The Tire Crew in Forsyth Missouri

The Tire Crew located at 13159 US Hwy 160 (just past H Hwy on 160) in Forsyth Missouri recently opened for business. Yes, they have tires and lots of them. I stopped there after seeing a cluster of three buildings that seemed to spring up from nowhere! The full service tire center is modern and busy!

From the signs I could see on the other buildings, there will also be a used car (Shelby's Auto) and motorcycle (Thunder Road) dealership located close by. Wow! (There are also rumors of yet a fourth business, but I haven’t confirmed anything yet). Please stop in and say hi to these folks and make them feel welcome!

The Tire Crew is managed by a gentleman named Steve Minard and their hours are currently Monday thru Friday 8AM to 6PM and Saturdays 8AM to 12PM. They are closed on Sundays. You can call  for information or to make an appointment at 417-546-7433.

The Post Office in Forsyth has a passport service!

It was with some surprise that I learned that the Post Office in Forsyth Missouri also is the place to go and get a passport book or card. I went in there with my sister in July to apply for a book as opposed to a card. It seems a passport card is only good for countries you can drive to. The book is for countries that you want to go to by air. That’s how it was explained to me anyway. The cost for the book was $150 and you will need to bring the following two ID’s; a birth certificate with raised lettering and a drivers license or state ID card.

The paperwork consists of filling out a DS-11 form which asks basic questions including information pertaining to your parent place of birth and date of birth. So, make sure you have this with you. The office is also able to take your picture or you may bring your own if you follow the instructions found in the DS-11 form.

The whole process takes no more than ten minutes or so. One thing that did surprise me is that your birth certificate is sent with the paperwork to the State Department. I was told it would come back, under separate cover, about the same time they send your passport. This process generally takes five to six weeks.

June 2010 was a record hot and dry month in SW Missouri!

June felt more like July or August in most of Missouri, rainfall was also on the very low side with my rain gauge measuring only about 1.69 inches.
 
Pat Guinan, a climatologist with the Missouri University Agriculture Program stated that June temperatures throughout the state were four to six degrees above average, making it the hottest June on record since 1957. Here in Forsyth, I measured a mean temperature of 78F. which was four degrees hotter than average.

On addition, the lack of good rainfall for many parts of southern Missouri boded ill for many crops including potatoes, rice and cotton. Some farmers are reporting that they are losing crops due to extreme heat with no rain. Only those with good irrigation systems are making do. Some areas have gone more than a month without a drop of rain. Here in Forsyth, I measured 1.69 inches of rain against an average of 4.3 inches (average rainfall  for West Plains).

BBQ was excellent at the Forsyth Fun Day event!

I think the heat definitely played a factor in what seemed was a lower than last year. Temperatures in the low nineties combined with very high humidity forced many to find what shade they could. The large trees to the right of the stage proved to be a popular spot for many in attendance.

In spite of the heat, the BBQ was excellent as competitors worked hard to come up with the best tasting recipes to be found anywhere. Just check out the picture of ribs! Now that's good eating! Boy, I’ll tell you, it’s hard to beat perfection, but these folks came pretty close!

While I could not stay long enough to hear who won the BBQ contest, for me it didn’t really matter. Personally, I would award ribbons to all the contestants who spent the long hours and braved high heat to bring such good tasting food to people like myself.

Boys & Girls Club Indoor Garage Sale on August 14

The Boys and Girls Club of the Ozarks will be sponsoring a ‘Junk in the Trunk’ Fair on Saturday, August 14th for anyone who would like to secure a vendor booth for $25. This is an INDOOR garage sale so hopefully the weather and heat will not be a concern.


The event will be held at the Forsyth Boys & Girls Club located at 501 Panther Rd. in Forsyth Missouri. For any questions of for directions, call Nathaniel Leech at 417-546-6299.

Iphone 4G quick fix

After Consumer Reports found that the IPhone 4G does in fact have a design flaw with its built in antenna, they also offered a solution of sorts. This would be to take a small length of non-conductive tape (duct tape?) and affixing it over the small gap along the bottom left edge of the phone. They found that this 'quick fix' will eliminate some of the problems with line dropout.

On Tipping and Sonic

One of the favorite fast food venues that my dad enjoyed before passing away in 2008 was to go to Sonics’ in Forsyth Missouri so we could sit in our car and enjoy a Sonic Berger and fries. This became a weekly ritual and I still carry on the tradition myself once in a while, diet permitting. The service there has always been extremely prompt and the carhops would always check back to make sure everything was satisfactory. The service they render is every bit as good as what I might receive at a sit down restaurant. So, it was with some surprise that I’ve recently learned that many people do not see fit to tip these hard working guys and gals. One server informed me that she made only three dollars in tips after working six hours. Now, it true that they do make a base wage, but I understand it’s a wage that is close to the minimum wage and so they depend on tips to make up the difference.

Now, I’m not writing about this to chide anyone on the paying of tips, but rather to ask that we take a moment to consider paying fairly for services rendered. Car-hopping is arduous at best and a plain downright challenge in nasty weather. Sonic, as matter of company policy, will not advertise that you can tip the carhops so it’s up to everyone to spread the word.