resale them at double the price at such outlets as Amazon. Please let these individuals keep their inventory while we wait for local supplies to be replenished.

Hair saloons -  At least one hair care facility was open and doing a normal amount of business and that was the Town and Country location across from the court house.

Five measures to stay safe!

No virus will keep me away from my Sonic All American hot dogs!

Sonics 15700 Us Hwy 160, Forsyth, MO 65653

Forsyth MO. – It was Thursday, March the nineteenth, and I had my lunch money squeezed tightly in one hand as I steered my way into a local Sonic venue next to the Country Mart on Highway 160. The day was on the rainy side with lots of clouds. On a good note, the temps were rather moderate, somewhere in the mid sixties. I'll tell you, that wasn't too shabby weather for this part of March! And, anyway, I was pretty darn hungry! I'd likely go there even in a snowstorm!

For under $5, I was going to purchase myself an All American dog with a medium order of fries. (Just what a boy needed to remain fat and sassy)! I had found myself eating out more due to the virus that was going around. You see, I wanted to stretch my food at home so as to not have to visit the local grocery store very often. This was also a great excuse to eat a lot of junk food!

I'd written a number of posts about Sonics, over time, and I still have nothing but good things to say about; their brand, the great tasting foods and their low prices!As a bonus and a convenience, Sonic offers drive thru service that's most always fast and efficient.

The food  was awesome, as was generally the rule. I did take note of the Country Mart that adjoins this venue and it was busy as it had been for over a week. Me? I just cruised on by!

This post published at: Taneyservices.com, Forsythbiz, Twitter and Face Book

A trip to the local grocery store!

Forsyth MO. - It was mid-March, 2020 and at about 10AM on a Wednesday, I made the decision to go to a local Country Mart Grocery store for some supplies...

The coronavirus was still raging all across the continental landscape. While, here in Missouri, there were only 16 cases out of a population of 6 million with no one yet dying! Although to hear the folks at CNN talk, this virus was going to be the end of the world as we know it. OK, then... I guess that's that. It must be true. Because, how often are those folks ever caught lying? Just saying.

I arrived at the store at about 9:20 AM and my first impression was that, while the store looked busy, it didn't look like there was much in the way of panic buying going on. If nothing else, it felt more like a typical weekend morning... Busy, but really not impressively so.

As I meandered my way through the isles, my first stop took me to the pharmaceutical section for a bottle of mouthwash and a few bars of soap. (Yes, just plain old soap). I noticed that where there was a generic selection available, that was what customers were buying. The Brand names were pretty much left sitting on the shelf. (That was something that showed up again and again as I shopped).

Next, it was onto the Produce Department where I grabbed some apples and an onion. I also noted that the large ten pound bags of potatoes was almost gone even as the smaller five pound bags were in ample supply. Everything else about that department seemed pretty normal.  I did overhear one of the store personnel remark that TP was hard to come by, and I wondered in passing, what the connection was between the virus and TP?  (Hint: There is none).

As I passed the canned goods isle, I glanced down the isles and noted that a lot of customers seemed to gravitate towards the purchase of corn! Why was that true, for God's sake? Perhaps, it was on sale. From a strictly nutritional standpoint, corn is not all that energy dense. (Nowhere like potatoes are). [As an aside; I would think that a collage post-grad might want to do some research on what people buy in stores like this during a time of a 'pseudo' crisis.] I call this crisis 'pseudo' based on the incidence of infection by the coronavirus being at about .00026% of the Missouri population. (If people wanted to be afraid of something, let them worry more about the regular flu which has hit the country pretty hard this season)!

When I finally made my way to the checkout area, I witnessed a group of ladies who looked pretty tired even at such an early hour, Hey! If you're planning on shopping at a grocery store, over the next couple of weeks, please consider slipping your checkout person a few bucks to help brighten their day....

As I stepped out of the store and headed for my car, the sun was breaking through the clouds and you could feel spring just about to burst out all over the place. I realized that things were going to be just fine and that all I really needed to do (besides washing my hands) was to keep the TV tuned to some old movie while bypassing the media talking heads and the politicians who were desperately trying to; score points, enhance the sense of panic and to throw taxpayer money at a problem that was going to very likely clear up like the early morning mist on a summer day.



I 

Doc Holidays Pawn!

Forsyth MO. - I stopped over at Doc Holiday's - a local pawn shop located at 15261 US-160 when coming into town from the north, as I wanted to purchase some ammo and also to look to see if they had a small Glock semi-auto in the 9mm caliber. I was getting tired of carrying a 40 caliber Model 19 Glock and desired something a little lighter. Cody the manager had a slightly used model in the back which I wanted to think about.

The store, which has all sorts of sport related and other forms of equipment, including guitars, has been around for a number of years and was actually fun to browse on an otherwise cool Tuesday in March. I'd just gotten done voting at the Baptist church on Hwy 76 and felt the mood to explore a bit before heading home to watch more stuff about the growing threat of the pandemic caused by a coronavirus.

Finally, a good tasting coleslaw!

Forsyth MO. - After searching for years to find a commercially prepared coleslaw that I could actually tolerate, I cam across a 15 ounce container made by Reser's. It was located in a cold case next to Deli counter at the Country Mart store in Forsyth. It sold for three dollars and change and was pretty darn tasty!

Sonic and McD burgers!

Forsyth Mo. - February was not a particularly good month to embark on any kind of diet, as I recently discovered. It's generally cold and there's not much to do other than eat. So, of course, my thoughts always turn to one of food right about noontime. On this day, I decided to head out and grab a burger at McD's, but then had second thoughts. My last purchase of a Big Mac and a medium French fry was $7.56. I thought that was a bit much, and so altered my course to head over to the local Sonic instead.

When I got there, I ordered a Cheeseburger and medium fry at a cost of $7.13. Nutritionally the Big Mac and the Sonic Cheeseburger are pretty close with the Big Mac being a tad more diet friendly. 

The upshot of this was me thinking that is really comes down to a matter of taste and frequency. I planned to allow myself only once such visit a month in the future.

Mid Winter 2020 Forsyth restaurant news!

Forsyth MO. - Winter is a particularly hard time for many small business owners and especially for restaurants! I mean who wants to go out in crummy weather? At right is an impromptu listing of most of the food emporiums that existed within the city limits of Forsyth Missouri as of this post. Out of the total of twelve, 2 are closed with one re-opening soon.

One of the surprises for me, was the Hong Kong Express which I had avoided even though it had been open for some time. When I entered the venue for the first time, I was struck by two things right off the bat; it was very clean looking and the smell of food were out of this world. I asked for and got a take home men. I then wandered over to the buffet which was very clean with food that looked freshly prepared (the time was 2:30PM when I visited). I also learned from the manager that they have both combo platters and individual selections of beef and chicken dishes.

Everything on the menu looked to cost roughly 7 to 8 dollars, to order as meals, with the cost of the buffet (all you can eat?) unknown to me as I forgot to ask. That situation will be soon corrected when I next go there to actually order some food! The establishment offers a 'Dine In Take Out Drive Thru' range of choices with home delivery being available after a certain hour on meals cost over $10 for just $1.99 (not counting tip). Any interested party can give them a call at 417-546-2424 to verify the above information.  I plan to do a food review on this establishment in the near future and will have a link to that post here. One thing I did take note of was that anything on the menu that had the word 'Hunan' meant that it was spicy or hot! There are also little hot pepper icons next to any dish that could be considered hot.

Two other locations that I hope to visit fairly soon will be the Williams Mountain Pizza venue which I've heard also serves up some great pasta dishes and Yummy Donuts - Both of these will be getting full reviews also.

There was no word on when the former Long Horn Family Dining location was going to reopen other than that its new name was The Family Forsyth Restaurant. Also, the long delayed opening of the Shadowrock Bar and Grill is somewhat of a question mark.

The only other news of any import was the announcement that the Frosted Mug was planning to hold a 35th Anniversary party on April the 2nd. The theme was going to be the 80's with a DJ and specials on food and drinks being planned.

A late breaking rumor had it that Charlie's - the popular restaurant located on Hwy 160 and Y had been sold and was to re-open as a steak house. I had not confirmed this rumor as of yet.