Mid America Live

What’s Up by LeRoy Cook

Beware Of Thawing Tundra

With morning temperatures more ameliorable to starting engines, aviation activity picked up this week. As March arrives, we’re merely chilly during ramp duties, not frozen stiff. The landscape is no longer a white desert of snow cover.

The Fliars Club flyout last Saturday garnered a total of five hungry travelers in two planes, with perhaps a half-dozen breakfast seekers on the Paola parking apron. Kansas’ mask requirements have been relaxed, making eating out more sociable. Other traffic observed was a Cessna Skyhawk, a Piper Archer and a Cirrus SR-series. From the local hangars, Dennis Jacobs flew the Cessna Skyhawk, as did Jeff Tourtillot and Eric Eastland, Lance Dirks had a Cessna 150 up and Jeremie and Jim Platt flew the Grumman Tiger. Three instructors—Les Gorden, Eric Eastland and I---fought over the student training schedule.

Remembering the times 60 years ago, when Butler airport was paved with grass, this is the season when one has to approach landing on turf runways with caution. The frost is going out of the soil, so the top few inches can get spongy, turning hard dirt into sloppy mud. You don’t want to land on someone’s nice grass strip and leave it rutted up, particularly as you lock a wheel to turn around. Replace your divots, as we say on the golf course.

I recall one chilly spring day when I taxied the Cessna 150 down to the south end of our old runway and promptly buried a maingear tire when I tried to turn around to take off. I had to walk all the way back to the hangar to get some boards to shove under the wheel, so I could blast my way out of the hole. The young lady I was taking up for a ride was not impressed.

Proving once again that you can’t always depend on your airplane being ready to go, I opened the hangar Saturday to find a flat nose tire. Airing it up was fruitless; it sank back to a limp pile of rubber in a few minutes. There was nothing to be done but weight down the tail and disassemble the gear. Fortunately, we had a new tire and tube in inventory. Takeoff was delayed an hour or so, including washup time.

For this week’s brain teaser, we wanted to know why American pilot licenses don’t carry a picture of the holder, like other civilized countries require. The FAA really doesn’t want to add a picture-taking burden, which would be kinda pointless since pilot licenses are issued for life; I sure don’t look like I did when my last update was done 40 years ago. So, the regulations say we have to carry some other photo ID, in addition to our license and medical, when flying. For next week, whose picture IS on all U.S. pilot certificates? Send your answers to kochhaus1@gmail.com

The Museum Minute: Dairy King rules the Butler strip

Courtesy of the Bates County Museum 802 Elks Drive, Butler Mo 64730 (660) 679-0134

Herrman’s Historical Happenings week of March 2

1882 Theodore Joseph and Emil Buchner will soon open their cigar factory in Butler.

1922 Sauerkraut lovers gather at Lon Ray’s grocery store, just off the square in Butler for the opening a new barrel of the fermented cabbage.

1930 Marshall’s Cleaners have just installed a modern hat blocker and finishing machine. Butler.

1946 Mr & Mrs H.R. LeNeve, who recently bought the roller skating rink, on East Park Avenue in Rich Hill, opened tonight with a large crowd.

1965 “Hooray!” The Dairy King is opening again, west side of US 71 north of Kahn Chevrolet. Earnest & Fern Fains says “Try our Dari King punch”.

1972 Mrs Claude Barker announces she’ll be retiring at the end of the year. She as taught grades one thru eight. She also taught in Passaic. She and her husband moved to Butler in 1949.

1978 Charlie’s United Super market, southwest corner of the stoplight in Butler (Dollar Tree location) “round steak, 99 cents per pound, Zesta Crackers 2lb 99 cents.

1991 It takes workers about three hours to remove the stalled Cadillac of 72 year old Opal Cain of Adrian. Her car stalled on the railroad tracks south of Passaic. The car and driver were spotted by a sheriff’s deputy around 3:30 pm.

2000 Butler mailman Ron Nissen graduates from Park College with a BS in Social Psychology. He is a 1971 BHS graduate and air force veteran.

MoDOT News Release: Be Alert for Potholes and the Road Crews Fixing Them

Be Alert for Potholes and the Road Crews Fixing Them

Report pothole locations at www.modot.org

JEFFERSON CITY – Snow and ice brought their own unique challenges to driving during the month of February. As temperatures warm this week, the Missouri Department of Transportation is focusing on the potholes left in the road with all the fluctuating temperatures and precipitation.

“Crews have already started working on patching potholes and will continue as the weather allows,” said Natalie Roark, MoDOT maintenance director. “When you see a MoDOT crew making repairs, please slow down and move over a lane to give them room to work. And never drive distracted. Remember, Buckle Up Phone Down.”

In 2021, MoDOT patched approximately 530,000 potholes spending $18 million on pothole patching.

Potholes form when rain and snow from winter leave moisture that seeps into cracks and joints in the pavement and later freezes. This frozen water expands within the pavement causing it to bulge and bend. When the ice melts, gaps or voids are left in the surface and structure of the pavement. When cars and trucks drive over the bulging pavement, it weakens the roadway eventually causing chunks of pavement or asphalt to pop out, creating potholes.

The majority of pothole patching repairs are done from late February through the end of April. Short-term repairs are made using a cold asphalt mix with a priority to fill the deepest potholes first. The long-term fix, a hot asphalt mix, isn’t effective until temperatures remain warm for a prolonged period.

MoDOT maintains 34,000 miles of road, including interstates, U.S. and Missouri highways and lettered routes.

If you can't avoid a pothole, try to slow down before you hit it. Here are some other safety tips:

Don't brake directly over a pothole as this can cause more damage.
When driving over the pothole, hold the steering wheel firmly to avoid losing control.

Use caution when driving over a puddle of water because it might be a pothole in hiding.

Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Properly inflated tires hold up better against potholes than tires that have too much or too little air.

You can watch a video about potholes by clicking here.

Motorists can report the location of potholes on state-maintained roads using the following tools:

Call the 24/7 Customer Service Center at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636). Use the Report a Road Concern form on the web at modot.org. Use a smart phone/tablet with a mobile friendly form at modot.org/roadconcern. Potholes on city streets or subdivisions should be reported to local city or county maintenance.

Butler Spring City Wide Garage Sale set for May 14th

Butler Chamber of Commerce Family Nerf War

Spring Adrian Optimist Gun and Knife Show

Make plans to attend the Spring Adrian Optimist Gun and Knife Show from March 11th through the 13th. Admission is $8.00 per day. Children under 12 years admitted free.

If you have any questions or concerns about this event you may contact Jim Binkley 816-213-7247.

Hours are as followed: Friday, March 11th 5 pm-9 pm, Saturday-8 am-6 pm, March 12th, and Sunday, March 13th from 9 until 3 pm.

Come out and enjoy this event at the Adrian Optimist Building located on the outer road south of the Adrian.