White River Valley Historical Society

A recent visit to the White River Valley Historical Society was made all the better by my encounter with the fine folks that work there, especially Ms. Leslie Wyman, the managing Director. She graciously showed me around even though they were in between theme exhibits. They were getting ready for the opening of ‘Ladies Fancywork’ which will showcase women who historically employed many talents, from quilting to embroidery to the nearly lost art of tatting (a technique for handcrafting a particularly durable lace constructed by a series of knots and loops)! This is just one of a number of exhibits that are presented in the course of a year. Coming up in September 2010 will be one I will want to see called ‘Sportsman’s Paradise’ and which will highlight hunting and fishing in the Ozarks.

The buildings location is at 297 Main Street in Forsyth, Mo. which is just across from the newly constructed Taney County Judicial Building. They can also be reached at 417-546-2210 if you have questions and the Historical Society maintains a very informative web page at www.wrvhs.org.

Forsyth Fun Day coming on July 17th

It’s a BBQ Challenge and Forsyth Fun Day to be held this coming Saturday, July the 17^th at the Shadowrock Park. Call the Forsyth Chamber of Commerce at 417 546-2741 for information on competing in the BBQ challenge or the boat race. From 9 AM to 12PM there will be music (Hipp Katz) and entertainment including activities for the kids sponsored by the White River Valley Historical Society. In addition, there will be a silent auction, horseshoe tournament and sand volleyball. Our Fire, Rescue and Emergency folks will also be performing demonstrations and a live fly-in.

Starting at 11:00 AM, my favorite activity begins and that is the serving of award winning BBQ to us common folks. (I’m not sure what the charge will be for this ($5?), but I can tell you it’s worth every penny). While you’re eating, you can also inspect the cardboard boats that will be competing shortly after the noon hour.

Ozark Mountain Pawn in Forsyth Missouri

Tucked away in back of the White River Plaza is the Ozark Mountain Pawn shop owned and operated by Scott Novak. Scott’s shop houses all sorts of unique and sought after items including tools, ammo and fine jewelry all at bargain prices.

Scott’s shop is located at 14974 US Hwy 160 in Forsyth, Missouri and their phone number is 417-546-3778. The shop also specializes in jewelry repair and engraving. Stop by and say hi!

The Taney County Republican is back!

The Taney County Republican, a newspaper that has roots going back to 1895 is back in publication! I read the latest edition, cover to cove, and admit that even in an age of computers, it sure is nice to sit back and read what good journalists have to say.

You know in my opinion, amid all the chaos that is day to day life in the 21^st Century, there is still a niche to be filled by a newspaper you can hold in your hands and enjoy. Thanks for coming back!

Tropical depression Alex may (or may not) affect Missouri at some point

As of June the 27^th, the tropical storm named Alex is still getting its act together down in the Gulf of Mexico where it is expected to strengthen considerably over the next few days over warm Gulf waters. Then, after it makes landfall sometime around Thursday, it might just make a sweep through the southwest portion of Missouri toward the coming weekend as the probability map here suggests. So, another chance for heavy rain could be in the cards for next week sometime.

Political Commentary and more!

At Forsythkid.com

The Taney County Fair Video is now available

One would think, after shooting hours of video, that I would be able to come up with some sort of story line to visually show what was a most excellent five day event. Trouble was, a County Fair by its very nature, is a chaotic mix of many elements. There are crafts, music, food vendors, rides and politicians all competing for your attention.. Throw in some animals running amok and automobiles bent on complete destruction and what you get is a visceral and informational miasma that pleasantly assaults the senses from every direction. (Sort of like Congress on a good day).

So, putting something together for my You Tube Channel video was rather a challenge.  Not wanting to subject my audience to the raucous sounds of machinery gone wild!  I attempted to match a background musical track that had some semblance of relationship to the topic at hand. In the end, I came to realize that a Fair is really more about the people that attend it and how well they enjoy the experience, Thanks DanO!