Hunting of Canada Geese off of Branson Landing “Goosed.”
The sound of shot gun blasts got the attention of Lamar Patton, the owner of Scotty’s Trout Dock, late on the afternoon of Sep.26. When he looked downstream off his dock he noticed some nit wits in a boat located just downstream from the Business Highway Bridge apparently enjoying a challenging day of hunting. They were shooting the almost domesticated Canada Geese just off the Branson Landing Parking lot within the city limits of Branson.
Several calls to local law enforcement agencies resulted in not only in no one responding to the call, but telling Lamar “It’s a conservation issue.” It wasn’t a “discharging a firearm inside the city limits issue,” but a “conservation issue” and, to the best of Lamar’s knowledge, no law enforcement officer responded to the call.
Does that mean it’s open season on Canada Geese in the Branson City limits waters between the Branson Landing shoreline and the center of Lake Taneycomo? Not hardly! City of Branson Police Chief Carroll McCullough said that, if the situation transpired as described, it was more than “a conservation issue” it was a violation of a city ordinance against the discharging a firearm within the city limits. Does that mean that those wanting to shoot ducks and geese on Lake Taneycomo should find somewhere else to do it other than within the waters of the city limits of Branson? Absolutely!
WOW, do Branson Airport Visitors Spend More?
Those attending the annual meeting of the Branson Lakes Area Tourism Community Enhancement District on Sep. 24 were given information by Branson Lakes/Lakes Area Convention and Visitors Bureau that the average spending “per party” was $919.34 for the 2009 reporting period up from $799.99 for the 2008 reporting period. That was good, but nothing compared to the report given by Jeff Bourke, Executive Director of the Branson Airport. A published report in this week’s Taney County Times on that report states “The Branson Airport has generated $92 million in visitor spending…” and that “At least 41 percent of the more than 10,000 people who have flown to Branson via the airport are first time visitors.” Using Ole Seagull math and assuming that it’s not much more than 10,000 people, that amounts to an incredible $9,200 per person or $18,400 for a “party” of two.
$680 K for ADA mandated ramps not one penny for cross walks.
The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is currently installing 393 sidewalk ramps at street and driveway entrances along West Highway 76 between Roark Valley and Gretna Roads “to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).” The $680,000 in funding for the project is stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Interestingly, between the west side of the junction of Fall Creek Road and Gretna Road there is not one cross walk for pedestrians, with or without a disability, to use to get afely from one side of Highway 76 to the other. Well the good news is that when they are built the sidewalk ramps will be there and until then those trying to cross Highway 76 will at least have a target to aim for.
Taney County Transportation Committee should win “Most Useless Award.”
What is the Taney County’s priority for the southern end of Fall Creek Road as the city of Branson is about to open the Fall Creek Road extension which will create the opportunity for a main north south corridor road from Highway 165 to Highway 248? Maybe the “Shadow knows,” but no one else knows because there is no list of Taney County transportation priorities. What a pathetic situation for a Class 1 county, transportation planning by osmosis, influence, or “pluck.” Based on what they have accomplished so far the Ole Seagull just has to nominate those on the “Taney County Transportation Committee,” or whatever it is currently being called, for his first annual “Transportation’s Most Useless Award.” The award has as much influence and value as their contribution to solving the transportation problems of Taney County has had thus far.