On the Street... by Chuck Haney
Sunday brought a great relief from the heat and humidity and the rain that fell Saturday afternoon and evening was also nice as it supplied a drink for the crops.
It was a rather quiet weekend, save for the Mudcats series playoff game against South Division winner Sedalia Friday night before a crowd of around 500 fans and the rain-delayed Annual Elks Golf Tournament Saturday and Sunday.
For the second time in 17 months the Grand River Inn has been sold. The sale of the 60-room inn took place last week and the new owners, who arrived from New Mexico, have taken possession.
The Dharmesh Bhakta family is the new owner and in an interview last week, Bhakta, said he and his family plan to reside at the inn in order to keep watch on the daily activities and to take care of any problems that might arise.
The new owner told me that they are taking a strong look at not having a bar/lounge after the end of the month and probably would be dropping their liquor license. The restaurant which was closed by the former owners will no longer operate except breakfast for their guests.
Bhakta also said that he planned to immediately remodel Room No. 1 to the right when you enter the inn and it would be transformed into living space for his family. His brother and wife and his parents will soon join Bhakta and his wife and their 18-month-old daughter.
He said he plans to continue to operate the other four separate meeting rooms which when completely open can handle around 250 to 300 persons.
Bhakta admitted that much work needs to be done in the way of remodeling all rooms and in fixing the parking lot and a general clean-up inside. “It takes a lot of money and a lot of time,” he said.
The Grand River Inn is the only one of four major motels/lodges/inns in Chillicothe that does not fly a flag (Econo Lodge, Super 8 and Comfort Inn & Suites). When asked about that, the new owner said it was not in the plans right now.
Bhakta and part of his family arrived from New Mexico last week in time to close the deal. They also operate a 30-room motel in their hometown of Santa Rosa, N.M.
The Grand River Inn was opened by Ed Robertson in 1986. It was sold in late 1991 to Henry Warshaw and Bill Walker of St. Louis. Warshaw sold the motel in February of 2009.
It was purchased by Hiral Bhakta of Kansas City, Mo., who operates an Econo Lodge in the Kansas City area. The former owner had painted, cleaned and remodeled the outside of the motel last summer and planned to do a complete remodel of all rooms sometime this summer.
It was a pretty good opening day for the new senior center in its newly remodeled quarters of the former Aldi grocery building in south Chillicothe, according to Administrator Debbie Colton.
She was speaking right after the first lunch had been served Monday in the beautiful new senior center. She said there were a few changes such as serving in the buffet line, but it all seemed to go well. There were 98 persons who showed up for the first meal in the center and that would have been a full house in the former space.
Owner, developer and real estate businessman Bill Mast bought the former grocery store three months ago and went in and completely remodeled the near 10,000 square foot facility.
There’s new restrooms, a new kitchen, new offices, a large conference room that accommodates 40 persons, an exercise area, a new 702 square foot dance floor, an office area for OATS and Access II.
Mast is leasing the building for five years with the option to purchase it at 80% of the appraised value in five years or there could be an additional five year extension, said Mast.
The new area also provides plenty of parking for the handicapped, regular lunch customers and OATS buses as well as other persons coming to the new center. While many were tired last Friday following the week-long move and preparation from the downtown building to the new one, lots of space and nicer facilities seemed to bring smiles.
OATS started operating its buses out of the building last week and things seem to be operating very smoothly, according to a spokesperson last Friday.
Eventually the center hopes to rent the large conference room for meetings and indicated that Kiwanis had already shown an interest in moving their weekly meetings to the new facility.
There was also talk that future plans would open the entire center’s meeting room space that could handle as many as 250 persons, but right now that is undecided, or least it was last Friday.
Direction and parking signs have been placed near the north entrance of the former Wal-Mart parking lot, which is now owned by a private foundation.
Our congratulations go out to the Chillicothe Mudcats and Head Coach Adam Steyer and Assistant Coach Chris Emanuel on winning the North Division MINK League title for the second straight year and in doing so qualified for the National Baseball Congress World Series to be held in Wichita, Kan.
It marks the third crown for the Mudcats and their second straight trip to the World Series. For Steyer and Emanuel it marked their second straight title.
Chillicothe came from far back the final 2 ½ weeks of the season to best the St. Joseph Mustangs and Clarinda A’s. The clincher came over Clarinda last Thursday in the bottom of the ninth with two out in a 1-0 win before 1,000 fans at June Shaffer Memorial Park.
Chillicothe dropped a 1-0 decision on the road at Sedalia Sunday night that gave the host Bombers the overall MINK league crown. Sedalia had raced through the South Division while posting a 32-9 record. The Mudcats posted a 26-14 mark in taking the North.
Both the Mudcats and Sedalia qualified for the World Series by winning their divisions, however the Mudcats will compete this week in the Central USA Regional in Clarinda where they will run smack into the two teams they beat to win the North crown—St. Joseph Mustangs and Clarinda.
“Back a couple of weeks ago I had to commit to playing in the qualifying Regional and I did so because I didn’t know then if we were going to win the North,” said General Manager Liz Fechtig.
Chillicothe was to play the Omaha Strike Zone at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in a first round game of the double elimination tournament. The World Series begins in Wichita this Friday.
It was a muggy and late Saturday afternoon drenching rain that interrupted the 14th Annual Chillicothe Elks Golf Tournament at the Green Hills Golf Course. The tourney was called late Saturday afternoon because of heavy rain and then was resumed at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, according to Mapel.
In the largest golf tournament that takes place during the season, there were 60 teams and 240 golfers that took part in the morning-afternoon sessions and the final on Sunday morning. This year’s event was dedicated to the late Bill Tharp, one of the original organizers of the tourney and a longtime Elks volunteer and office-holder.
Six teams opted to wait out the storm Saturday and went back on the course around 6 p.m. to complete play. Four other teams were not able to return for Sunday’s session and chose to withdraw from the tourney.
The team of Logan Gilliland, Tucker Perkins, his college golf partner, Swinford and Kastelic took the top honors with an amazing 19-under par score of 53. They won both the tournament and Calcutta divisions. Gilliland and Perkins were also members of the championship team of both the Knights of Columbus and Green Hills Course Improvement tournaments.
The week before the Knights of Columbus in Chillicothe held their 20th annual 4-person golf tournament at the Green Hills Golf Course. There were 26 teams and 104 golfers competing in the event, according to information from Dave Mapel, GHGC Manager.
The championship team of this year’s commemorative tournament in both the Calcutta and Tournament side was a team made up of Frank Allen, current MWSU golfer Logan Gilliland, Chloe Allen, who is heading to Northwest Missouri State University to play golf; and Tucker Perkins, a playing partner with Gilliland at Missouri Western State University. The team shot an amazing 18-under-par 54. It is also the same team that won the Green Hills Course Improvement Tournament in June.
The Dog Daze of Summer, a summer shopping promotion headed up by Main Street Chillicothe will come to an end this Saturday with plenty of activity in downtown Chillicothe.
There will be the first ever Dog Daze 5K run and one (1) mile Doggie Fun Run/Walk this Saturday plus many other pet contests as well as animal related booths and much more. There will be a pet parade, look-a-like contest, doggie fun walk and much more.
Registration for the Saturday morning 5K run and one (1) mile Doggie Fun Run/Walk begins at 7 a.m. Be sure to bring your pooch downtown and participate in one of the pet contests that will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. You can also sponsor a booth downtown and share your business information. For more information contact Main Street Chillicothe at 646-4071 or mschilli@greenhills.net.
The Chillicothe Area Arts Council has announced its annual membership drive and schedule for the 2010-2011.
According to Administrator Julie Ashbrook and President Shirley Marriott there are two categories of membership—individual and business/corporate. Individual membership in the council includes season tickets for admission to all arts events, advance seating for sold-out events and recognition of your membership in the season program.
Business/corporate members receive the benefits of individual members as well as ad space in the season program, a listing indicating the level of membership on a marquee displayed at events and tickets that may be used for employees or clients.
There are 11 events scheduled that the Arts Council will be participating or sponsoring including the opening of the 26th Annual Chautauqua in the Park on Sept. 11-12. There will be shows featuring Bluegrass, Rhythm and Blues, Children’s Theatre, an Irish band, St. Joseph Symphony, Lyric Arts trio. Men’s A Cappella group along with “A Closer Walk” with Patsy Cline.
For more information call the Arts office at 646-1173 or www.chillicothemo.com .
HERE AND THERE —The 18th Annual Area Youth Benefit fund dinner-auction and golf tournament will be held Aug. 8-9 with a goal to top last year’s record setting fund raising total, said Steve Shoot, manager of member services, who has coordinates the event since its beginning. The record a year ago was over $43,000.
The dinner and auction returns to the Elks Lodge after a two-year absence on Sunday evening, Aug. 8 and the tournament is the next day at Green Hills Golf Course. For the 12th straight year Pepsi-Cola Bottling of Chillicothe will be co-sponsoring the AYBF golf tournament. The golf tournament usually draws around 200 golfers. Persons wanting a dinner/auction ticket, or want to enter a team in the golf tournament or who want to make a donation for the auction may call 1-800-279-0496 or the FEC office at 646-4281, extension 20.
Jim Summerville, president of the CHS 1960’s Maxi Reunion to be held Saturday, Sept. 4 at Good Time Charlie’s, has announced that reservations for the reunion may still be made by using one of the websites. Persons may go to www.chs60smaxi.org or <u>www.chs60smaxi.com</u> or by calling Susan Boehner, Maxi Reunion treasurer at 660-646-3903 or Summerville at 646-1114. All 1960-69 graduates of Chillicothe High School and St. Joseph Academy are invited to attend.
The Maxi Reunion schedule includes registration/social, 3:30 p.m.; class pictures, 4:30-6:45 p.m.; dinner, 7 p.m. and dancing and visiting from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The Life Center Food Pantry will be distributing food to low income and needy families on Thursday, July 29 from 12:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. The Food Pantry is located at 810 Elm. Please bring social security cards for family members.
There will be blood draw clinic at the Livingston Health Center this Thursday, July 29 from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the walk-in clinic. Blood draws for CBC/Chem Profile; Vitamin D, PSA, and Hemoglobin A1 C. Call 646-5506 for more information.
Enjoy a Free Concert by the Show Me Brass Band on Saturday, July 31 at 4 p.m. at the First Christian Church, 900 Jackson St, Chillicothe. Show Me Brass plays a variety of music marches to gospel to jazz to swing to pop and so much more! Open to the public. Everyone is invited and welcome to this event.
Ed Neptune Realty is having an Open House Sunday, Aug. 1 from 2-4 p.m. at 1314 Webster in Chillicothe.
There will be a Vacation Bible School at the Free Methodist Church (1441 Jackson, Chillicothe), Aug. 1-6 from 6-8:30 p.m. For children Preschool-6th grade. Call 646-5596 if you have any questions or need a ride.
The Grand River Area Family YMCA and Chillicothe School Mentoring programs are in dire need of adult mentors for local children. There will be an informational mentor meeting at Alaska House, 455 Locust on Aug. 4. Participants can choose one of two classes; 12 noon to 1 p.m. or 5:30-6:30 p.m. light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP Genie Amen-Ewing at 646-6677.
Happy Anniversary July 26 to Ron and Carolyn O’Dell and July 28 to Tom and Janet Barnhart.
The following are celebrating birthdays from July 28 through Aug. 3-- Marvin Holcer (67) from his wife; Robert Williams, Brent Shade, Janet Barnhart, Elaine Sidden, Scharleen Witt, Leo Halverson, Ed Milbank, John Barnes, Patsey Horton, Jon Arthur, Susan Boehner, Peggy Daniel, Shirley Feeney, Fred Simmer, Terry Clevenger, Steve Pew, Darrell Pepper, Bernard Ross, Andy Sacarro, Jason Graves, Terry Clevenger, Lori Crosswhite, John (CPA) Cook, Chris Simmons, Ruth Benson, Lois Duckworth, Doris Wilson, Millie Gordon, Helen Kissick and A.J. Bloss.
My apologies for a birthday for Diana Mapel (July 21) that was turned in for last week but was accidentally omitted.
I have already told you more than I know.
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