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Volume 103 • Number 250 • Thursday, December 26, 2013 • PO Box 188 • 111 E. Jenkins • Maryville, MO
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City green-lights MoDOT deal for First Street By TONY BROWN News Editor
The city of Maryville has formally accepted a contract with the Missouri Department of Transportation that will lead to the re-designation of East First Street between Main and Depot as Highway 46. Moving — and repaving — the through-town highway route is to occur during the 2014 construction season along with several other proposed local MoDOT projects. These include resurfacing of the following roads: Jade Avenue near its intersection with the Highway 71/136 bypass north of town; currently graveled 250th Street, which crosses the bypass and leads
to the MoDOT facility and Missouri State Highway Patrol office; a brief stretch of Highway 136 on the east side of the bypass; and an L-shaped portion of road comprising Route V east from Munn to the south terminus of Main Street. The largest of the planned MoDOT projects calls for repaving the entire 71/136 bypass by laying asphalt over the existing concrete. City officials have long sought to reroute Highway 146 from East Third to East First in order to eliminate an awkward traffic jog downtown. The state highway designation currently runs through Maryville eastbound along First Street until it gets to Main, then right-angles
north two blocks to the courthouse square, where it turns east again on Third Street and continues past Eugene Field Elementary School to Depot. City officials have said the odd routing was devised years ago due to the location of the old Maryville High School building on East First. The jog also funneled more traffic onto the square, then the heart of Maryville’s retail shopping district. Though the school is long gone, and most of the city’s stores and shops are now located along the South Main corridor, the odd Zshaped path of Highway 46 remains. Officially, anyway.
In reality, most cars and trucks moving east to west through town simply cross Main and continue down First Street. Drivers who do opt for the “real” highway serve to increase traffic volume in front of the elementary school. Past discussions with MoDOT about shifting the highway route south two blocks to East First hit a snag because the state declined to bring Third Street up to city standards with curbs, gutters and an improved storm water system. However, discussions earlier this year resulted in the deal formalized by the City Council earlier this week. The crux of the agreement is for the city to accept maintenance re-
sponsibility for East Third Street between Main and Depot, while MoDOT has pledged to repave First Street’s 24-foot-wide driving surface along the same stretch. First Street is 36 feet wide between Main and Depot and includes a 12-foot-wide “parking lane” along the north side of the street. The city will retain responsibility for this strip, but will receive funds for repaving it through a state Surface Transportation Program grant. That great news from the city’s perspective, since the $31,000 grant covers all but $8,000 of Maryville’s share of the project, which has a total price tag of $155,000.
Council to hike Christmas Memories 2013 Mozingo Lake Park user fees By TONY BROWN News editor
With temperatures plunging well below zero earlier this week, no one is thinking much right now about camping or golfing. Except, that is, the Maryville City Council, which squeezed in a brief regular session prior to the Christmas holiday in order to pass an ordinance raising user fees at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park by about 9 percent across the board. In their written proposal to the council, City Manager Greg McDanel and Assistant City Manager Ryan Heiland, who has overall responsibility for Mozingo maintenance and operations, said several factors lay behind the need for higher rates. First of all, utility rates at the park increased 23 percent as of last January, said the city’s two top managers. Another factor is that green fees and other charges at the 18-hole Mozingo Lake Golf Course have remained flat for the past eight years despite the fact that such consumables and fuel have doubled in price over the same period. The report stated that “updating of fees at Mozingo has become critical.” Fee increases at the park go into effect January 1. However, park patrons who have already made reservations for
‘Other charges at the 18-hole Mozingo Lake Golf Course have remained flat for the past eight years.’ Daily Forum reporter Kevin Birdsell braved near-zero temps earlier this week to take these photographs of holiday decorations festively illuminating homes in various parts of Maryville. High-”lights” around town included the green, glowing Bearcat paw shining down from the second story of the Alumni House at Northwest Missouri State University and the United States flag waving over the snow-covered portico of the Gaunt House, official residence of Northwest Missouri State University President John Jasinski and his family. As the Christmas season passes for another year, all of us here at the Daily Forum hope your holiday was a merry one and offer each of our readers every good wish for a happy and fulfilling New Year.
cabins, RV slots and other services will be charged at the old rates. One fee that won’t change is the cost of renting the cabins and dining hall at Mozingo’s organized youth camp. McDanel said the facility has historically posted low occupancy numbers, around 16 percent, and is the focus of an ongoing marketing effort designed to boost usage. Elsewhere the new fee structures mean golfers will pay $40 for an 18-hole round Monday through Thursday, including cart, rather than the current $37. The Friday though Sunday fee will go from $40 to $43. Discounts for senior golfers and students are set to increase from $33 for a full round to $35 during the work week and $38 Friday through Sunday. A single five-day summer pass at the course is to be sold for $450, up from $400, and a seven-day pass will increase from $605 to $655. The city will continue to offer discount passes for seniors, students, families and fall and spring play. Peak season rates for cabins will still vary according to the size of the structure and are to range from $88 to $176 compared to the current spread of $80 to $160. Reserved and non-reserved RV campsites will increase $5, to $35 and $25 respectively, while tent campsites will remain at $10 a night. Mozingo’s two shelter houses will See PRICES, Page 3
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