Gasoline at $10 a gallon. The reality of what that would mean!

Should some really bad things happen to our oil supply, then the price of gas could go into the upper stratosphere at some point. America has made it official policy to ignore the exploitation of its own reserves in favor of getting it from people who basically hate both us and our lifestyle. I think that much is common knowledge. We all knew in the back of our minds that someday, bad things could happen where the oil we buy may get partially or completely cut off. Sadly, that day is now upon us as a country!

 

Ask a person living in Arctic Village, Alaska what its like to try and live with $10 a gallon gasoline. They’ve been paying that for some time now and will tell you that while life does go on, it’s not one they would wish to have. Up there, filling up a Chevy Suburban gas tank costs about $310! So, just getting around at all is a luxury. Going to a grocery store up there is also a bit of a shock as the high fuel costs have placed even some common items off limits for all but the wealthy.  In 2008 a bag of flour costs $55 in some locations. I wonder what it costs these days.

 

In reality, such an increase would pretty well spell the end of this country and others. On a bright note, the death spiral would be pretty short.

What is Taney Services?

TaneyServices.com is actually two concepts at one location. It’s a site to promote computer help to those who need it in the Taney County Missouri area and it’s a location that will feature articles concerning other service companies that I feel are a good value.

The computer help portion of this site is intended to provide an income source for myself while at the same time acting as a support center for citizens who want or have a computer but are experiencing problems. I’m targeting senior citizens or anyone else who might need help with the ins and outs of system selection, setup and getting the equipment to do what they want it to do. I’ve found it can be extremely frustrating to have a problem with no one to turn to. Over the years, working at companies both here and in other states on computer systems, I’ve come across just about everything that can go wrong and have the resources to fix them. My major areas of expertise include; system selection, setup, troubleshooting and software instruction.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THIS SITE!

The second part of the site has to do with other services that are available that I feel offer excellent value for the money. This section which I call ‘Super Services’ consists of local home businesses that provide services like electrical and plumbing and with which I’ve personally vetted as being a company that can get the job done at a fair price. This area will be a work in progress for some time as I travel around looking for and weeding out the professionals from the ones that never show up.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THAT LOCATION!

Is the Powersite Sewer Project backed up?

According to an article that appeared in the February 19^th edition of the Branson Tri-Lakes News, the budget for some high profile projects including the Powersite Sewer Project have been cut. The article states that due to a ‘mis-communication’ between Regional Sewer District Administrator John Soutee, the county commission and County Auditor Rick Finley, the budget had been reduced from 14 million to just under ten million dollars. Such a reduction, if allowed to stand, could have significant impacts on the time table for completion. The funding has come from a special half cent tax and apparently Commissioner Ron Houseman has jumped in to correct the problem.

And those rates, they just keep a rising!

 Forsyth Missouri - Ever since last fall, I’ve been keeping an eye on the utility companies that serve Taney County Missouri. That’s when the customers served by Empire Electric got socked with a 13.35% rate increase. This to be followed in June 2011 by another whopping 9% slam dunk. Those may be added to if fuel costs rise (you mean like they are right now?).

Now Water District #2 is joining in with a 3% increase in the cost of water beginning April the 1^st. Did anyone get a memo on this when that was passed? And who was it that voted for the increase? The only mention of this I could find was a piece written on the internet by a local radio station. No mention as to why the rate increase was needed or how it is justified.

Next up this fall, will be the famous sewer projects which will affect some folks and which will add about $30 to their monthly list of bills. While this may save the environment, it is certain to sink some homeowners who are struggling now just to keep their heads above water.

Silver Creek is pretty darn dry!

This picture of Silver Creek right before it empties into Bull Shoals speaks of the dry conditions we’ve experienced in the Forsyth Missouri area since the beginning of last month.

Normally this area receives about 35.72 inches of precipitation (Data: West Plains, Mo.) each year. Last year in 2010 we had about 35 inches and so we were pretty close to normal.

In December 2010, however, the water spigot seems to have been shut off and since the first of that month; we have received only about three tenths of an inch. Now, in mid January where we could look for about two inches, we have had virtually nothing fall from the skies. I understand that this area experiences drought conditions once about every five to seven years and wonder if 2011 will be that kind of year. Update: Total precipitation for January was .38 of an inch!

Forsyth Flower Cottage & Tea Room

16052 Hwy 160
Forsyth, Missouri 65653          
Phone: (417) 546-5848

Mon-Fri: 11am - 2pm

[Forsyth Missouri, 2011] The Forsyth Flower Cottage and Tea Room located just off Highway 160 in the middle of town is owned an operated by Rene Newman. It’s been in business for 9 years now and has earned a reputation as a good alternative to the fast food emporiums that litter the area. What makes it unique is the flower shop located on the premises that offers innovative arrangements for all occasions. I’ve purchased flowers there for years, but never had the opportunity to enjoy lunch there. Honestly, the richly appointed dining area feels more like someone’s home than it does a restaurant. That may be due, in part, to the professional and yet homespun attention you get from servers like Carol. She took my order promptly and then delivered one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever tasted! (I think it was called the Carol Melt). It was a grilled pattie-melt type sandwich with some of the beat cheese I’ve ever tasted. This particular order selection also came with a salad, potato chips and a couple of cubes of cantaloupe. It was perhaps one of the nicest lunches in memory and was made all the more satisfying by the rustic décor scattered throughout the dining area itself. As they say, it’s the little touches that mean so much!

If you’re in a hurry, I understand they can handle carry outs and will even cater an event at your home or company. The Tea Room is generally open from 11AM to 2 PM Monday through Friday with limited seating, so if you’re planning on bringing a group, you might want to call ahead.

Please give this eatery a shot. I did and now I plan to make it a regular dining stop.

Note: The information contained in this blog are the opinions of the author and may not represent those of the owner. 

Powersite Sewer Project moving forward!

Apparently representatives of the company that will be installing a sewer system is going around house to house asking homeowners as to the location of their septic systems. I was told by the rep that they think they are now eight months to a year out from getting this effort completed.

According to the web page, ‘the purpose of the sewer project is to provide the area with a centralized sanitary sewer collection system in order to protect lake water quality by the removal of private treatment systems and residential septic tank/drain field systems.  The proposed collection system will consist of nearly 70,000 linear feet of new gravity sewer lines and force mains and associated lift stations.’

I inquired as to how much the hookup was going to cost home owners but could not get a definitive answer at that time. It is my understanding that anyone with questions can call Shawn Barry at 417 886-7171 to make inquiries. His email address is shawn@greatriv.com.