Patriot Day Parade on May 18!

Forsyth MO. - On May 18th, the City of Forsyth will be hosting a PATRIOT DAY PARADE! The parade starts at 10AM on Saturday, May 18th at the Forsyth School. Mayor Coleman told me that all vets are welcome to take part and if any vet wanted to be in the parade to please call Angela for details.

Remember those who have perished protecting our freedoms - https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-memorial-day-20170529-htmlstory.html

Swap Meet! FORR!

Mark your calendars!

Thinking outside Charlie's box!

Forsyth Mo. – A once very popular eatery known as Charlie's Ribs Steak and Ale located at the intersection of Hwy 160 and Y in Forsyth Missouri closed sometime back, went up for sale and then sat there doing not much of anything for quite a while.

It was soon apparent to me that there was a problem with it ever getting sold. The 4300 square foot establishment was well built and appointed and yet was difficult to sell. Part of the reason was the high asking price of $850,000. That was a lot of money to recoup in a town of about 2300 that had ten or more other eateries all within the city limits!

Personally, the only way I could see this building ever working out would be to break it up in to two or three separate businesses! Following are a few of my ideas:

Concepts

Dunkin Donuts/ Burger King

Mini-Mart/Gas station/Restaurant w Bar

Steak n Shake/ Spots Boutique

Dave's Big Burgers/ City Morgue – no, scratch that one! (Although if you ever ate one of Dave's burgers)...

Well, you get the idea. I think that old expression 'Divide and conquer' does apply in this situation. Two or three investors could work together to renovate the interior into two or three new businesses. Heck, even the City of Forsyth or Taney County could perhaps make this spot into a profit producing entity to help offset other costs to residents. Like I said, it will take someone or some group with --- wait for it--- foresight!

Update: Apparently the owner's wanted to try the auction route as a sign that was recently posted announced that a public auction was to be held on May 11 at 10:00 AM. See above right.

So, who wants to bet that bids will fall short of the reserve amount? And, if the auction fails, then what. A fire sale?

Forsyth MO Tri-Park Report!

Forsyth MO. – What is likely to be a rare event for me, I planned to to do a spring report on three area parks located in and around Forsyth Missouri.

Empire Park - 36.657478, -93.132045

Water flowing over Powersite dam!

Covered picnic area!

Just down Hwy Y off Route 160 in Forsyth Missouri lies a very well maintained park under the management of Empire Electric (aka Liberty Utilities out of Canada). The park features a boat ramp, walking paths, picnic tables and bathrooms. This is a great location to go spend a nice day near the waters of Lake Taneycomo.

As of April 12, 2019, the water level was at 701.36' or just about normal. Just a short walk along a path to the east of the park is Powersite dam, one of the first hydroelectric dams built in Missouri way back in 1913. Fishing opportunities are excellent both above and below the dam! I like this location to go and have a nice walk and then eat lunch.

Shadowrock Park - 36.683734, -93.103948 40+ spots   (417) 546-2876

Shadowrock Park is split in half by Hwy 160. That has resulted in two really different sorts of experiences with the northern half being composed of a playground, a bath house, tennis courts and basketball courts. Swan creek also runs along one side. The younger crowd seems to prefer this area.

Southern end of SR is peaceful!

The southern half of Shadowrock Park has plenty of RV spots available many of which have power, sewage hookups and water. There is also a recreational area where many activities are held all during the warm part of the year. In addition, there is a baseball diamond, boat ramp, a horse riding area along with modern flush toilet bathrooms. Towards the back of the park is an area with a second bathroom and dump station. A great place to bring your RV or even to go tent camping at! The park is leased and managed by the City of Forsyth and does have an attendant (Melvin) on site during the regular season starting in early April through November 1.

River Run Park - 36.681015, -93.102669  30+ spots   (417) 546-3646

River Run seen in this photo!

If Shadowrock is filled up, there is a sort of sister Park just across Bull Shoals lake that is managed by the Corps of Engineers. River Run is where many really serious fishermen go to launch their boats and have their RV's in spacious slots that come complete with electric power and water. There's a dump station close to the entrance, also. So, pretty much no matter what, you'll end up with a good selection of spots to set up and to enjoy nature! Update: April 16 - Park was accessible but there are no bathrooms, power or water.

What should you tip at a bar?

Forsyth Mo. - Wow. Talk about being blind-sided, recently! I was at a local venue, ordered some beers and then paid my tab with about a 20% tip. An individual to my left looked at the bill and then proceeded to berate me as to to low amount. He was drinking only water (a free item thus far, and left a $5 tip)

'See, he loudly pronounced. Now that's a good tip..... '

Really? I thought the man to be a complete idiot. Who'd give a bartender $5 for a glass of water? But that did make me wonder. Was I perhaps behind the times? Was a 20% tip no longer acceptable in an age of cell phone imposed isolation....? Had I missed a step? Time to investigate!

So, I decided to go visit other local watering holes in Taney County to see just what was considered acceptable. Seriously, what do servers living in Taney County Missouri expect, whether they are serving food or alcohol or both? What's the norm in 2019? What's considered acceptable or just an insult? Is it 20%, 30%, 40%... or what? What about those who are working and making an income versus those who are on a fixed income?

The answer to that question will be in a post I plan to present in the near future! So, stay tuned!

Update: After making a road trip to Branson and visiting a few watering holes, my eyes were really opened. Most of the bartenders I talked with were making well in excess of 40% on tips! The average take for them was over $200 per day with a 'slow' day coming in at just $100! In addition, some bars were offering health insurance, profit sharing and even pension plans. Wow! I guess it must suck to work in Forsyth and other close by communities if you happen to work in a service profession.  

Sherriff sting op targets struggling area bartenders!

Forsyth Mo. - In what could be a new 'twist' in law enforcement, local police have apparently concocted a 'sting' operation targeting area bartenders on serving underage kids.

On April 6, 2019, two out of three area bars, near where I live, were hit with potentially heavy fines due to a police operation that had a young 19 year old male enter those establishments during the peak lunch time hour where he then ordered a Coors beer. True, the youth did present a valid id, but this was done at a time where at least one establishment that I know of was getting slammed with lunch hour customers...

Good job, Taney Count Sheriffs police! You nailed a couple of individuals who are basically living check -to-check and tip-to-tip. The bar won't be charged, they will be!

While I fully understand the need to insure that every establishment which serves liquor needs to be monitored, what I do not understand is the fining of those who are doing their level best in what is a chaotic world. A warning citation would have been appropriate in every case! A harsh fine, not so much so....

April 6, 2019 - A darn nice day!

Forsyth MO. - Arising to a nice spring day is both a pleasure and a blessing. Sure, it was hazy and maybe the temps, in the mid sixties were not perfect, but that didn't matter. It was a Saturday, and many people were off from work making area parks hotbeds of activity; people fishing, kids running around, and old men like myself just enjoying the greenery that was emerging like a pistol shot! I hobbled around was walking path and then stopped to enjoy what I felt was a very meager lunch. After Empire Park I headed over to Shadowrock Park where I noted that five RV's had already set up residence! I was thinking that most of the spots would be taken by mid month, at that rate.

Bull Shoals was near normal!

For the evening hours, a thunderstorm or two was forecast and the local radar seemed to confirm the possibility. By hey, a 70 degree day made it very worth while. And Sunday promised to be even better with a forecast high of 75! And, yes, I planned to be out there again putting one foot in front of the other.

Area man does photo restoration!

Wind turbines likely cause of cancer!

Beat, beat, beat, beat....

In a hotly contested abstract published in Enquirer Med Today (EMT), Dr. Samuel Mathondis gave strident warning to a new form of cancer which he has named tubinmelitis ditis. In the abstract Dr. Mathondis cites literally 'hours of research' into the phenomenon of 'cyclic resonance caused by the immense blades impinging air molecules'. According to the almost Nobel prize winning doctor, 'this disruption of the local atmosphere establishes standing waves of a very specific frequency that can reach the lungs of people who smokes perhaps hundreds of miles away.' He paused to take a drag on his pipe and continued. 'Vell, don't you see? Those waves are able to set up harmonic sub-tones that cause the inhaled smoke particles to be driven much much deeper into lung tissues than would normally occur. A process that has gone on for decades in cities all around America and which is now finally coming to evil fruition for millions of smoking unfortunates, according to some sources in Washington.

Sadly, EMT could neither confirm of deny these additional allegations as Dr. Mathondis recently suffered a massive coronary stroke and is currently on life support systems at an undisclosed hospital that ironically, we have have been told, is close to a turbine wind field.

Note: This insanity was supposed to be published at http://forsythkid.blogspot.com/, but the author was too lazy to do that.

Forsyth area parks looking great! Shadowrock Park is open!

Forsyth Mo. - Early April and with the temps flirting at 70 plus, I decided to walk around one of two area parks to see if I could access their state of readiness. Bull Shoals Lake was at near normal levels and rain chances, through the middle of April, looked to be close to normal. So, flooding was not really a concern at the time.

While standing in Shadowrock Park, I looked over across the water to River Run (138 River Run Forsyth, MO 65653), a sister park area that was a bit more upscale as it was more expansive and had toilets and showers centrally located. Earlier in the week, I'd observed crews working on them, presumably to get them prepared for the vacationers that were sure to arrive. I tried calling the Park's official phone number at (417) 546-3646, and while it did ring - no one ever answered. However, I had seen campers already using one or two of over thirty RV sites that were equipped with water, electric (both only in-season) and canopies.
Road

Meanwhile, over at the Shadowrock Park location (715 Park Way, Forsyth, MO 65653), I discovered that this park had opened on April the 2nd. You can reach the park attendant by calling (417) 546-2876! He told me that the newly installed concrete RV pads had working water, electric and sewage.

Lunch at Oaxaca Mexican restaurant!

15920 US Hwy 160, Forsyth MO  (417) 546-2233

Old location off Coy Blvd.

Forsyth MO. – After a brief but popular existence at a previous location just off Coy Blvd in Forsyth Missouri, the Oaxaca Mexican restaurant was forced to close due to building issues that were apparently never properly taken care of. A few months passed and they then re-opened at what had formerly been the Golden Dragon on Highway 160.
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March 28, 2019 – On what was just the second day of being open, I took a good friend there for lunch on what was a beautiful early spring day. I had previously written a short review where I also posted copies of the menu they were using at the time and was not sure if they were going to using the same one. Well, yes they were, and while I couldn't tell if the item prices had actually changed, they looked to be close to me and the menu was the same.

As we arrived just after 11AM, the place was not very crowded, (but did get so by 11:30). Eating lunch a tad early proved to be a great idea as parking is somewhat limited, (a fact that would likely resolve itself after the grand opening excitement had worn off). After ordering drinks, I decided on the dinner selection number 8 which was two tacos with beans and rice. My friend ordered a #1 which was a taco and 2 enchiladas. The service was fast and the food great!

Every touch screen tested had fecal matter present!

London England - According to a research paper, they swabbed the new self-order machines in six different England locations—six in London and two in Birmingham. The breadth of different and concerning bacteria on each one worried Senior Lecturer in Microbiology at London Metropolitan University Dr. Paul Matawele, who told the Metro: "We were all surprised how much gut and [fecal] bacteria there was on the touchscreen machines. These cause the kind of infections that people pick up in hospitals."

Among those bacteria was staphylococcus, which has been linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome. Matawele called the bacteria "so contagious." He was also concerned about the listeria, klebsiella, and proteus strains found, each of which contributes to a different serious illness.

100 gloves cost about $10

I saw this post and then wondered if the McDonald's located in my small town of Forsyth Missouri would also be acquiring one of these devices to help cut back on the number of people working there. (I understand that with the rise of minimum wage requirement, restaurant owners have needed to cut back on the total payroll in order to stay profitable). I hadn't seen any thus far, but wondered just how long it would take for them to make an appearance. When that occurs, there will then be the question of just how sanitary those device surfaces will be. My thought would be to purchase a package of disposable surgical gloves that could be worn when ordering and then tossed, along with the remains of the meal, once I'd finished eating.

River Run Park reopens along with other select topics!

A 'close to spring' sun peaks thru early morning clouds!

Forsyth MO. - Will wonders ever cease? Just one day before the start of Spring and River Run, a popular park area near Forsyth Missouri was once again open after being closed for some period of time! And, the water levels had gone down to near normal levels! Just how long either were to last was open to question. That said, I visited all three local parks in the immediate area; River Run, Shadowrock and Empire Parks and found them to be looking great.

River Run Park

The only, short term problem I could see, was the paving work going on at the newly constructed roundabout at the intersections of Hwy 76 and 160. That should, however, be wrapped up very soon and then everything would appear to be set for locals and vacationers to come and enjoy activities like camping and fishing for which the area has been very popular over the years.

Shadowrock Park Mar 28

Update: Mar 26 - Bull Shoals lake was back down to 'normal' full pool levels and the roundabout was looking great. Shadowrock Park was also looking good when I drove through it at couple of days later!

Following are a few notes concerning area locales and businesses:

Charlies - This venue which had been up for sale for over two years was currently off the market and apparently not for sale. That was speculation on my part, but they had not been listed on the local real estate boards to the best of my knowledge, after canceling their contract with KW in late February... Update: April 2019 - I talked to a knowledgeable source and was informed that the owner family decided to try and sell the place themselves. The 4300 square foot establishment's asking price was still at $850K last I heard.

Oaxaca Mexican Restaurant - I drove by on this post date and saw no activity at the new location. The property was looking great with the signage and all, just no sign indicating when they might be opening. Also, no one was answered the phone, when I tried calling that same day in the early afternoon hour. There was also nothing that I could find on their Facebook site that mentioned an opening date. So, while they do serve up a great cuisine, maybe their front office could use a quick make-over.... Update: Oaxaca to re-open Wednesday March 27, 2019. Update: Check out my Mar 28 review!

Shadowrock Lodge - I spoke briefly, with the ownership of the Lodge, and was told that while progress was being made to open the bar, needed benchmarks were still yet to happen. So, while the Cafe/Hotel will likely open eventually, it remained a question of the pwnership getting some additional improvements made before that could take place.

Bull Shoals Lake level - Even as water was being released from the Powersite Dam and even as the current Bull Shoals water level was just two feet above the normal pool or operating levels, I still had some concern for levels at Beaver Lake which was also riding at two feet above normal. With improving conditions in Arkansas after a record setting period of late fall 2018 rains, things were looking to get back to normal. In additional, long range forecasts for regional rainfall for southwest Missouri did not look all that bad! These facts gave me the hope that both Shadowrock and River Run Parks would stay dry through at least the early spring period. (The bottom line was for everyone to get out and enjoy them as soon as the weather warms up)!

Update: Mar 26 - All three reservoirs were nearing 'normal' levels for the time of year. That be very good news!

River Run closed in early March!

Forsyth MO. - One of two popular parks near the town of Forsyth Mo. which is situated in southwest corner of the state was closed recently and just why that happened remained a mystery to me.

For whatever reason, the Army Corps of Engineers located in the Little Rock District of Arkansas and who can be reached by calling (870) 445-7166, had decided to close the park to public access as I discovered on the morning of Friday, March 8, 2019.

The Park itself was mostly high and dry as water levels at Bull Shoals were dropping fairly rapidly. The graphic at right depicts the water levels as of March 8, 2019. The level at 9AM that day was measured at 665.66 feet or about seven feet above normal levels. Note that the level that would result in the closure of the park was obviously in error...


So, the question becomes... Just what does the Corps know that the rest of us don't. Can they accurately foresee the future. If true that would be something to know! Maybe a reader of this post can give them a call to find out! If anyone does, please leave a comment.

Then, like magic, we had a ,81 inch rainfall all across the region!

Rumors? Most proved to be true!

Forsyth MO. - There were lots of rumors swirling out there in 'Forsythland' and I wanted to jot down just a few;

Golden Dragon - The rumor is now a fact! The Oaxaca Mexican restaurant will be re-opening at what used to be the Golden Dragon. This was announced on Feb 22, 2019 and I was texted that they plan to open in 2 weeks which would be around the 8th of March! They also indicated that plans were being made to have a bar! Update: March 4 -  stopped at the venue and talked with one of the men working there. I was told that they planned to open on Mar 18 and that there would be no bar at this time, although I do believe you can get drinks with a meal...

Carl's Auto - Another rumor that turned out to be fact. Carl's Auto is alive and well at the Coy Blvd Mobile One site. And, I was still assuming that a new facility would be under construction at the site where the old building had burned down. They can be reached M-F at (417) 546-4919. My only concern was the much smaller bay space compared to what they had on 160. I'd assume that it might be a good idea to call ahead for an appointment. Update: March 4 - I stopped by the site of the old garage on Hwy 160 and did not note much happening there.That made me wonder if the Coy Blvd site was now more or less permanent.


Shadowrock Bar and Cafe - The last info I received from the ownership was that they intended to open even as they were getting some form of threats not to! Thus far, however, I not seen much in the way of activity there the last couple of weeks... Update: March 4-8, 2019 - Nothing stirring at this location.

Charlie's Sold?? - The only thing that had been interesting about this venue was when the For Sale sign blew away in late February winds. (That was quite a feat as the sign weighed about a hundred pounds)! But, it was also interesting to note that it had not been replaced. What did that even mean? I placed a call to the realtor that was representing the business and was told that the contract had been canceled on Feb 25 and that there were no listings for it on the MLS. I found that puzzling and so messaged one of the family members to see if that person could enlighten me... I'll update as soon as I hear back from him.

Area Parks flooding - That's one rumor I can confirm. That is, unless we get into a mini-drought this spring. and, some good news, even as the River Run Park was beginning to become flooded, new of a dry spell was released by the NWS. So, we'll see what happens.

Update: As of March the 4th, the water level in Bull Shoals had dropped almost half a foot! That was certainly good news to hear. The only worrisome thing was that storms were due to impact the area on Thursday, March 9.

Update: Even as the water levels had receded quite a bit as of March 9, a fast moving storm dropped .81 inches or so all across the region. Magically, the Corps had already closed River run!

The state of a few businesses in Forsyth MO!

Forsyth MO. - On what was the day of the State of the Union address that was to be given by President Trump, I thought it would be interesting to do a drive around and try and get a feel for my small town of Forsyth MO.

The day was overcast, it was early February and rain was forecast to fall late in the day. At the 2PM hour, I was surprised to see quite a bit of traffic going in both directions. That said, there were also a goodly amount of businesses that were no longer in operation. Following are a few;

Charlies - This upscale establishment had been closed for some time and seemed likely to remain so. There had been a rumor that the recently closed Mexican restaurant (see below) people were going to lease out this venue, but as of the date of this blog I observed zero activity...

OAXACA - What was becoming a popular Mexican cuisine restaurant had closed and when I tried calling the establishment, the phone just a kept on a ringing. Which brings me to...

The Mexican-Burrito restaurant - OK, it too had closed which made me wonder if the citizens of Forsyth had something against Mexican food? I mean that Asian Buffet place was still open so what gives?

At least this place had a sign that gave out some useful information to anyone who might want to open up something new...

Park Place Market - Another venerable convenience style store that had bit the dust! Well, Forsyth did have a couple of the mega gas island /slash/ convenience-styled stores still hanging around, so who would miss another tiny bit of Americana going bye bye.... (Me for one)!

Still there is some good news to print when I state that that bridge that crosses Bull Shoals has been completed along with a new roundabout! Both are working very well and could provide great access to both Shadowrock and River Run Parks, that is assuming they don't flood out due to heavy spring rains...

Read and Recycle books at Taneyhills!

Used books are bringing in the tourists. That statement is true at the Ye Olde Book Shoppe inside the lower level of the Taneyhills Community Library.

“Tourists are our biggest patrons,” attests Kenton Olson, Bookstore Manager. “We have many repeat visitors who come in. They will often buy $20 to $40 worth of books.”

The Ye Olde Book Shoppe sells hardcover books for $5 or less. Bargains can be found in the $3 room.  That is another surprise.

The bookstore gets its inventory from Taneyhills supporters and decommissioned books from the library upstairs. With a living room setting complete with a sofa and stuffed chairs, the bookstore is like a miniature Barnes and Noble. Besides a huge fiction selection, it carries just about every non-fiction subject from politics and religion to “Star Wars” and paranormal. We also have a selection of children’s books.

The store recently received a significant donation of hardback novels by prominent and favorite authors such as James Patterson, Stephen King, C. J. Box and Dean Koontz.  Olson stated these authors might be priced a little higher due to their collectability.

All book sales from the store are part of the vital income contributions toward keeping the library open. Unfortunately, Taneyhills receives no tax funding from the federal, state, county, or local levels.

The Ye Olde Book Shoppe is open Tuesday – Friday 10:00-4:00 pm; Saturday’s 10:00-12:30 pm. It is located on the lower level of the Taneyhills Community Library, 2000 S. 4th street in Branson, across the hall from the Library’s Thrift Store.

Taneyhills Community Library
200 S. 4th Street
Branson, MO 65616
417-334-1418