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

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!