Wandering around Forsyth MO in January 2019!

It was mid January, 2019 and I got it in my head to do a drive-around in Forsyth Missouri. As I live there and am curious, I wanted to tally up any changes that I could observe. For those with any interest, the town has a population of about 2,300 - It's been around since 1837 and is named after John Forsyth, 13th United States Secretary of State. A Civil War battle was fought there and it is currently the County Seat of Taney County, Missouri!

For such a small Midwestern town, Forsyth enjoys over ten eateries, which might explain why some of the locals (me included) are just a tad overweight...


Bull Shoals bridge and roundabout!

It had been a month or more since I had visited the site of the new Bull Shoals bridge and roundabout construction area, just to the east of Forsyth on Highway 160. I was happy to see that most everything had been done and found the roundabout to be very easy to navigate. I really did think that the traffic flow is vastly improved both now and in the years to come. Kudos to MoDot for a job well done!

Peggy's Park Place closed!

I was with some consternation that I learned that the Park Place convenience store had closed. A friend had texted this news to me and so I drove down to the store, located near the Bull Shoals bridge, to see what was going on. The sign on the door plainly indicated that the venue had 'gone out of business'. Sad.





Shadowrock Lodge not yet open!

While I was in the area, I stopped by the Shadowrock Lodge to try and learn whether or not they planned to open the bar and grill anytime soon. I had observed various workmen over there, from time to time, but saw no real indications (signs, etc) of any sort of opening date. When I drove by on January the 19th, there was no one present on the premises, as best I could tell.




Mexican- Burrito restaurant closes!

What had been a laundromat many years ago, and which had been the site of numerous restaurant startups, the latest edition aka the Mexican-Burrito restaurant had apparently also taken a siesta and was now closed. I was unable to get any information as to whether or not the establishment will re-open or will remain closed.


That leaves just Oaxaca as one of the only venues left to get authentic Mexican cuisine and I've heard a rumor that it too may be relocating soon...



Charlie's restaurant still up for sale!

Now going into its second year of being for sale or lease, the former Charlies Steak Ribs and Ale restaurant remains available. When it was open, Charlies was arguably one of the most upscale restaurants in the area. (That honor perhaps now going to either Fat Daddy's or the Long Horn Family Dining establishments). In any case, I was hoping to see this fine establishment under new ownership very soon!


Shadowrock and River Run Parks!

On a better note, both Shadowrock and River Run were looking great. I noticed that the entrance to River Run, off Highway 76 had really been cleaned up (pic at left), making the Park area easy to see from the road. Both parks were open, which was somewhat surprising, as during the last government shutdown under Obama, River Run was closed! That said, it was looking as though all we really had to worry about come the spring of 2019 would be heavy rains... I'll try and keep tabs on this at my weather site.

Update: March 8, 2019 - River Run was closed. Why? I had no clue. Please see this post!

www.taneyweather.com

Bring in the New Year at John's Frosted Mug!

Country Mart Norkotah Russet potatoes! A bargain!

ORIGIN: Selected from a cross made in North Dakota between ND9526-4 Russ x ND9687-5 Russ and tested as ND534-4 Russ. Released by North Dakota in 1987.

CHARACTERISTICS: Russet Norkotah is an early to medium maturity cultivar grown primarily for the fresh market. Yields are medium and tuber specific gravity is low to medium.

Plants are medium sized, slightly upright; stems are medium thick with non-pigmented nodes and internodes. Leaves are medium in size, open and slightly pubescent. Buds are slightly pigmented, corolla is white and anthers are yellow-orange. Tubers are long to oblong, smooth, russeted and have shallow, bright golden eyes. Tuber flesh is white, dormancy is medium and sprouts are white with some purple pigment at the tip.

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES: Russet Norkotah has a very attractive general appearance with a high percentage of U.S. No. 1 tubers. Tuber shape and type are very desirable for the count-carton market. The variety is not well suited for processing. It is adaptable to many of the growing areas.

Russet Norkotah is susceptible to most viruses and late blight. It is very susceptible to Verticillium wilt and early blight. It is reported to have some tolerance to common scab and silver scurf.

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Above are the basics concerning the five pound bagged potatoes that are offered at the Country Mart store located in Forsyth Missouri. I like to buy these to take home as they are an excellent value. Following are some raw stats I came up with:

Count per bag: ~12 potatoes costing $2.99

Avg small found in bag: 185 grams

Avg large found in bag: 234 grams

Avg combined = ~210 grams or 7.4 ounces per potato (a medium size tater)

Avg cost per per potato = .28 cents

Avg calories per potato = 204 calories

The above numbers came from a bag I purchased and from figures gleaned off the net. I noted that the calories weren't bad at all. I guess it might be the stuff we like to add (like butter) that can balloon those numbers up a lot! This article appeared at www.taneyweather.com!

Frosted Mug meal offering!

Forsyth MO. - Every year, for a long time, John's Frosted Mug located at 15861 US-160 in Forsyth Missouri has offered a great tasting Christmas meal on Christmas Day! And if I remember correctly, the meal is offered for much of the day starting at 11AM! Inquiries can be made by calling 417-546-4149!

Post Office mangles envelope and fails to get it delivered!

Forsyth MO. - I've spent the better part of a long life never having to worry about the mail system. But, in just the past few years, I've had my mail misdirected, received other people's mail (bank statements) and most recently I got the pictured payment envelope returned 17 days after it was placed into the mailbox at the local Post Office!

Late payments not only can incur fees, but can also do damage to a person's credit history. And, the add insult to injury, the number that the Post Office supplied to discuss this event was always busy, even after trying to call them nine times!Post Office mangles envelope and fails to get it delivered!

I've elected to bypass this agency as much as possible in the future.

Lots of activity at the roundabout near Forsyth MO!

Forsyth MO. - Anyone who has driven past the Shadowrock Lodge located near Peggy's Park Place may notice two things; 1) that the roundabout is getting a lot closer to completion and 2) that there has been some increased activity over at the Lodge. here are a few personal notes;

The Roundabout
When completed in a few weeks, the new bridge and roundabout will be able to handle the expected increase in area traffic over the next decade or so. This will benefit everyone in the area as vacationers, campers and fishermen return this spring to enjoy both the River Run and Shadowrock Park areas!

The Shadowrock Bar and Cafe
I had a chance to talk with one of the owners, a day or so ago, and learned that everything is progressing towards the opening of a bar sometime in early January. On the day of my visit, construction and communications people were in evidence, and while the interior was a work in  progress, I could see that this venue was going to become a popular social meeting place as we got into 2019. As soon as I'm given permission, I plan to release more details on the approval of the current management.

Did someone buy Charlie's?

Forsyth MO. - There was a rumor going around town that the restaurant formerly know as Charlie's Steak, Ribs and Ale may have been sold. And not wanting to be the spreader of rumors, I promise to check this story out with the Real Estate agency that is representing the property. News to come shortly!

Update: I talked with the folks representing the property on Monday, Dec 3 and was told that though there had been some offers, none of those were accepted.

Ozark Firearms! A good place to shop!

Branson MO - Ozark Firearms is owned and operated by Mr. Grant Holcomb. I recently visited his home/store to make a purchase and would like to recommend his place to anyone looking for a firearm or ammunition.  Please give him a call!

 The store has a good selection of all types of handguns including Glock and Ruger, in addition to many types of rifles!

Bartenders! What's with them?

Forsyth MO. - I used to never give much thought to people involved in the service industry. They're self-employed and appear in my world as servers at restaurants, hair cutters at saloons and as bartenders at bars! So, what was the big deal?

Well, the big deal is that these hard working men and women generally are on their own in the business world. Their wages are often at or below minimum wage. Lots of times they get zero health benefits and no pensions. In other words, they are pretty much hung out to dry and depend heavily on tips to even survive.

Were I in a position of power, I'd change that paradigm in a heartbeat. As it is, I can only tip well and try to promote a few select and deserving souls. Jessi is one such very deserving woman. See her at John's Frosted Mug in Forsyth MO!

River Run Park open? No, it's flooded! WTF?

Forsyth MO. - After being informed that the access road off Baker Street in Forsyth Missouri was open, I thought to drive by and maybe drive down into the River Run Park area, a location that had been shut off to the public for over a year.

As I approached the upper entrance to the Park, the gate was indeed open. I did notice the warning sign that the area was flooded. I thought that a bit strange as the Bull Shoals water level was at 655' MSL. That was actually very low as flood levels needed to exceed 670' or more to flood the Park. Well, being the devil may care person that I am, I proceeded bravely down the inclined road towards the Park area proper. But wait! Lo and behold, there was a second series of horse-style barricades all proclaiming the flooded state of the Park! I found that somewhat mystifying, as I could plainly see a semi-dry Park down below. Confounded and confused, I turned around and went back. Perhaps these sign had just been put up, I wondered.

As I motored on back to my home, I ruminated on what was going on with the Corps of Engineers, a group responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of River Run. I concluded that it was one of 4 possibilities; 1) the Park was actually flooded and what I was seeing was an illusion,  2) that the Corps was psychic and foresaw an impending flood yet to come, 3) that the Corps could not afford the proper signage and used what they had or 4) the some individuals in the Corps were perhaps a just a bit psycho.

McD's to honor the military on Veteran's Day!

Forsyth MO. In what I assume is a Nationwide promotion, McDonald's is offering a Free Egg McMuffin Extra Value meal to all active or retired military personnel who present an I.D. This event is set for Monday, November the 12th which coincides with Veterans Day!

I fully embrace this concept, but would also like to see others like it. How about honoring our Men and women in Blue, or our Fire fighters or EMT's. Perhaps a special Service Day could be set aside for them in the future.

INFO 2 KNOW : Home Electrical Safety

Taneyhills Community Library announces another great INFO 2 KNOW workshop free to the public. Tuesday, November 13 at 6:00 pm, Stephanie Barney, owner of Lightspeed Electrical and a regular on KRZK, will present “Home Electrical Safety.”

Stephanie says, “Keeping your home safe around electrical outlets is important. This is especially important for Baby Boomers and any empty-nesters as their children age out and leave, they stop checking many basic things like switches, wall outlets and extension cords.”

The workshop session is open to all ages and will be full of valuable information about the electrical aspects of your home. As the weather turns cooler, we spend more time indoors and in turn, use more electricity.

Be sure to reserve your place as space will be limited to 32 participants. Sign up at Taneyhills Library Front Desk or call 417-334-1418. KNFO 2 KNOW is an example of the services and community outreach the Library provides. Taneyhills Community Library is funded solely through donative and volunteer efforts.  The Library receives no local, State or Federal tax monies. 

Please place this event on your calendar if your organization maintains one.