Bloomers – A great garden resource to visit!

Located at 12900 US Hwy 160 in Forsyth MO (right across from the Elks Club), is a well established garden center known as Bloomers! It’s run by Todd and Lori Roberts and features garden vegetable starts, herbs and all manner of flowering plants. Those are displayed in the greenhouse and they’re all priced to sell!

Inside the adjacent building I found a wealth of garden related items including, bags of garden soil,

Miracle Gro potting mix, weed mats, squirrel resistant bird feeders and assorted lawn ornaments just to name a few. Seriously, rather than drive all the way into Branson and burn all that gas, you might just want to duck into this venue first! You can also call ahead at 417-546-2880 to find out if they have what you need!

Wouldn't it be nice if area parks had a plan for severe weather?

Even a simple beacon with posted instructions could help!

After checking at a couple of the three parks that grace the Forsyth Mo area, I came to the conclusion that in the event of a rapidly developing storm system, most campers and RV'ers are pretty left to their own devices. I don't have the impression that anyone has thought out what would happen in the event (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) that a tornado touched down and caused damage in a crowded park full of families on a spring day! Sure, I'll be willing to bet that some of the more savvy types might have a weather radio in their RV, or perhaps some kind relative who would call a loved one they knew was in a dangerous area. But I wonder if that would cover all the folks that might be suddenly placed in harms way in a given locale? Does the local Emergency Management personnel have a plan for our parks? And if so, how would it be executed? Where would they be instructed to go and would they even get those instructions in time? All good questions, I feel.

This is an issue I hope gets addressed before someone does get hurt. I'd hate to think that the lack of infrastructure (such as written instructions and a warning beacon for watches and warnings) would be treated the way highway officials seem to treat a dangerous drop off next to some road. All too often, a guardrail goes up only after someone got hurt or killed!

River Run Update for April 17, 2010!

I had a chance to visit with one of the two Park Attendants who are now at River Run Park located just to the east of the town of Forsyth MO and was told that the park would be opening on May the first! I was also informed that the price for a camp and/or RV site would be at $22 per night. This would be increase of $2 from the previous year if it holds true.

While I was walking around the park, I noticed that work was still be performed in regards to the water or power systems, both of which had been re-innovated this past fall and winter.

Additional information about River Run (and to make sure as to the opening date), can be obtained with this link!

What if a tornado were to hit Shadow Rock Park?

It's Memorial Weekend and both River Run and Shadow Rock Parks are filled to capacity with families out enjoying what had been a picture perfect and hot late spring outing. RV's of all shapes and sizes fill most of the camping sites with just a few tents scattered about here and there. The smell of barbeque fills the air as do the shouts of children who are having the time of their young lives.

'Suddenly, and seemingly without warning, the sky to the southwest turns an ominous dark as rain laden clouds race towards the Forsyth area in southwest Missouri. All day long, the National Weather Service had been advising listeners to be prepared to take precautions as a line of super cell thunderstorms had formed just across the Arkansas-Kansas border and which were now racing to the northeast at 60 mph!

In no time at all, shortly after 4PM, the first of a series of F1-F2 class tornadoes dips down and so begins a swath of destruction that will continue for miles and miles. A path that pointed straight like an arrow, to Shadow Rock park and families who only became aware that they were in jeopardy when the sirens began to go off...'

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Fortunately, that dialog is just a story and hopefully that theoretical storm passes by with everyone only a little wet for the experience. But, it did bring to my mind a question and that is what services are in place in the event of such a potential disaster? Are there safe havens for people to run to if a storm brews up with little warning? If so, where are they and how would information about them get disseminated?

Yes, I'm playing the devil advocate here, but like a lot of people I spend quite a bit of my time in either or both of these parks and confess to never having seen anything in writing that advises of what I could do in such a situation. Perhaps someone could enlighten me?

Want something tasty to eat? Visit the White River Grill!

Tucked away in the small, but scenic town of Rockaway Beach Missouri, is perhaps one of the most creative eateries I've encountered in many a year. Run by owner/cook Bill Kitchin, the White River Grill has to be experienced rather than merely described. That's because the food that's served up from a wide and varied menu is done to perfection each and every time. Testament to that fact is the picture (see below) I took of a breakfast I had there recently. It's called the 'Town Favorite' and it looked so good, I'd taken a bite out of one of the sausages before remembering to snap the shot! And speaking of food, Mr. Kitchin regularly posts some of his creations on his Face Book page for all to see (and hunger for). Make sure to 'friend' him so you too can keep abreast of his special offerings as they come up!

Located at 2683 State Highway 176 in Rockaway Beach, about halfway down the main drag, the restaurant is easy to find. And, I've always been treated well as this establishment which is not really surprising when you have servers like Rene giving some of the most courteous and prompt service to be found anywhere!

The establishment is open Tuesday through Sunday, the last time I checked. To be sure, you can call them at 417-561-1313 during regular business hours. The White River Grill has free Wifi, is kid friendly, does private parties and even has an outside deck for dining out on the nice days of the year. Make plans to stop there today! You won't be disappointed.

The Library Tax and why it did not pass!

Rather than go and try and point out all the reason’s that the proposed library tax to improve the library system in Taney County was a bad idea, I think I’ll focus on what I think the voters were feeling when they defeated it on the April the 2^nd General Municipal Election ballot that was recently tallied.

First off, I would agree with Josh Smith when he has stated that he is a big supporter of the library system (I believe him), but that he felt that any monies that were raised via a tax should come from within the city limits of Branson and Forsyth Missouri where the two libraries are located. He felt (and still feels, I think) that the large majority of people who regularly use these facilities also live within the two city limits. And that citizens, who live in the far eastern parts of the county, probably may have much less occasion to use either facility. Yet, if this levy was passed, they would be paying the same tax on a yearly basis  to support something that city dwellers would be getting more benefit from. That just doesn't sound right to my ears and perhaps that was the same feelings other voters had this time around.

For my part, I was also against a library tax being levied as part of my property tax bill. I felt it should be part of a more openly declared city sales tax should those living in either Branson or Forsyth so decide that’s how they want to spend their money. I want my property taxes only to be spent on vital infrastructural interests. I also object to what has been a constant stream of new tax bills with no cutting of any costs that I’m aware of! I’m fully aware that the manner in which monies that are collected, end up being spent in such convoluted and complex fashion, that even a the taxing authority can be hard pressed to say what is spent where. Where is the leadership that would begin the process of simplification? Will there ever come a day when Taney County will announce a savings of any kind? I’m not so sure that will happen in my lifetime.

In brief then, it was probably preordained that this particular issue would fail. It’s also likely that any future efforts will need to pass close muster before having much of a chance at passage. Clearly, the politicians relying on ‘state statistics’, as was done in this case did not cut the mustard. Real and honest effort needs to be expended, in the future, to back up any desire to levy more taxes.  The public needs and deserves easy to understand research and opinion polls that demonstrate to all involved that the ‘T’s’ were crossed and the ‘I’s’ dotted before another penny of hard-earned money is spent.

My take on the library tax levy vote!

“Taney County is the only first-class county in Missouri without a countywide library district.”

My response to the above statement is, ‘So what’? And, just how will additional funds, aimed at two private libraries in Forsyth and Branson (sorry Rockaway – you got lost somehow in the shuffle), create a ‘countywide’ impact. Will they be used to purchase bookmobiles? I’m confused on that point.

Yet, apparently, this is pretty much the sole reason that voters will be asked whether they want to shell out 15 cents for every $100 in accessed property valuation when the so-call ‘library tax levy’ comes up for vote on April the 2^nd.

Would someone be so kind as to point me in the direction of where I can find a study done by the Taney County Commissioners that shows something a little more substantive than the apparent opinions of two of its members, notably Danny Strahan and Ron Houseman? Was there even a simple poll done, early on, to see how us resident voters felt about the issue? (I never saw one, but perhaps I overslept the day it came out).

While I am a big fan of libraries in general and want to support them, I’m not such a big fan of the current government that surrounds and funds them. And, I’m definitely not in favor of supplying the funds using the property tax assessments as the sole carrying vehicle. If this issue is important enough to a majority of the residents, let’s propose it is as a separate tax altogether. Or, would that be too tough?