by Pauline Masson - Hometown Matters

paulinemasson July 23, 2021August 8, 2021by Pauline Masson 1 Comment

Pacific Turns Out for Cardinal’s Game to Benefit Historic First Baptist Church Restoration Project

Some 180 Pacific boosters and avid baseball fans turned out for a ball game Thursday evening July 22 to see the St. Louis Cardinals play the fourth and final game of their series against the Chicago Cubs. The Cardinal’s won the game three to two but a couple of innings scrunched into Casey at the Bat nail biters. Pacific fans groaned in unison when Cubs landed two hits and two runs in the fourth inning. The game halted briefly when … Continue reading “Pacific Turns Out for Cardinal’s Game to Benefit Historic First Baptist Church Restoration Project”

paulinemasson July 22, 2021August 8, 2021by Pauline Masson 1 Comment

Subdivision Gets Nod After Changes Promised But One Alderman Wants Proof of Changes Before Final Approval

In two separate actions, aldermen approved a 45-home subdivision known as The Manors at Brush Creek to be located on Lamar Parkway, extending from Old Gray Summit Road to the railroad overpass at the June 20 meeting. Approved were an ordinance changing the zoning of the subdivision site from R1-C to R1-B PUD-PDR and a preliminary plan with amendments that described the project. The action came after neighbors of the project had launched a campaign to derail the development. They … Continue reading “Subdivision Gets Nod After Changes Promised But One Alderman Wants Proof of Changes Before Final Approval”

paulinemasson July 22, 2021August 8, 2021by Pauline Masson 1 Comment

Sewer Rates are Going Up

Beginning in September, city water and sewer users will see an increase in the sewer charges on their bill. Aldermen approved a 42 percent increase in sewer rates at the July 20 board meeting. The current volume charge is $ 2.92 per thousand gallons of water, or fraction thereof. The new sewer rate will be $4.14 per thousand gallons of water that enters the structure, or fraction thereof. The increase amounts to a monthly increase of $ 6.10 for a … Continue reading “Sewer Rates are Going Up”

paulinemasson July 20, 2021August 8, 2021by Pauline Masson 1 Comment

Route 66 Mural Targets 2026 Anniversary / Goes to Committee

The City of Pacific will take the lead in developing a Route 66 related mural on the concrete retaining wall on Osage Street (Route 66) between First and Second streets. Officials made the decision at the July 6 board of aldermen meeting. The operations committee will be asked to plan the mural. The action was taken at the request of Herb Adams, president of the board of aldermen. He said downtown business owner Nancy Omer, who had first called for … Continue reading “Route 66 Mural Targets 2026 Anniversary / Goes to Committee”

paulinemasson July 18, 2021August 8, 2021by Pauline Masson 4 Comments

St. Louis Street Renaissance Brings New Life to the Old Business Core of the City

Crisp paint patterns on 1870s’ brick facades, lady barbers, a patio in the street and tuck pointing crews in bucket lifts are giving a new look to Pacific’s former Main Street. These elements represent a true revival or renewal of the old business core of the city. St. Louis Street, formerly called Main Street or Front Street, was the life blood of Pacific’s economy, starting in the railroad boom years. Thanks to the traveling salesmen that rode the Pacific and … Continue reading “St. Louis Street Renaissance Brings New Life to the Old Business Core of the City”

2024 Banner Year
For Rock Church Picnic

The annual St. Patrick’s Rock Church picnic is the only source of revenue for the church that was abandoned as a parish in 1925. The St. Patrick of Armagh Preservation Society launched the modern picnics in 1973 to mimic the harvest picnics that were held here in the 1870s. Modern picnics have poured almost a million dollars into restoration of the former parish church, cemetery and grounds.

The August 18, 2024 picnic was the most lucrative ever, serving dinners to 1,851 adults and 132 children, taking in $76,339 and netting a profit of $39,636 that will go into church upkeep. That was almost double the 2023 picnic that took in $57,935 and netted $20,542.

“It was unbelievable,” David Murphy, Preservation Society president said. “I think it was partly the perfect weather, and people didn’t leave right after they ate. They stayed and stayed. People stayed into the evening.

“This year funds will be spent to replace guttering on the church that caused a leak that damaged part of the interior wall of the church. That damage will be repaired and will make major repairs the priests house,” Mr. Murphy said.

Since 1973, St. Patrick’s picnics have had $1,656,771 in revenue and netted $913,312 in profits that went toward church and grounds restoration, along with untold numbers of hours of volunteer labor.
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Tales of the Woods
By Walter Schlemper

In Missouri in the middle of the last century, coon hunting was a popular activity. Some people hunted coons just for the pure joy of it.

Local resident Walter Schlemper, who gained a certain local celebrity with his mules, wrote a delightful memoir about the years when he and his brother Richard, and their friends the Vieman brothers spent their free time hunting coons. They were respectful, competent boys, who convinced their father that they needed a coon dog. Hunting was one of the few forms of recreation available to young men in their rural community. The book takes the reader through hunts on long cold nights with the Vieman brothers and a series of beloved coon dogs.

Mr. Schlemper wrote this part memoir part how-to coon hunting book so that his children and grandchildren and children and grandchildren of the Vieman brothers could have a memory of coon hunting that requires a man to use his resources and in return gives him a sense of accomplishment that would last a lifetime.

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Tag: by Pauline Masson

Pacific Turns Out for Cardinal’s Game to Benefit Historic First Baptist Church Restoration Project

Subdivision Gets Nod After Changes Promised But One Alderman Wants Proof of Changes Before Final Approval

Sewer Rates are Going Up

Route 66 Mural Targets 2026 Anniversary / Goes to Committee

St. Louis Street Renaissance Brings New Life to the Old Business Core of the City