Rockaway Beach Fourth of July 2011

A friend of my mine told me, a few days ago, about the Rockaway Beach 4^th of July Celebration that was going to take place on the main drag on Monday the 4th, so I made it a point to motor on down there to see what was what.

When I arrived, I noticed that a part of main the main street had been cordoned off. A company called Party Station (nixapartystation.com) had also set up a number of rides for kids right out on the street. And even though it was very hot (92F), when I arrived at 4PM, there were already a number of kids running around having a good time. At the very end of the blocked off area, a band that literally had no name (it was thrown together at the last minute according to one of the band members) was playing and sound pretty darn good!

My hat really goes off to all the volunteers that were in attendance to help made this deal go off. Been there and done that. It's hard work. Here’s a picture of some of them in a tent area recovering from the heat. And speaking of heat, I was really impressed with the folks at the food tent who not only were dealing with the blazing heat of the day, but also the heat of the grills that were turning out brats, hot dogs and hamburgers. I personally had a hamburger and I gotta tell you, there’s nothing better than eating good food on a hot summer day. It brought back a lot of good memories of days gone by.

During the balance of the summer season, Rockaway Beach is still a good bet to go hang out, what with many of the other nearby recreational areas flooded out. The city offers great accommodations, good fishing and that small town feeling that seems to be disappearing from much of Americana. I’d also like to say a big thanks to Rita and Steve at the Upper Deck Bar for offering a cold retreat and warm company to help one recover from the heat outside. Right next door to them, is the White River Grill. A venue I’ve written about in another blog.

You know everyone, throughout the remainder of the summer and on into the fall, Rockaway Beach, Missouri will be offering a action packed fun calendar of things to do and experience. Do yourself a favor and stop on by! Tell em DanO sent ya!

White River Grill in Rockaway Beach Now Open for Business!

If you plan on cruising through Rockaway Beach anytime soon, be sure and stop in at the White River Grill. A full service restaurant that recently opened for business and which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. After looking through the menu, I’d have to say that there are meals here for just about every taste and at affordable prices!

I made it a point to stop by on the first of July where I sat down for a good old fashioned hot dog and fries. The food was delicious and there are many more items that I will want to try out in the future. Also, I was impressed by how friendly and professional the service staff was. My order was taken promptly and the wait was very short. So, if you’re in the neighborhood, I would heartily recommend the White River Grill as a great place for the family to come and eat.

Valley View Sewer Update for June 2011

I would think it now safe to say that groundbreaking for the Powersite Sewer Project which also affects Valley View Village will not be happening this year. I'm not certain, but the absence of any material stockpiles is a good hint. I also don't have any idea how long the entire project, once started, will take. I'm guessing at least a year or more. Obviously, the flooding of Bull Shoals has hindered progress to some extent. For sure, the point at which the pipe will cross the river will have to wait for lower lake levels. That could be late this fall or even longer depending on how much rain we get.

What really concerns me, however, is how much the project could be affected by the planned work on the Highway 76 bridge that will be closed for up to a year starting in 2013. That alone will be a major undertaking and certainly one that will cause traffic delays in its own right. Add to that scenario, a major plumbing project that will affect over three hundred dwellings and you have the makings of a bad dream.

Whatever happens, it should be a most interesting period of time.

Highway 76 Bridge repair in 2013!

If any of the rumors I’ve heard are true, the bridge that crosses Bull Shoals just east of Forsyth Missouri will be shut down sometime in 2013 for the better part of a year. This is needed to be done as major repairs are needed to this structure that goes back to 1953.

The problem this will cause is obvious. The highway is a major artery for much of the commuter traffic that runs between cities like Forsyth, Taneyville and Cedar Creek to and from the Branson area. Likewise, many area businesses would be severely affected by any disruption in existing traffic patterns.

So, a solution must be found that would cause the least amount of disruption, not only to existing traffic patterns, but also to state budgets. One idea I had would be for a group like the Army to come in an erect a pontoon bridge adjacent to the existing one. A bridge wide enough to handle two-way traffic would be expensive, but if built in sections, could be used at other locations to satisfy future needs.

Almost two months later and the flood remains!

This side-by side-comparison of water levels in Shadow Rock Park taken May 9^th and June the 25th show why I’m concerned about the future use of the park areas that are so much a part of life here where I live in southwest Missouri. It’s a number of months since we experienced those spring rains that originally caused the problem, but now I’m beginning to wonder if the lake levels will ever get back to ‘normal’. I’ve lived in this area for over twenty years and cannot remember this stretch of Bull Shoals flooding as often as it has recently. I also don’t remember the water level staying so high for so long!

So, where’s the figurative plug in the drain? That would be the Bull Shoals Dam across the Missouri border in Arkansas. Problem is, if the officials were to release the backlog too quickly, they would potentially re-flood a good portion of the state as the White River meanders its way southward. (A casual inspection of the White river, using a site like Google Maps, shows that it runs a very convoluted course with many small towns located along the way). Small riverside towns like Batesville flooded along with many others when the heavy rains fell back in May. So, that’s part of the problem. Any large release up stream right now would just re-flood areas in Arkansas.

Adding to the woes of the Corps of Engineers, recent and continuing heavy rains in the northern Midwest states have added historic amounts of flood water to the Mississippi which is only now beginning to recede back to more normal levels. After nearly two months above flood stage, the waters are now at 47.95 feet early Wednesday, June 22, bringing along with it a shared sigh of relief from many. The question on everyone’s mind now is what the fall rains will bring.

As of this writing, the lake level for Bull Shoals stands at 690 feet plus change. (Check the river levels chart comparing the last three years for some insight as to what that means). Hopefully, that level should begin dropping more rapidly, especially if the Midwest remains relatively dry. Maybe we’ll all get a chance to use the park areas later this fall right before winter sets in!

Taney County Fair 2011

Ask anyone who has ever thrown a large venue community event and they will tell you just how much work it is! This year’s Taney County Fair has the added challenge of being resurrected from scratch, courtesy of the flooding that has innervated the traditional site located in Shadow Rock Park.

The sheer amount of work that is involved to bring together the infrastructure required to put on an event of this size is mind boggling to me. Tons of earth has to be moved; fences erected and viewing stands put up. Then, there was the need for lots and lots of electricity to supply power for all the lights and rides. Finally, the rides have to be brought in and erected in time for it all to come together.

Just thinking about all the logistics makes my head hurt. The only thing that could hurt this fair’s success would be a failure of the public to show up! So, show up OK?

I encourage everyone in Taney County to make an effort this year to show your support for the hard work done by so few for the enjoyment of so many.

Additional information can be obtained by visiting the Fair Boards Web Site.

The Taney Fair is just days away!

Scheduled to open on Tuesday, June the 14^th, the Taney County Fair for 2011 is located at a brand new venue located off Hwy 76 just past the bridge at Corner Stone Drive (see maps). The new location was needed due to the flooded condition of Shadow Rock Park. A location, I understand, that will no longer be used by the county for future fair events.

I was very impressed with the amount of progress that the mostly volunteer group of men and women has made in such short time. The rodeo arena area looks to be almost complete and should work out quite well. It looks to me that all that’s needed now are the rides, vendors and people, of course!

I plan to attend the Fair on at least a few of the days. Each of the five nights is packed with some great events. Must sees for me will be the tractor pull events on Thursday the 17th and the Demolition Derby on Friday the 18th. Information concerning events to be held can be found at the Taney County Fair site.