Black River News

The End

2008-12-14T10:09:00.002-06:00

It's been three years since that eventful morning. Since I'm no longer living in Lesterville and there is a great lack of news about the work on top of the mountain and not a whole lot of news out of DNR I've decided that this is a good time to put this blog to sleep. I will leave it up on the net as long as Blogger (Google) leaves it up as a historical document of what went on during these past three years. I'm sure that many of the links are already dead since many news papers don't leave articles up for a great deal of time. However, I think this link will be up for years to come and I think it best explains what happened December 14 to the people living along the river.

Don't send FEMA!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T09:20:00.003-06:00

On a recent trip south we stopped by the National Metals Museum in Memphis to visit Doug's fountain. It was a cold, windy day on the Mississippi River bluff. Miss you Doug.

Finally Some News

2008-10-19T17:13:00.000-05:00

Here is an article about the geology of the Taum Sauk scour.

Stormy Times

2008-09-13T04:52:00.002-05:00

Pam and I traveled to Alabama this week to visit family. Friday morning we gassed up in southern Alabama at $3.53. We headed back toward Springfield with a planned stop in Jackson, Mississippi to visit my brother. When we arrived in Jackson about half of the gas stations were closed because they had no gas and there were lines at the open stations. By the time we had dinner we saw some of the closed stations had received fuel and the price was $5.17 a gallon. That's a big number for this old potter!

Fun Times

2008-08-31T15:00:00.002-05:00

I've tried to keep this blog non-political but this was just too funny!

Shut-Ins Photos

2008-08-25T21:46:00.000-05:00

Shelley Powers has posted some great photos and comments about the Shut-Ins.

New Addition

2008-08-08T09:14:00.003-05:00

Sam at three weeks.

Samuel Harrison Ferber
August 7, 2008
More Photos

Old Times - New Times

2008-08-02T07:57:00.002-05:00

I just spent three days in Lesterville. As of August 1 we no longer own any property in Reynolds County. The closing went well and the new family seems very excited about their move to the valley and we wish them well. While I was in Lesterville I talked to a friend about the Shut-Ins rebuild and that was the day that DRN worked out a new deal with Mactec. I also found this article about the upper reservior rebuild and if you read it and look at the photo of the site it is easier to understand.

On a personal note Pam and I had dinner at BRL this past Wednesday. It was great to visit with a lot of old customers that have become friends over the last two decades. We sat at Gil's table and heard about his fight with cancer. It was a great evening and thanks to everyone that made it so.

Area 51 in the Ozarks

2008-07-25T08:53:00.002-05:00

This is the photo I've been looking for! I drove up Highway U last week and hoped to see some of the construction, but all you can see from that angle is a pile of the old reservoir wall. This photo was taken looking to the SE and the plane had to be over the scour. Thanks to an old friend in Lesterville for sending this photo.

Family News

2008-07-24T15:32:00.002-05:00

My son Jason got to interview John Goodman today, he said it was a good day a work!

Shut-Ins News

2008-06-25T17:04:00.001-05:00

The State of Missouri (dba DNR) will be the contractor to rebuild the rest of the Shut-Ins.

And Now We've Lost Carlin

2008-06-23T13:38:00.000-05:00

I’m a rude dude, but I’m the real deal. Lean and mean! Cocked, locked and ready-to-rock. Rough, tough and hard to bluff. I take it slow, I go with the flow, I ride with the tide. I’ve got glide in my stride. Drivin and movin, sailin and spinin, jiving and groovin, wailin and winnin. I don’t snooze, so I don’t lose. I keep the pedal to the metal and the rubber on the road. I party hearty and lunch time is crunch time. I’m hangin in, there ain’t no doubt and I’m hangin tough, over and out!" George Carlin 1937 - 2008

News from the River

2008-06-20T13:22:00.002-05:00

First, if you have not heard the Shut-Ins will open on June 26 at 8am and will remain open until August 24th. I heard that work is about to begin on a new cell tower in the Lesterville area. It will be located back on the West Fork, so there should be a good signal all up and down the river as well as in the "metro" Lesterville area. On our last trip to Lesterville we had a number of cases of calls failing to go through. I believe this is because of the limited capacity on the current tower and I'm sure there are a lot more phones now that there is such a large work crew rebuilding the upper reservoir.

Want a Country Place?

2008-06-19T14:43:00.003-05:00

Sold the place on August 1, life is good!

Post Cards

2008-06-15T10:16:00.001-05:00

Wonder if there will ever be a post card of the new upper reservoir?

Sad News

2008-06-02T12:40:00.001-05:00

We all have a music hero from our youth and for me it's always been Bo Diddley. Just heard that Bo died today. At least his music will live forever.

Change Ahead?

2008-06-02T11:26:00.003-05:00

If you don't read the St Louis Post here is an article that is pretty interesting. Now its a long way from getting past the law makers and then you have to enforce the law and that has never been a big thing in Reynolds County, but still could make a difference.

6-26-2008

2008-05-22T10:27:00.001-05:00

DNR hopes to open the Shut-Ins on June 26.

Just For Fun

2008-05-20T08:53:00.003-05:00

So that's how you pronounce Missouri!

Random News

2008-05-15T07:51:00.002-05:00

I was in Lesterville for a few days to attend the monthly meeting of the Education Enrichment Fund. Looks like we might start handing out money in July.

Those of you that are frequent readers of this blog may remember that when the reservoir broke that there was an old farm house across the highway from the park that became an island during the flood. The Walker home was built on a small hill and it was high enough not have any water enter the home. I learned that the home was hit by lightening a few weeks ago.

Speaking of lightening hits, I talked to Laurie and Ronnie Mayes about their new house. They hope to move in sometime in July. I also saw Gil. He looked a little worse for wear, but was in good spirits and felt his cancer treatments were going well.

On my way home to Springfield I was traveling west on Highway 32 towards Salem. This is a very curvy road with few places to pass. Two vehicles came up behind me and after a short while the first car came around me on a blind curve in a double yellow no passing zone. The car had an official state of Missouri plate. A mile later the second vehicle, a pickup with a U. S. Goverment plate ,passed in another no passing zone. Nice to know our public servants are so interested in getting to work.

There is general apprehension about how the summer is going to be in Lesterville. The high cost of gas and soft economy have folks wondering how many people are going to change their travel plans. Pam and I had planned a trip to NC and another to NM and they are both on hold. Think I'll explore closer to home this summer.

Got To Love The Ozarks

2008-05-10T07:09:00.003-05:00

Camo Prom Dress

Taum Sauck or Thum Sauk or Tom Sauck?

2008-05-05T07:56:00.002-05:00

Here's an interesting article.

News From Lesterville

2008-05-02T08:54:00.003-05:00

Pam and I spent another 48 hours packing and cleaning up at the pottery. There was lots of evidence of high water as we drove down Peola Road. The stairs to the river from BRL are still damaged or missing. The entrance road to Twin Rivers was washed away and has not been fully rebuilt. I heard that a lot of the work that had been done at the Shut-Ins was damaged by the last flood and as I reported earlier the park may not reopen in June. There are a lot of construction workers living in the area, Lenny's lot was full after work. They are pouring concrete on top of Proffitt Mt. but I was not able to find our any specifics.

Good news, work on the new home for Laurie Mayes has started.

Little Help Please

2008-04-20T09:15:00.003-05:00

The brother of one of my good Black River Lodge friends is fighting cancer and his family is asking for help. Pam and I have donated a pasta bowl for a fund raiser that will be held on May 9th at the St Vincent DePaul Parish Hall, so bid high and help out. Here is a link to Mike O'Toole's web site.

Upcoming Election

2008-04-20T07:31:00.002-05:00

The following is a quote from the Springfield News-Leader

family farms and small businesses could be spared with better access to affordable education and health care and broadband Internet access

To remain neutral I won't reveal the Missouri politician that said this, but my move to Springfield was prompted by two of these topics. I moved to Missouri from Iowa a quarter century ago. I loved the landscape, but was quickly surprised by the lack of services available in rural Missouri. My first summer in Reynolds County I went to the county fair and talked to a fellow that was running for state representative (he got elected). I ask him why I couldn't get Public Television in Lesterville (Iowa had it available to everyone in the state). He said I was wrong, that the public owned the airwaves and that there was a television signal that made it to Lesterville. This guy was from rural Missouri and had never heard of PBS or NPR. I rest my case.

Modern Life

2008-04-18T15:32:00.001-05:00

Here's something you would never see in Lesterville

Quake

2008-04-18T14:08:00.002-05:00

Haven't heard from any of my sources if anyone in the Lesterville area felt the quake. In the 24 years I lived there I felt two, or more accurately I heard two. Kitchen cabinet doors banging and that type of thing. The thing I found most interesting is the first two people to check this blog early this morning were from www.ferc.gov. You would think they would call Ameren directly and ask if the quake did any damage on Proffitt Mt.

How Much Water

2008-04-17T07:08:00.003-05:00

This is a picture of Table Rock dam at the height of its water release after the recent rains. So consider this, when the Taum Sauk reservoir failed there was four times as much water heading down the mountain on that December morning.

State Park Advisory Board

2008-04-15T07:08:00.002-05:00

The State Park Advisory Board will meet on Friday to discuss the Shut-Ins and Katy Trail.

Just Like Old Times

2008-04-11T08:45:00.002-05:00

Two Black River Lodgers stopped by our new home yesterday for lunch. Bob and Mary Beth Stith from the first week in August paid us a visit. They are among the many from BRL that visited the pottery from the first summer in 1984 till we closed last year. Bob was like our personal tour guide. If he met someone new to the area he put them in his van and drove them down to the pottery. So it was good to visit and relive some of the old times.

High Water

2008-04-10T15:32:00.002-05:00

The following highways in the Lesterville area are now closed because of high water. Highway 21, Highway 221 (the old W & V), and Highway N (road to the Shut-Ins). The Black River at the East Fork bridge has gone up over 6 feet since early this morning. If you live in the area and are reading this please leave a comment with your own water report. Thanks

Anybody Seen Noah?

2008-04-10T10:20:00.003-05:00

We've had 3 1/2" of rain here in Springfield in 48 hours and more expected this afternoon. I just checked the East Fork river gauge in Lesterville and they have had 3" this morning and more to come. Hard to remember that last July/August we were burning up in Lesterville with high temps and no rain. I have a number of plants that did not come back this spring. Can't imagine what the spring camping season in like in Lesterville this year.

Just talked to Bonnie Hendrickson and she said that she was flooded in and that Peola Creek was higher than its been in many years.

Where's the Rogaine?

2008-04-07T11:10:00.001-05:00

Those of you that have stood behind me while I made a pot on the wheel in Peola Valley will probably recognize my balding head.

Too Many Catalogs

2008-04-06T09:16:00.002-05:00

When you live in the country for 24 years and order a lot by mail you are going to get a lot of catalogs. Then we had the task of changing addresses. Well I just discovered a great online service. Its called Catalog Choice, and they say that they will stop the catalogs. Pam and I try to do our part when it comes to recycling. Springfield has a great recycle program and we head to the recycle center every two weeks with cardboard, glass, plastic, and lots of catalogs. So if you are like me and get overwhelmed with catalogs give this service a try. Remember its not just saving paper but all the energy that it takes to print and ship these to your house.

Bad Weather

2008-04-06T08:43:00.003-05:00

When my father was alive my folks lived a few blocks from this station near Jackson, Mississippi. My brothers father-in-law still lives near this corner. Looks like five tornadoes hit the Jackson area on Thursday. My folks moved to Jackson right after I graduated from high school (59) so I never considered it home, but I spent all my adult life visiting, so many of the places that I know well were in the storms path. Think we are all ready for some calm weather.

This photo is from the Clarion-Ledger.

Information Please

2008-04-04T11:37:00.002-05:00

I know that a number of Reynolds County residents read this blog. The Reynolds County Educational Enrichment Fund is in the process of finding the most critical needs for education in the county. If you would please take the time and send me an email with your thoughts on what could be done to best "enrich" the educational opportunities for all the people in the county I will pass this on to the Grants Committee. Second, I would ask that you contact at least two of your friends and ask them to send an email as well. We have a unique opportunity with the $3 million from the Ameren/State settlement. I would hope that we spend it wisely and slowly and get the best bang for the buck. So please give this some thought and contact me at the following address.

peolavalley(at)yahoo(dot)com

Report from Lesterville II

2008-04-04T11:33:00.003-05:00

Pam and I made a quick trip back to Lesterville so I could attend the board meeting of the Reynolds County Educational Enrichment Fund. The main thing to tell you is that we saw two large trees down at BRL. The ground is so wet that with the storm on Monday they just blew over. At our home we also had a large pine tree that was down, but no damage to our house. The creek was up and with more rain in the forecast we headed back west after my meeting, spending the night in Salem.

Report from Lesterville

2008-03-28T08:11:00.002-05:00

Pam and I made a quick trip back to Lesterville so I could attend the Audit Committee meeting of the Reynolds County Educational Enrichment Fund. The only damage we saw was the stairs down to the river at Black River Lodge were damaged. Probably the last 20 feet were gone. Peola Road is drivable, but had a lot of damage down near Riversedge Campground. Not sure what the river will look like at Wilderness once the water goes down. This was not a really big flood like 93 but still the biggest in a number of years. I talked to one neighbor that said a lot more sand had been deposited than in earlier floods.

On a personal note we learned while we were on our way to Lesterville that Pam and I will be proud grandparents of our first grandson this August.

Ah, Missouri

2008-03-23T08:40:00.003-05:00

Forget the car Pa, but save the new mower I got down at the Wal Mart.

Got To Love Ebay

2008-03-21T10:02:00.002-05:00

The link is dead now but someone sold a small piece of the liner from the Taum Sauk Reservoir on ebay. And they got two bidders. If Ameren had cut the liner up and sold a million pieces for $10 each that would have helped with their state settlement. I've still got a gallon of silt from the river, wonder what that would be worth.

Flood News

2008-03-21T08:06:00.004-05:00

This is a photo from KY3 of the damage to highway 106 between Shannon and Reynolds County. As of yesterday morning the mail was still not being delivered past Black River Lodge on Peola Road, however the county repaired the road near Riversedge Campground and the road is open again. I've had a report that Riversedge only received 8" of water so it was not nearly as bad as 93. That is good news because Lesterville does not need another disaster.

Here is a link to information about the Shut-Ins and the summer. I've expressed my frustration with State Parks in the past for lack of information and if you click around on the Shut-Ins site you won't find any photos from the last six months.

High Water

2008-03-18T15:56:00.003-05:00

Since I'm not in Lesterville to know exactly what is going on this prediction is a little iffy. That said, if you look at the river gauge on the East Fork I think this could be as big a flood as the November, 1993 flood. I'll bet that Twin Rivers and Riversedge are already under water and Parks Bluff and Bearcats have there eye on things. This looks like a big one. In November of 93 was the only time that Peola got out of its banks and was a threat to our buildings. We have had over 4 inches here in Springfield and most of the river south of us are at flood stage.

Wednesday morning, just had an email from Bearcats Campground. They said it was bad, water to the ceiling of their office and their cook shack and pavilion are gone. I'm sure that no one can get to most of the other campgrounds to check on the damage. For two years everyone has said that the river needed a good flushing out to move the Taum Sauk silt down river. We'll we got our flushing. Hope everyone is OK. I plan on being back in Lesterville next Wednesday. Hope I can get back to my home. The 93 flood did a lot of damage near our low water bridge and it was days before we could drive in or out. This event makes our move to Springfield look like a wise one. I'm too old for this type of event.

First Meeting

2008-03-16T09:09:00.002-05:00

Friday night the two boards that are to oversee the funds from the Ameren settlement were sworn in. After a talk about our legal duties as board members and another talk about the state "Sunshine Law" we were sworn in by Jay Nixon and we started our organizational meetings. I was surprised that at least two of my fellow board members thought that we should only have two meetings. An organizational meeting and then at the second meeting we should divide the $3 million between the four school districts and disband the board. I'm one of three board members that think we should try and make the money last at least 20 years. The other board members have not gone public with their thoughts. So I'll be back in Lesterville on March 26 for a committee meeting and on April 3 for the second board meeting. I don't know what went on at the Tourism board meeting. If anyone does please add a comment.

Show Time

2008-03-06T18:14:00.001-06:00

For those old friends of the pottery here is a video that was shot about eight years ago in Lesterville. Enjoy!

Settlement News

2008-03-04T12:39:00.003-06:00

I've been appointed to the Reynolds County Educational Enrichment Fund Board of Directors by DNR and the Attorney General. This fund is part of the settlement between the state and Ameren. Ameren provided $3 million for this fund. The first meeting of the nine board members will be March 14 at 5pm at the Lesterville School. At the same time will be the first meeting of the Taum Sauk Fund board. This group will be concerned with tourism and economic development. They have $7 million of Ameren's settlement to fund their projects. I'll keep you up to date on the Educational Enrichment activities as we go along.

Second Web Site

2008-02-17T12:44:00.003-06:00

Just received an email about a second web site promoting the Black River/Valley area.
I understand that many people in the Lesterville area were without electricity for 3 to 5 days last week and now the creeks/river are high because of the rain last night. There is a lot I miss about living in Peola Valley, but no power and high water are not on my list.

Wonder Where The $$$ Went?

2008-02-15T16:58:00.001-06:00

Here is Ameren's accounting of the $5 million and where it went. I have a friend in KC doing some research on the last item, stay tuned.

Progress With the Ameren Fine $$$

2008-02-10T18:35:00.000-06:00

Here is an article about how some of the $5 million is being spent to make everyone safer.

Food and Wi-Fi

2008-02-10T18:23:00.000-06:00

We made a trip back to Lesterville to continue packing up the pottery equipment. While there we stopped by the Black River Ice Cream Parlor. Donna and Terry Foster have redone the entrance and the main room to better serve you. So plan on stopping by next time you are in Lesterville.

Down the street at the Angry Minnow, a new place in town (for you old timers its in the building where Kelly's Corner was for years) you can order some food and check your email on your Iphone. As far as I know its the only place in Lesterville with wi-fi.

Finally we went to Ironton to try the new mexican restaurant, Casa Nuevo. Its located in the building that used to be Andy's. Very large menu and service and food were good. So on you way down it's a place to try.

And Now For Something Completely Different!

2008-02-02T07:28:00.000-06:00

This editorial made my day.

One New Web Site

2008-02-01T10:56:00.000-06:00

Here is a link to one of the new web sites that Ameren's $$$ fine money paid for. Nice job Glee!

Taum Sauk Economic Footprint

2008-02-01T10:53:00.001-06:00

Here is a link to an Ameren news release about the Taum Sauk project.

Information Please

2008-01-30T08:45:00.001-06:00

The following is from a letter Ameren sent FERC about some of the grants from the$5 million fine.

Web sites that will go on line in mid-January and mid-April, along with
the visitor guide, will be ready in time to benefit travel and tourism businesses during the
2008 peak season. The two major web sites that will be developed under this Grant will
be completed by January 15, 2008

My question is, does anybody know if these web sites are up and running?

Lower Reservoir

2008-01-28T15:38:00.000-06:00

AmerenUE has announced that, beginning Feb. 1, the lower reservoir and campground at its Taum Sauk hydroelectric plant will reopen for limited public use from 7 a.m. Friday until 7 p.m. Sunday. The areas will remain closed at all other times.

That's progress!

New Site

2008-01-25T08:15:00.000-06:00

I've finally got a new web site up and running. Still need to post more product, but give it a look and let me know if you find any big mistakes.

Tourism

2008-01-23T08:01:00.000-06:00

Now that Matt won't have any pressing duties in 2009 maybe he, Melanie, and Branch can come camp out at the Shut-Ins for a week. Then on their way home to Springfield they could stop by the new state park in Shannon County. It could happen!

Buried Treasure

2008-01-16T08:18:00.000-06:00

While looking for something else I found this page of letters about the Ameren settlement. I found the last letter very interesting reading.

No Surprise

2008-01-10T07:40:00.000-06:00

The Reynolds County judge approved the settlement between Ameren and the State, so except for a few Don Quixote's out there it's probably all rebuild from now. I loved the quote from Don Barnes in this article. Remember this is the guy that just last month said that the settlement was unacceptable and the court house was not going to take this laying down.

I hope that everyone that has been interested will keep an eye out for where the money goes. So far there has been no accounting for the $5 million FERC programs and now we have $7 million for tourism and economic development and $5 million for education. I sure hope the education money goes for college scholarships and not "smart boards" and laptops and other "educational candy" that will be underused and old technology in a few years.

We're OK

2008-01-08T08:11:00.000-06:00

The first siren went off at 5:30pm and the last siren turned off at 11pm. We had one storm land about abouy 6 miles west of us and another was to the NE. Then at 3am the sirens started again. This was the strongest wind at our home, but we had no damage. My son just called and said he found a lot of shingle damage and his back fence was damaged by the wind. So we're OK. More later.

Opinion From The Top

2007-12-28T13:32:00.001-06:00

Here is a Matt Blunt editorial in the KC newspaper.

Same Old Story

2007-12-27T07:57:00.000-06:00

The following is from the Joplin paper.

Banking on the idea that Civil War tourists spend more time and money visiting historic sites than do pleasure tourists, organizations across Missouri are trying to find ways to promote the state's sites in time for the war's 150th anniversary.

The problem is that the anniversary is less than four years away, and, according to one state organization, Missouri isn't presenting a unified front capable of competing with Civil War sites in other states.

Too bad there wasn't a battle in Branson!

Community Service

2007-12-22T20:14:00.000-06:00

Here is a link to news release about the Taum Sauk Fund, Inc. and the process of finding individuals that want to serve on the board that will oversee the $7 million for tourism and economic development.

The Vote Is In

2007-12-17T08:23:00.000-06:00

The Springfield newspaper had an online poll yesterday. They ask should Ameren rebuild the Taum Sauk reservoir? The results 68% yes, 32% no, with 591 readers voting.

Better Photos

2007-12-15T09:14:00.000-06:00

Once again the Park Hills newspaper has one of the best articles. I recommend that you click on the photos, not a inclusive as I would have hoped, but better than I have found elsewhere.

A Day In The Life

2007-12-14T07:19:00.000-06:00

Each of us has certain days that stay with us for all our life, and December 14 will always be a big day for me. It's been two years since I received a call from a neighbor informing me that the reservoir had failed and that I needed to be ready for high water. As we all know that high water never came, but I have spent hundreds of hours in meetings, hearing, and other events during these past two years. In the process I have made a lot of new friends, mostly Ameren employees,
and I'm sure a few enemies for my take on some of the events and processes over the past 24 months. I'm happy to hear that the rebuild is underway and I hope that Ameren will keep everyone informed about the progress on top of Proffitt Mt.

Yesterday was the media tour of the site. Here is the newspaper report and here is a TV story. I sure wish there were better photos. I know the area well and I can't figure anything from this TV story. For the record, none of the Springfield stations covered this media event. So when you hear pronouncements from Jeff City about all the citizens of Missouri being harmed by this event, that may be technically true, but the day to day facts don't bare that out. It's a big local event in an area with a very small population.

Probably won't be any further coverage on this story for a while, so for my loyal readers, have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.

News From The Front Line

2007-12-08T07:56:00.000-06:00

Just returned from Lesterville and here is some of what I saw and heard.

Returning to Lesterville from Centerville on Thursday night I saw a scene that reminded me of "Close Encounters". Remember when Richard Dreyfuss first sees the landing zone at the base of Devils Tower? Well that is what the Taum Sauk area looks like at night from Highway 21. Must be enough lights to light two super bowls. I did not have time to head up Highway U to see what it looks like from that vantage point, but anyone heading back to Lesterville should plan an after dark drive to take a look at this site.

There did not seem to be much thought about the Ameren settlement except that everyone seemed to be happy that it was settled. There is still some dissatisfaction at the Court House and Sen. Engler is unhappy that Iron County did not get anything directly out of the settlement. The biggest question is who is going to be appointed to the two boards (tourism and education) and will they really be independent. Guess only time will tell.

On Highway J near Oats a new 3 bay fire station is near completion. This was built with part of the $5 million FERC fine. Still no 911, but I guess its still in the works.

Here are two links about another aspect of this story.

New State Park

PSC Investigation
I wonder what this political investigation cost the tax payers. Ameren and it's insurance carrier may pay a lot in this settlement, but there are a lot of tax payer funded costs that are going to just be absorbed in this deal.

Finally, Ameren is having a press tour on the reservoir site this Thursday. I'd love to see it, but I'm not driving back to Lesterville for the event. So hope that all the news media will do a good job of showing us what the top of Proffitt Mt. really looks like. Still want to encourage Ameren to install a webcam and let all of us watch from our computers.

Local News

2007-12-02T19:59:00.000-06:00

Pam and I are heading back to Lesterville tomorrow for a week of packing and cleaning. I'll try to talk to some local contacts and see what the mood is after the settlement.

In other news I should disclose that I have degrees from the University of Oklahoma and the University of Kansas. I'm a happy guy!

Katy Trail Problems?

2007-12-01T08:49:00.000-06:00

I looked through the 80 page document, but I did not read it all. Here is a link to a Kansas City site that sees some problems ahead.

Well It's Almost Over!

2007-11-29T21:59:00.000-06:00

Any bets on how successful this will be in a Reynolds County Court?

The Good Stuff

2007-11-29T14:41:00.000-06:00

Here a a link to the information that I've been waiting to read. I knew that Centerville would not be happy about the settlement. I was present at a meeting where it was made clear that the county officials thought that they should have final say in how all the money was spent. It will be interesting to see if any elected officials end up on these boards.

Where the Money Will Go

2007-11-28T12:40:00.000-06:00

Here is a good link explaining where the money will go. I find it interesting that some of the $7 million for economic development could go for a sewer treatment plant for Lesterville. There is no doubt that this is needed, but it sure won't do anything to bring new business to Lesterville. I'll also be interested in seeing where the "education" money goes. I'm sure that there are a lot of elected officials in Centerville that are wondering where their piece of the pie is.

One final thing about school money. The old reservoir was valued at about $80 million for tax purposes, the published cost of the new reservoir in $350 million. Does that mean that Lesterville school will have an additional $1.5 million in taxes each year after the plant is completed and working. I see a lot of wasted $$$ for flashy technology.

It's Over

2007-11-28T10:08:00.000-06:00

Just got an email from Ameren that they have settled with the State for $177+ million. You can check the Ameren Taum Sauk web site for future details about this settlement.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T08:11:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving is always special for me. Thirty years ago I was just finishing radiation treatments for thyroid cancer in November and Thanksgiving was the first real meal that I could enjoy. This year we will not be traveling on Thanksgiving, but will host the meal in our new home. So hope that all of you have a great holiday.

Not much news on the Taum Sauk front, but its only three weeks till the second anniversary of the Taum Sauk event so I'm putting money on a settlement just before the 14th.

Here are two items from a letter Ameren sent to FERC.

Ameren has contracted with Ozark Constructors LLC to rebuild the Upper
Reservoir. Mobilization of the concrete plants, material handling, and
construction equipment is approximately 95% complete. The water
withdrawal pumping system is almost complete and startup of this system
is expected by mid-November. Water withdrawals from the Lower
Reservoir will begin when this system becomes operational.

Ameren is on schedule with the rebuild of the Upper Reservoir. Currently
the refill of the Upper Reservoir is planned for April to June 2009.

F15 Crash Site

2007-11-06T07:31:00.000-06:00

The Forest Service has posted a map of the crash site and announced that an area of 9 square miles around the site will be closed for 60 days. If you go to the map on the far right you will see the Buick Mine. This is the largest lead mine in the USA. With all the troubles the Doe Run company has had they should feel lucky that the plane did not go down on the mine site.

I'm heading back to Lesterville to pack more stuff. I'll see if I can find any local gossip about the reservoir.

600 Bottles of Wine on the Wall

2007-11-05T08:36:00.000-06:00

Those of you that read this that were also past customers of the pottery will appreciate this story. The Public Television station in Springfield held a wine tasting fund raiser yesterday. Pam and I volunteered to help pour wine and I said that I would take home all the empties so they did not end up in a land fill. This morning we are going to wash out 606 bottles and get them ready to melt. Ah, retirement!

Air Show

2007-11-03T07:16:00.000-05:00

I've owned property in Reynolds County since 1970 and I lived there for 24 years. During that time I've watched thousands of "air shows" provided by the Air Guard and the Air Force. There were many times I wondered how long it would be till there was a crash. Well yesterday there was one. I was told that in the old days (1970's) that the B-52's would use the Upper Reservoir as a mock bombing site as they tried to avoid the F4's that were sent to look for them. Wonder what would have happened if this plane had crashed in the Shut-Ins?

Wonder Where The $$$ Went?

2007-10-31T14:16:00.000-05:00

Ameren just releases a list of projects from the $5 million FERC fine that was spent in Reynolds and Iron counties.

Long Time Concern

2007-10-29T08:02:00.000-05:00

The Springfield news paper has a good article about one of my long time concerns. In the 24 years I lived in Lesterville there were too many deadly crashes that involved young people. If you sat in the parking lot of Lesterville school, as I did many afternoons waiting for Pam, you saw most student drivers (and most parents) leaving the lot without wearing seat belts. Life just didn't seem to be valued.

Trick or Treat

2007-10-26T05:31:00.000-05:00

Article on the latest in the State vs. Ameren.

This Is News?

2007-10-25T08:38:00.000-05:00

As some of you may know the Missouri PSC is out with its report.

Here is Gov. Blunts news release.

"The Public Service Commission’s report affirms Ameren acted inappropriately and that they are responsible to the state.
"Unfortunately, the one person who had all the tools to get to the bottom of this and potentially punish any wrongdoing decided not to use those very tools. That the investigation was closed without asking basic questions of those involved while they were under oath continues to defy reason.
"I have consistently maintained that Missourians should not pay for Ameren’s misconduct and that Ameren has a responsibility to fully compensate the state for loss - both financial and recreational, and we have been working diligently on a settlement that is in the best interests of Missouri, tough on Ameren and provides fair compensation for the people of Reynolds County."

Here is what I'd like to know, how many of my tax dollars did the PSC spend on this process. Is there really any news here? There isn't in Springfield, Gov. Blunts home town news paper didn't have anything on the their web site, I had to do a search for "Ameren" to find it on the News-Leaders web site. I'll even bet that this is a "Ho Hum" event back in Lesterville. This is just another Jeff City game.

So Long Lesterville

2007-10-15T07:43:00.000-05:00

As I think all of you know we closed the pottery yesterday and are in the process of moving to Springfield. I'll be back a few days each month over the winter to get our property ready to sell in the spring. So I'll keep checking the internet news sources and talk to the locals when I'm back in town to let you know what is happening. I do know that someone contacted Wilderness Lodge to see if they could rent a cabin for 16 months because they were going to be working on the reservoir. So while there has been no official announcement, all sorts of work is starting in preparation of the rebuild.

Ozark Roads

2007-10-10T07:12:00.000-05:00

Some of you have probably seen the news reports about a bad school bus crash in western Reynolds County. I have traveled this road many times this year in the process of moving to Springfield. What is ironic is that it may have been caused by a good road. Most rural roads in this part of the Ozarks are narrow, curvy, and have no shoulder, but KK is like a freeway. It was built to serve a number of the lead mines in Iron and Reynolds counties and it is wide, fairly straight, and a good deal of the road has good shoulders. It is also all downhill from highway 32 to the left hand turn to highway J. I'm always going to fast when I approach the J turn and I would be willing to bet that this was a factor in this crash. Just glad to hear that no one died.

Any News Out There

2007-10-03T15:06:00.000-05:00

Someone ask me if Ameren was rebuilding the reservoir. I answered "yes and no". There is a lot of work going on at the plant and they are relocating the junction of Highway 21 and Highway AA . AA goes to the Ameren site, so why would you pay to have some highway work done if you were not going to rebuild. A couple of weeks ago there was a rumor going around that a settlement was close and that the rebuild would start soon, but if you check Google News you will only find 3 old articles about "Ameren Taum Sauk".

For those of you that don't live in the St Louis area you can now go to the Ameren Taum Sauk web site and see the TV show that Ameren ran on the St Louis NBC station a few weeks ago.

Brrrr!

2007-09-15T08:15:00.000-05:00

It was 39 degrees this morning in Peola Valley. A reminder that one month ago to the day it was 109 degrees. The big rains of last week (9 1/2" in three days) have really brought a lot of things back to life, but it will be next spring till we know the real loss from the heat and lack of rain.

Stuff

2007-09-07T08:33:00.000-05:00

After a long dry summer we had 4" of rain on Thursday. Don't know how many of the plants it will help, but it was good to see it raining.

The Mt. Echo (Ironton newspaper) had an article about Taum Sauk. Seems that a number of new students have been enrolled at the Arcadia Valley schools. The parents of those students are employed by Ameren or one of their contractors. I talked to someone that drives on Highway AA (the road to the Taum Sauk plant) each day to get to work and they said that it was common to see 40 trucks heading towards the plant. But Ameren says it still has not decided whether to rebuild the reservoir. What do you think?

Big Production Value

2007-09-05T15:50:00.000-05:00

Even when I'm in Lesterville I don't get KSDK and I'll be in Springfield, so how about some of you adding a comment to this post next Wednesday about this program.

AmerenUE Sponsors KSDK-TV , Channel 5 Special Presentation: “A New Beginning…Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park ” at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 12

Program Offers Full Story on What Happened to Missouri’s Popular Park After Breach at AmerenUE Taum Sauk Plant Upper Reservoir Released A Billion Gallons of Water-- Sending Trees, Boulders, Silt, Debris Down a Mountain into Park

Random Notes

2007-09-01T07:25:00.000-05:00

After the hottest August ever it was good to wake up to 48 degrees this morning. For the next six weeks we will spend the weekdays in Springfield working on our new studio and the Pottery in Lesterville will only be open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until we close on October 14. I won't have internet service in Springfield until September 18, but I'll check my email a few times a week at the library.

As to local news, on our last trip to Farmington we passed 8 large semi dump trucks heading to the Taum Sauk site. I assume that they are stocking up on fly ash for the rebuild. I've heard that Fred Weber is asphalting the rode to the top of Proffitt Mt. So lots of $$$ are still being spent at the Taum Sauk site.

I saw Laurie and Ronnie Mayes in the Ice Cream Shop yesterday. They said that they were OK and Laurie said that she was going to need some new coffee mugs. Think I can handle that.

Everything You Wanted To Know!

2007-08-20T08:10:00.000-05:00

The Columbia Missourian had a great article about the last 19 months after the Taum Sauk event.

BRL News

2007-08-18T19:36:00.000-05:00

For the BRL guests that read this blog I wanted you to know that the home of Laurie Mayes burned to the ground last night. We had a very strong electrical storm and lightning hit her home.

Big Step

2007-08-15T20:33:00.000-05:00

FERC says its OK to rebuild, now if we can just get the other problems solved. It was 109 here today. What sounded like rain was dead leaves falling off the trees. Six weeks with little rain and very hot temps have made this a summer to remember.

Shut-Ins/Taum Sauk

2007-08-13T19:27:00.001-05:00

I spent the weekend moving more stuff to Springfield so I'm just getting back online and just found these two links.

Taum Sauk

Shut-Ins

This week is the last week of the full summer season. With so many schools starting early most of the lodges and campgrounds will be empty next week. The temps have been terrible and this week looks like another hot one. Last Thursday it got to 109 in Peola Valley and we have not had any real rain since late June.

View from the West

2007-08-10T07:22:00.000-05:00

Here is a link to an editorial from the Springfield News-Leader about Taum Sauk.

You can't be serious!

2007-08-04T07:52:00.000-05:00

Think Lesterville needs to get John Macinroe to start yelling at the Feds.

Taum Sauk Manager

2007-08-03T07:58:00.000-05:00

Here is a link about the testimony of David Fitzgerald, manager of the Taum Sauk plant from 1999 to 2002. David and I served on a number of school committees and his son graduated from the Lesterville High School. I found him to be one of the good guys and I'm glad that he was at the plant during this period.

I had a chance to drive up Highway U, the only place where you get a fair view of the Upper Reservoir, and on the SW corner of the reservoir I saw the boom of a very large crane. There are also three large dump trucks making round trips from the plant to some spot north on 21. So construction may not have started, but there is a lot of prep work going on.

Taum Sauk / PSC

2007-07-26T08:12:00.000-05:00

I haven't had a lot of time to follow the PSC inquiry, but from what I have read I haven't seen any new information.

Can You believe It?

2007-07-20T07:45:00.001-05:00

According to this article there is actually politics involved in the Taum Sauk event.

Here is a Kansas City Star article on a similar subject. I can't resist printing a quote from this article for those of you that don't want to wade through it.

"(Donald) Barnes, the letter’s lead signer, was not available Thursday for comment Thursday. He was recently charged in state court with soliciting a prostitute stemming from a May incident in which he was beaten and stabbed in Shannon County."

So if you have seen TV interviews with Donald Barnes, who served as an adviser to the Ameren FERC Fine Panel, I expect a lot of interesting things to go on here in Reynolds County after this was published in the local paper. Ain't life interesting.

Area News

2007-07-19T12:33:00.000-05:00

Ameren has posted a number of photos of people at the Shut-Ins. They also have posted photos of some of the projects that were funded with the FERC fine money. I can tell you that a lot of people are working at the Lesterville school on the new $900,000 roof.

Some Good Press

2007-07-19T07:34:00.000-05:00

The Springfield News-Leader has an article about the Shut-Ins. If you click on the graphic link there is a map. I love the fact that the map still shows the Upper Reservoir full of water. I don't love the fact that the map does not show Lesterville.

I'm Surprised

2007-07-18T07:58:00.001-05:00

The Springfield paper had an article today about total taxable sales by ZIP code . I had never thought about checking this out. I checked the records for Iron and Reynolds county on the Department of Revenue web site. What surprised me is that when you compare the first quarter, when there are no tourists here with the third quarter when we seem to be covered up that there was not that great an increase in taxable sales. For Iron county the increase was $2,226,000 and for Reynolds county the difference was $2,697,000. I sure would have thought that all the folks visiting here would have left more money on the counter. Wonder if everyone is collecting sales taxes?

Same Old Story

2007-07-13T20:06:00.000-05:00

My son called to tell me there was a half page ad about the Shut-Ins being open in the Springfield News-Leader. I assume that this ad might be in the St Louis and Kansas City papers as well, I don't get the Post anymore as it always arrived a day late. However, apparently the ad refers to www.experienceblackriver.com , the site that Ameren owns and paid for last year. If you go to this site you will see that there isn't any current information. Wish just once that everything could work together, why pay for expensive advertising and then not follow it up with an up to date web site?