| MoDot sent us notification that "ridership on Missouri's Amtrak services continues to grow" crediting "increased reliability." It was nice to know that trains delivered passengers between St. Louis and Kansas City on time "90 percent of the time in FY 2013."
How many would like to see this service extended, perhaps, in a loop, south to Joplin and east to St. Louis via Springfield? I know I would be one of the supporters, having lived in Joplin for over two decades, hesitant about driving anywhere on a whim. Just think what it might do for commerce along the route, especially if there were fast train service. (You're not getting an image of that train in Spain that didn't make it around a curve, are you? My images are of overturned semi-trucks on I-44!)
I live in a house in Ozark that I made an offer on after walking through it for about 12-minutes. I probably stunned the real estate agent who showed it to me. Afterall, the market wasn't exactly booming. In fact, probably houses just weren't selling at all.
When the realtor phoned saying my offer had been accepted. I was stunned. However, my advice from all this is, go for it. Life is short. Familiarity is comforting but, don't get caught in a rut.
While I currently haven't given up publishing the Joplin Independent online, I am in the throes of a new adventure. The Voice of the ozarks.net hopefully with the help of citizen journalists will center around life in the Springfield, Ozark, Nixa area but also will share posts with its sister publication. Will I have time to manage this? I guess I will, as well as my anal personality allows.
I look forward to meeting new people and my further involvement in the communities around which I live. Please don't hesitate in sending suggestions or news. Go Back | 
