Branson Courier

Month: October 2004

  • A Halloween scare – The shortest war since the “six day” war between Israel and Egypt in 1967

    One of the definitions of war is “an active struggle between competing entities.” One would be hard pressed to deny the reality of the active struggle going on between Branson and Hollister to attract “big box” stores like Target, Lowes, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc. to anchor retail developments in their respective areas. How about the struggle between Branson and the taxing entities that it wants to divert revenues from without their consent?



    Branson Alderman Ron Huff has said that if the big boxes went to Hollister it would result in the loss of tax revenues and jobs to Branson, adversely affect Branson businesses in a manner similar to what happened when Lowes opened up in Hollister, and that there would be an impact of new families on the Branson school district regardless of where the big boxes went. From an Ole Seagull’s perspective, Huff is describing the reality of the situation and the reason why Branson declared war on Hollister by attacking it with a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) missile.



    In terms of weapons Branson had two missiles developed and ready to use, the less powerful, Branson Single Tax Increment Financing Missile (BSTIF) and the more powerful Taney County Tax Increment Financing (TCTIF) missile. The less powerful BSTIF only had the destructive power of the taxes that the City of Branson imposed and derived no power from other taxing entities within the Taney County. The more powerful TCTIF had not only the destructive power of the taxes that the City of Branson imposed but the additional taxes diverted from other taxing entities within the county without their consent such as Taney County, the Branson school district, and others.



    Branson realized that time was running out and that Hollister was about to get the big box stores because of, among other things, the combined efforts and investments of local developers in site preparation, improvements to Highway 65, and the fact that Lowes was already there. It appears that the tactical decision was made to declare war on Hollister through a preemptory strike using their most powerful missile, the Taney County Tax Increment Financing (TCTIF) missile.



    And so far it appears that it has worked. If appearances and documents presented at recent public meetings recently accurately reflect the effect of the war so far, Branson has Target, Home Depot and possibly Wal-Mart surrounded and is about to capture them. In fact from an outsider’s perspective it appears that Hollister is ignoring the fact that it is involved in a war with Branson that could affect its very economic stability.



    If the big boxes went to Branson wouldn’t it result in the loss of tax revenues and jobs to Hollister, adversely affect Hollister businesses, and impact on the Hollister School District as families who couldn’t afford housing in Branson located within the district? An Ole Seagull thinks so.



    Aren’t Taney County, the Branson school district, and other Taney County taxing entities involved in an active struggle with Branson to protect their future tax revenues from Branson’s use in TIFs without their consent? To an Ole Seagull the answer seems obvious. Yet, it seems like Branson is going through Hollister, Taney County, the Branson school district and other taxing entities within Taney County quicker than Israel went through the Egyptian army during the Six Day War in 1967.



    Although there might be moments of honor among warriors there is very seldom honor in war itself. In the final analysis, when the battles are over and the war decided, what was honorable and right is determined by the victors. Even on Halloween that’s a scary thought!

  • Carrie Joy Andreas first Branson Idol

    Carrie Joy Andreas of Edwardsville, Ill., has claimed the title of the first Branson Idol on Oct. 22, according to Branson entertainer Doug Gabriel, the show’s creator and producer.



    From over 500 who auditioned to one winner, the first Branson Idol season wrapped up with Andreas winning the title after the six months of Friday night competitions at the Legends Family Theatre in Branson, according to Doug Gabriel, the creator and producer of the show. Andreas won a prize package which included $5,000 cash sponsored by Pepsi and a recording session and management contract with Gabriel. She was also a featured performer at several venues in Branson: on stage in Doug Gabriel and Roy Clark – Together Again, on radio with KRZK’s Grand Country Saturday Night and on television in Live Late Night with Joey Riley.



    Payton Kane from Dodson, Texas, came in a very close second in the finals which featured the top five narrowed down to two by celebrity judges with the audience of more than 800 casting the final votes.



    “I appreciate the support from the community, the sponsors and our guest judges like Tony Orlando, Pam Tillis, Ronnie McDowell, Moe Bandy, Mickey Gilley, Larry Gatlin, Merle Osmond, Buck Trent, Jessica James, Janet Ellis and Terry Sanders,” said Doug who stars in The Doug Gabriel Show celebrating its 11th season and co-stars in Doug Gabriel and Roy Clark – Together Again in Branson. “The great support is one reason why the premier year for Branson Idol was such a success. Carrie Joy and Payton set the bar high for next year’s Branson Idol. We will begin auditions in January for the 2005 competition. Our first auditions will be held in Lebanon, Mo.”

  • Convention center designs unveiled- Branson Landing status report

    The Branson Board of Aldermen and general public were given an update on the progress of Branson Landing, the convention center and its hotel at the board’s Monday, Oct. 25 meeting. The $300 million public/private Branson Landing development, in downtown Branson, is ahead of schedule, but a convention center associated with the project is slightly behind.


    Designs were unveiled for the 210,000-square-foot convention center along Sycamore Street. Schematic designs depicting the interior and exterior of the convention center lined the council chambers. Drawings showed a two-story convention center, with the second floor 22 feet in the air.

    “The challenge is not only to place the convention center, but to place one that will work with Branson Landing,” said Mike Ezell with TVS Architects, convention center architects. “It will have a wonderful view out,” he said. “There will be a continuous panorama of significant portions of water (Lake Taneycomo and fountains).”


    Ezell said negotiations are ongoing with Hilton Hotels to put its high-quality name on the convention center hotel. Hilton is reviewing the 172-foot-high, 275-room hotel design.

    “We’re a little bit behind on the convention center,” said Rick Huffman, CEO of HCW Development Company, LLC., the developer for the projects. “We’re two years out from opening and we need to be booking now. People do want to book here.”

    Designs also showed a pedestrian bridge from the convention center to Branson Landing, but Huffman said that is currently not in the plans. The Missouri Department of Transportation has disallowed any railroad crossings with the exception of existing crossings at Long Street, Main Street and Oklahoma Street. Huffman said he is trying to get grant money or find other funds to pay for an enclosed pedestrian crossing that would connect the two projects.

    If money is not secured for a pedestrian bridge, visitors will have to cross the railroad tracks at Main Street to get to Branson Landing from the convention center. Improvements are scheduled for that crossing.

    On the other side of the railroad tracks, Branson Landing’s design is complete and is moving into the construction phase. Huffman said the crew is three weeks ahead of schedule on the dirt work.

    Harold Allen with the Benham Group, Branson Landing’s oversight team, said filling on the site is complete and a rock layer is currently being added to cap the land for a 1,800-foot-long retaining wall.

    The only thing holding up the development’s progress is the lack of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 404 approval. The application was submitted by the city more than two years ago.A 404 permit must be obtained before any work can be done in the water or floodway. Allen said the lack of a 404 permit is not holding up construction of the retaining wall, but has delayed construction of a new bridge over Roark Creek. After the retaining wall is completed, work on a seawall will begin, but there must be 404 approval.

    Huffman said the hydrology study has been accepted and the Corps of Engineers has passed the paperwork on to the Department of Natural Resources. Once DNR approves, the Corps of Engineers will sign off on the project, which could come as early as two weeks.

    Trenches are also currently being dug out for utilities to run underground, and Huffman said buildings could begin going up as soon as December or January.

    Huffman said Branson Landing is 71 percent committed, but identities of the tenants can’t be released at present time due to confidentiality agreements and competition.

    “I’m very impressed by what we’ve seen,” Mayor Lou Schaefer said after the presentation.

    Huffman said there will be another meeting with the board of aldermen and community to provide a more detailed update on Branson Landing at a later date.


    Courtesy of Branson Daily Independent

  • Fishing Report- Lake Taneycomo October 24

    Editors General Comments: Very little affects the fishing on LakeTaneycomo like the generation of power at the Table Rock Dam. Call 417-336-5083 for up to the moment information on generation and lake levels or click here. October 25- At 0440- 0 generator(s) on, Table Rock is at 913.1 and Taneycomo at 701.6. Fishing is great and water has been off a lot. Enjoy it while you can. How sporting is it to fish the chutes where the fish are stacked on top of each other? As sporting as “shuffling?” They were really rehtorical questions with the answers being “Not very” and “definately.”



    Trophy Trout Area: Special Regulations apply to the Trophy Trout Area running from Table Rock Dam to the mouth of Fall Creek. Click here for an overview of these regulations.



    Fly Fishing Only by River Run Outfitters (Dam to Fall Creek)- October 24 –


    October 21 – Lots of trips out and everyone catching lots of fish. Saturday had three boats on the water. Everyone caught 35-40 fish. Sunday had four boats out and it was pretty much the same thing. Quite a few 17 and 18 inch Rainbows and Browns. Several customers reporting catching Browns ranging from 25-28 inches. One 28 incher on a “dry fly”. Great job! Also, a 22 inch Rainbow on a rusty zebra midge, size 18…. We are still doing very good on the rusty zebra midge. Stan had one of his guests over the weekend rigged with an orange Stimulator and dropped the rusty zebra off this. He caught fish on both the dry and midge. Saturday they were tearing up small pink lady egg patterns. Sunday they wouldn’t look at one but hit the rusty zebra midge very well. Had also been throwing olive woolly bugger and crawdTaneycomo Fishing Report.ems ad orange/olive sculpin patterns. Not as many hits, but nice fish. Lots of large fish stacked up in the chutes area by the hatchery. Some days stacked up more than others. Fishing is very good right now…..BETTER GET OUT AND FISH!!! October 24 – Talked with Carolyn and the fishing is still great and the patterns are still working. (Editior)



    Fly Fishing and Spin Fishing By Chartered Waters Guide Service and Fly Shop –


    October 22nd – I met my friend Mike at the dam for a little fun fishing. I tied some #22 gray and olive Bit Scuds before going and started with those. They were all over both. Either shallow on the bank with no weight or deep through the runs I was hooking up well. No water and it may have been off all night…There’s a lot of beds out there with pods of fish making a lot of commotion on the edges. PLEASE stay away from those beds when you’re walking about. They’re easy to see. They’re the lighter colored rocky areas…usually oval and about 3 – 5 feet long. The fish don’t need the stress and it’s very decent of you to give them a wide berth. …



    Tomorrow Phil Lilley is having his “Two Fly” tournament at the dam. I plan on going and will probably go with a #20 olive Bit Scud and a #18 Dark Olive Bit Scud. Maybe even a #22 and possibly a gray? Depends on water…if I think they’ll run some I’ll probably go with the #18 Bit Scud plus a ginger #18 G-Bug. That’s the fly that won it last year but they turned on two units last year too. The browns love the G-Bug but they’ve been taking that Bit Scud better lately??? Who knows…It’s a lot of fun either way!




    Gary‘s Current Report: October 24- Haven’t fished this week but have little reason to believe that things have changed much since: October 16- 0710-0800 water off conditions. Used the spin float system, Orvis Mirage 6x tippet, and the a 1/100 ounce River Run Peach Furbug with the indicator set at about 4 feet. Put boat in shallow water and fished toward the middle of the lake. Caught about 10 in the 12-15 inch range and missed a bunch more. on the Fished from 21 mile marker down with boat in shallowPut boat in about 4 feet of water and fished back toward the middle.



    Guide Bob Klein: October 24- No change from Bob Klein, of “Bob’s Guide Service“. Fishing is good from Cooper Creek to Rockaway Beach using pink and white power eggs and night crawlers. As always the following standard default techniques are producing fish:



    Water Off Conditions (not generating power from Table Rock Dam) – Air injected night crawlers or Orange and Chartreuse Power Eggs, with the Chartreuse on shank of hook and the Orange on tip. Fish them off the bottom with no heavier than 4 pound leader, size 8 or smaller hooks, and just enough split shot to cast. Place the shot so that the bait floats 12-18 inches off the bottom. Spin-A-Lures and Little Cleos have been working well.



    Water On Conditions – Orange and Chartreuse Power eggs with the Chartreuse on shank of hook and the Orange on tip, white Power Eggs, or inflated night crawlers bounced off the bottom using the standard “Lake Taneycomo Drift Rig.” which is readily available at all Marinas and most resorts on the Lake.



    Get Your Lake Taneycomo Questions Answered:Bob, Gary, Brett, and Stan will be monitoring the Outdoor Activities Forum on the Branson.Com Message Board . If you have any fishing questions on LakeTaneycomo just ask.Use the word “Taneycomo” in the Search Function and enter it in all your posts so they’ll show up.


  • Give me a break- paying a tourism tax is a good investment for residents?

    Historically, a lot of destination areas get a substantial part of the money used to market their destination from a room tax or surcharge on hotels and motels. It is commonly referred to as a “tourism tax” because the vast majority of it is paid by tourists, as opposed to local residents, and it is used to promote tourism. Although there are always exceptions to the general rule, typically, if this tax is expanded to other areas they are generally tourist specific such as tickets for attractions, shows, etc.



    This acknowledges the reality of getting a tourism tax passed by the voters. It’s much easier to get voter approval if they are not paying the tax. A tourism tax on the lodging in hotels and motels is much easier to get approved than other tax proposals because most of those voting on it don’t use hotels and motels locally and won’t pay the tax.



    There are some in Branson who would say, “Hold on Seagull, we have a tourism tax on meals purchased in restaurants.” Exactly the point, but it’s an exception to the general rule. That’s also why its rate is considerably less than the rate charged on lodging, shows, and attractions. Anyone want to take a bet on whether or not Branson’s tourism tax would have passed if it had contained a four percent tax on restaurant meals?



    Unfortunately, 75 percent of the taxes collected from Branson’s current “tourism tax” must be used for infrastructure improvements, roads, water, sewers etc. Only 25 percent of the tax, on average, a little over $2 million per year, is available for marketing. In an Ole Seagull’s opinion, no matter how efficiently it is spent, that is not nearly enough in today extremely competitive tourist environment.



    A current Taco Bell ad to “think outside the box” is good advice, not only for eating but for coming up with innovative ideas to raise needed marketing funds. Branson’s idea of charging a tourism tax on restaurant meals is certainly innovative from a tourism tax point. In addition to sleeping, and all the other typical tourist activities that tourists do, they eat. That’s the good news. The bad news is that residents also eat out and have to pay the tax too. Where’s the good news for the residents? There’s a lot more tourists than there are residents.



    Tomorrow morning two people, one a resident of Branson and one a tourist, each spend $5 for breakfast. If the tourism tax on food in restaurants was one percent, each would pay five cents for a total tax collected of ten cents. Insignificant by itself but, what if instead of just two people, 25 percent of the approximately six thousand residents living in Branson, decided to eat breakfast out and spend $5 each. That’s a little more significant because the total tourism tax collected would be $75 for the day.



    How much more significant do things get if about 60 percent of the average daily visitors to Branson paid $5 each to eat breakfast? About 6.5 times more significant because it would result in a total tourism tax collection of $493 for the day. In this example, on this day, for every dollar of tourism tax that a resident of Branson pays “tourists” will invest 6.5 times as much.



    Don’t most tourists shop? Isn’t shopping one of the big draws to Branson? What if there was a one percent tourism tax on the retail sales of most items except cars, boats, food and medicines? If each of Branson’s approximately six thousand residents spends $3 thousand per year on taxable items, the total tourism tax collected would be $180 thousand. On the other hand, if the average tourist spent $150 each, over $9 million in tourism taxes would be raised or about 50 times as much.



    “Come on Seagull, statistics can be used to justify anything.” That’s true, but the reality is that there are many more tourists than residents and, exponentially, they are going to pay much more in sales taxes than the locals. It’s a reality that can be used to get the Branson area the marketing funds that it needs to effectively market all that Branson has to offer.



    In that context, what is needed is a vehicle to insure that the proceeds of any such tax are used to market Branson, in the most efficient manner possible, for the good of all, by an entity that is directly appointed by and accountable to the voters through one or more elected government entities. To an Ole Seagull’s everlasting disappointment and continuing amazement, in spite of the long standing need for increased marketing funds, he has yet to see such a vehicle.

  • Roy Clark to Judge Branson Idol Finals on October 22

    In a town where singers are the multitude, seldom does a vocalist capture the attention of the live entertainment capital of the world like those competing to claim the title of Branson Idol on Oct. 22 at 11 p.m. at the Legends Family Theatre.



    From 500 in auditions to 5 finalists, the excitement will peak at the finals where Roy Clark will help find the next star who will win $5,000, a recording session and the opportunity to perform with Mr. Clark and Doug Gabriel, the creator and producer of Branson Idol. “We said Branson Idol is where stars are born, and that is what has happened in this premier year of our hit, new late night show,” said Gabriel.



    To date finalists are Payton Kane from Dodson, Texas, Aimee Flanders of Lebanon, Mo., Carrie Joy Andreas of Edwardsville, Ill., and Angie Flanagan of Rockwall, Texas. One more finalist will be named from the wildcard show on Wednesday night, October 20, at 8 p.m. at the Legends Family Theatre.



    Call 417-334-0335 for information, show schedules and reservations

  • Fishing Report- Lake Taneycomo October 17

    Editors General Comments: Very little affects the fishing on LakeTaneycomo like the generation of power at the Table Rock Dam. Call 417-336-5083 for up to the moment information on generation and lake levels or click here. October 17- At 0548- 0 generator(s) on, Table Rock is at 913.2 and Taneycomo at 701.6. One of the best weeks all season, in terms of the water being off. The fishing is great.



    Trophy Trout Area: Special Regulations apply to the Trophy Trout Area running from Table Rock Dam to the mouth of Fall Creek. Click here for an overview of these regulations.


    Editors Current Report: Overall- Excellent – October 13- 0710-0815 water off conditions.Went fishing with my good friend Joe Harrell. Fished about a 100 yeard section located about half way between Lookout Hole and the huge gravel bar at the bend just above Fall Creek. Kept boat in about 3-4 feet of water and casted east toward the center of the lake. Both of us used the spin float system, Orvis Miage 6x tippet, and an indicator set at 4 feet.. The only difference was that Joe had the the a1/100 ounce River Run Peach Fur Bug tied on and I had the white version of the same thing. Joe got twice the number of hits on the peach but we both had pently of action in the 90 minutes we fished boating over 20 trout and easily missing more that twice that many.



    Gary‘s Current Report: October 16– 0710-0800 water off conditions. Used the spin float system, Orvis Mirage 6x tippet, and the a 1/100 ounce River Run Peach Furbug with the indicator set at about 4 feet. Put boat in shallow water and fished toward the middle of the lake. Caught about 10 in the 12-15 inch range and missed a bunch more. on the Fished from 21 mile marker down with boat in shallowPut boat in about 4 feet of water and fished back toward the middle.



    Fly Fishing Only by River Run Outfitters (Dam to Fall Creek)- October 17 -Editors note: No new report from River Run but the talk around the shop indicates the fishing is great and they are hitting on basically the same flies. October 7- Been on the water every day since we got back from vacation. Thank heavens for vacations! All trips continue to catch a good number of fish. Monday we had a party of three out in two of the four boats out that day. One of the three was on his second trip since finishing fly fishing school and wanted to share the great fishing in Taneycomo with his two friends. They showed up with spinning rods and tackle boxes in hand. We persuaded them they needed to learn how to catch trout on a fly rod. Much to their surprise and delight, they each landed over 10 fish in 1/2 day and had a great time. One of the other boats was out all day and they lost track of the number of fish landed….and missed! We started Monday out with the rusty zebra midge and went to a San Juan worm when the water came on at noon. My boat had a seasoned fly fisher and he also caught them on a large, size 12, insect green soft hackle. Found some Crane Flies just a little smaller than a 12 in insect green on the water. He had never soft hackled and loves it. His first love however, is still dries (from Pennsylvania) but we couldn’t get them to take any dries Monday a.m. Catch of the week, so far, was a 22 inch Rainbow caught yesterday on the size 18 rusty zebra midge. Other boats had two gentlemen from California. Boated 30-35 between them. They do a lot of bass fly fishing so they had a bit of trouble with a lighter hook set. Broke off lots of fish and flies on the hook set. One of our customers caught a 26 1/2 inch Rainbow last week on a sculpin pattern and another caught a 22 incher on an olive woolly bugger. Seeing quite a few large Rainbows…not to many Browns yet.



    Fly Fishing and Spin Fishing By Chartered Waters Guide Service and Fly Shop – October 15 – pm Dick Wilcox had been planning a trip here with his daughter Rachelle (I hope I spelled that right?) for quite some time. They got a pretty good afternoon, though still pretty windy. … Seeing and reacting to the strike was their biggest challenge but after a few misses they started figuring it out and they both caught quite a few fish. Both Rachelle and Dick hooked up with a couple of big fish only to have both break off. Maybe bad knots on my part, but they were both really nice and we saw Rachelle’s jump.



    A big brown in the 18 – 20″ range that made a lightning fast run and caught everyone by surprise. Pictured is Rachelle with a couple of her trophies, one of which was in the 16 ” class. The brown G-Bug was again the fly with a few on olive GLB Zebras and Smidges along with a handful on the olive Bit Scud. …



    Guide Bob Klein: October 16- No change from Bob Klein, of “Bob’s Guide Service“. Fishing is good from Cooper Creek to Rockaway Beach using pink and white power eggs and night crawlers. As always the following standard default techniques are producing fish.



    Water Off Conditions (not generating power from Table Rock Dam) – Air injected night crawlers or Orange and Chartreuse Power Eggs, with the Chartreuse on shank of hook and the Orange on tip. Fish them off the bottom with no heavier than 4 pound leader, size 8 or smaller hooks, and just enough split shot to cast. Place the shot so that the bait floats 12-18 inches off the bottom. Spin-A-Lures and Little Cleos have been working well.



    Water On Conditions – Orange and Chartreuse Power eggs with the Chartreuse on shank of hook and the Orange on tip, white Power Eggs, or inflated night crawlers bounced off the bottom using the standard “Lake Taneycomo Drift Rig.” which is readily available at all Marinas and most resorts on the Lake.



    Get Your Lake Taneycomo Questions Answered:Bob, Gary, Brett, and Stan will be monitoring the Outdoor Activities Forum on the Branson.Com Message Board . If you have any fishing questions on LakeTaneycomo just ask.Use the word “Taneycomo” in the Search Function and enter it in all your posts so they’ll show up.



  • Big box TIF at Branson Hills is a no brainer!

    “Wallomet,” is a fictional name that the Ole Seagull has made up to avoid trade mark and other potential legal problems with four of the nation’s largest retailers. It is a composite of their names and for purposes of this column represents the “big box” type of retail store that America loves to shop in and the nations number two retailer.



    Like most big boxes, Wallomet has a professional staff that determines the areas in which they would like to place stores. Wallomet has determined that they want to build a store in the Hollister/Branson area and, in this case, working with a developer, starts the process to make the store a reality.



    Obviously, there are a myriad of facts and details that will impact on the process. However, there are two things that Wallomet is primarily concerned about. They want a location on a main traffic route that provides convenient access to their facility and to spend as little of their money as possible in building the store and getting it operational.



    In the case of their Branson/Hollister location they are working with a developer who wants to locate them within a “power center” that will contain not only Wallomet but other big boxes that will complement them and provide a synergy that will draw other commercial retail development to the center. The developer comes back to Wallomet and says, “We have a choice of two locations, one in Branson Hills at the north end of Branson or one in the Southtown area in Hollister.”



    The Branson location is located right off the areas main north south route, U.S. Highway 65, which, at that point, is a four lane highway with a multimillion dollar interchange and virtually no traffic congestion. The Hollister location is currently located on a congested two lane bottleneck of that highway with no interchange. That is about to change however because of a construction project has just started in Hollister that will extend the four lanes portion of the highway through Hollister and provide a modern multi million dollar interchange at the Hollister location. The project should be completed within two to three years.



    As the process continues and comparisons are made between the potential Branson and Hollister locations it becomes obvious that the total site preparation costs for the development will be much cheaper in Hollister than in Branson. Indeed the difference is so great that it appears that the Wallomet is going to be built in Hollister. But wait; there’s another tool that both have available to them, Tax Increment Financing (TIF).



    It’s kind of like driving a nail. Both a rock and a hammer will get the job done but it’s hard to ignore the efficiency of a hammer if one is available. Hollister, for what ever reason does not use a TIF. Branson, rather than just concede the Wallomet, its hundreds of jobs and millions in sales tax and other revenues to Hollister elected to use a TIF. The use of the TIF to reduce the site preparation costs tipped the balance in favor of Branson and the developer with which Wallomet was associated entered into negotiations with Branson to locate their store in the Branson Hills location.



    From strictly a city of Branson point of view, what else where they supposed to do? The job of the city staff and the board of aldermen is to run the city of Branson, not the school board, county government, ambulance districts, other cities, etc.



    If, in their opinion, the location of the Wallomet store in Hollister could have an adverse impact on the revenues necessary to operate the city, an impact that could grow exponentially as other big boxes and retail clustered around the Wallomet in Hollister, wouldn’t they be negligent if they didn’t use every tool available to get the Wallomet in Branson? In the opinion of an Ole Seagull, how they use that tool to craft something that best serves all involved is one thing but the use of the tool itself, in the case of the big box TIF at Branson Hills, is a no brainer.

  • Branson Idols Semi Finals Update

    “We are counting them down to the Oct. 22 finals,” said Doug Gabriel, creator, producer and director of the show. “Last week’s winner and our second finalist is Angie Flanagan from Rockwall, Texas, who sang My Heart Will Go On. She won a prize package which included $100 cash and guest appearances around Branson. Angie joins our first finalist, Aimee Flanders of Lebanon, Mo. This week’s contestants are Kazzie Shae Broyles of Arlington, Texas; Justin Temme from Fort Worth, Texas; Trish Muenks of Effingham, Ill.; Payton Kane from Dodson, Texas, Shannon Cage from Muskogee, Okla.; and Brittaney Whittaker from Tulsa, Okla.”

    “During semi-finals six competitors are narrowed down by the judges to two contestants and then the audience selects the winner. Each week the winner receives an array of prizes, a personal appearance on the Doug Gabriel Show Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. and on KRZK’s Grand Country Saturday Night at 11 p.m. and a spot in the finals to compete for the $5,000 grand prize to be awarded on Oct. 22. The excitement is building as we approach the finals,” said Doug.


    Semi-finalists who will be competing Oct. 15 are Amanda Reddick of St. Louis, Trish Cardona of Hillsboro, Mo., Gregory Manis of High Ridge, Mo., Carrie Joy Andreas of Edwardsville, Ill., Cassie Hobson of Bristow, Okla., and Debra Osborn of Burleson, Texas.


    Branson Idol is hosted by Doug’s wife Cheryl Gabriel and Chance Havens. The entertainer VIP balcony section of the show is sponsored this week by Luigi’s Pizza.


    Youth Life, a non-profit organization which offers unconditional friendship for youth, assists and part of the proceeds from each show is donated to the group. Youth Life’s unconditional friendship for youth provides positive alternatives to local youth through weekly clubs, small group Bible studies, sports, activities and trips. The Youth Life staff builds relationships with the students and earns the right to share the gospel and then introduces them to a local church of their choice for discipleship.


    Call 417-334-0335 for information, show schedules and reservations.

  • Fishing Report- Lake Taneycomo October 10

    Editors General Comments: Very little affects the fishing on LakeTaneycomo like the generation of power at the Table Rock Dam. Call 417-336-5083 for up to the moment information on generation and lake levels or click here. October 10- At 0514- 0 generator(s) on, Table Rock is at 913.1 and Taneycomo at 701.5.


    Trophy Trout Area: Special Regulations apply to the Trophy Trout Area running from Table Rock Dam to the mouth of Fall Creek. Click here for an overview of these regulations.


    Fly Fishing Only by River Run Outfitters (Dam to Fall Creek)– October 7 -Been on the water every day since we got back from vacation. Thank heavens for vacations! All trips continue to catch a good number of fish. Monday we had a party of three out in two of the four boats out that day. One of the three was on his second trip since finishing fly fishing school and wanted to share the great fishing in Taneycomo with his two friends. They showed up with spinning rods and tackle boxes in hand. We persuaded them they needed to learn how to catch trout on a fly rod. Much to their surprise and delight, they each landed over 10 fish in 1/2 day and had a great time. One of the other boats was out all day and they lost track of the number of fish landed….and missed! We started Monday out with the rusty zebra midge and went to a San Juan worm when the water came on at noon. My boat had a seasoned fly fisher and he also caught them on a large, size 12, insect green soft hackle. Found some Crane Flies just a little smaller than a 12 in insect green on the water. He had never soft hackled and loves it. His first love however, is still dries (from Pennsylvania) but we couldn’t get them to take any dries Monday a.m. Catch of the week, so far, was a 22 inch Rainbow caught yesterday on the size 18 rusty zebra midge. Other boats had two gentlemen from California. Boated 30-35 between them. They do a lot of bass fly fishing so they had a bit of trouble with a lighter hook set. Broke off lots of fish and flies on the hook set. One of our customers caught a 26 1/2 inch Rainbow last week on a sculpin pattern and another caught a 22 incher on an olive woolly bugger. Seeing quite a few large Rainbows…not to many Browns yet.


    Fly Fishing and Spin Fishing By Chartered Waters Guide Service and Fly Shop – October 8th – Bob, Rich and Denny took an all day spin fishing trip today and had a good one. …A cloudy, overcast day greeted us most of the time with periods of rain showers. Nothing too bad and like always…as soon as we put on the rain gear it would stop. Fishing was very good, though slow early, like it has been for about two weeks. I say slow. We’re still catching fish but from about 7:00am – 9:00am it just doesn’t get kicking until about 9:00 unless they turn on water. Midges are usually doing best then and the scuds pick up around 9:00. They caught them on a bunch of stuff today. I must admit the brown #18 G-Bug was still #1 with the ginger very strong later in the day. We caught a lot of fish on black, olive and red #18 GLB Zebras. Smidges in olive, brown and ginger in #20’s and #22’s were very good. Even caught a few on a brown and gray G-bug doing a little experimenting. Fishing??? It was great! They got no water for about 7 hours of their 8 hour plus trip. Big trout were in the 17″ class with a couple that got away bigger than that. Numbers of fish were around 100 I’d guess. Like I say before every trip…you’ll catch one fish for every 5 bites you get and that was about right. …


    Gary‘s Current Report: October 9– 0710-0830 water off conditions. Went fishing with my friend Duane (Mac) McCammon. Fished from Lookout Hole about half way to Fall Creek with the boat out far enough to cast back into the “channel”. Mac used a fly rod and I used my spin float system. We both used orvis Miage 6x tippet. Mac stayed pretty close to 3 1/2 feet all the way down and I stayed at 4 feet. Between us we caught over 30 fish in the 10-15 inch range with most of them in the 11-14 inch range. Mac all of his fish on the size 16 Red Tungsten Bead Head Midge. Although I caught the magority of my fish using the a 1/100 ounce River Run Peach Jig when it slowed down I finihsed the day using the the size 16 Red Tungsten Bead Head Midge too. We fished both sides of the boat and it seemed like one of us had a fish on most of the time.


    Guide Bob Klein: October 9- No change from Bob Klein, of “Bob’s Guide Service“. Fishing is good from Cooper Creek to Rockaway Beach using pink and white power eggs and night crawlers. As always the following standard default techniques are producing fish.


    Water Off Conditions (not generating power from Table Rock Dam) – Air injected night crawlers or Orange and Chartreuse Power Eggs, with the Chartreuse on shank of hook and the Orange on tip. Fish them off the bottom with no heavier than 4 pound leader, size 8 or smaller hooks, and just enough split shot to cast. Place the shot so that the bait floats 12-18 inches off the bottom. Spin-A-Lures and Little Cleos have been working well.


    Water On Conditions – Orange and Chartreuse Power eggs with the Chartreuse on shank of hook and the Orange on tip, white Power Eggs, or inflated night crawlers bounced off the bottom using the standard “Lake Taneycomo Drift Rig.” which is readily available at all Marinas and most resorts on the Lake.


    Get Your Lake Taneycomo Questions Answered:Bob, Gary, Brett, and Stan will be monitoring the Outdoor Activities Forum on the Branson.Com Message Board . If you have any fishing questions on LakeTaneycomo just ask.Use the word “Taneycomo” in the Search Function and enter it in all your posts so they’ll show up.

  • The TIF show and an Ole Seagull’s simplified “but for” TIF test


    Sometimes it seems that there’s nothing that the current city administration of Branson likes more than a good TIF (Tax Increment Financing). Branson currently has TIFs involved with Branson Meadows, Branson Landing, and Branson Hills with the distinct possibility of more in the future. It seems reasonable to believe that their use will continue to grow as investors and developers alike decide it is more prudent to risk someone else’s money rather than their own.



    In its most idealistic sense, TIFs are supposed to be used to redevelop “blighted” areas where “but for” the use of the TIF such redevelopment wouldn’t take place. In practical application however, greedy developers, politicians, professional bureaucrats, and locally elected officials with “economic eyes” bigger than their stomachs have, in the opinion of an Ole Seagull, prostituted the definition of “blighted” and the “but for” aspects of the TIF process to the point where they mean whatever those who want a TIF want them to mean. What’s the net result?



    Vacant land and a vibrant busy downtown are declared “blighted.” Vacant land that has never been developed is “redeveloped.” As an example, is it reasonable to conclude, that with the new high school, recreation complex, Branson Landing, and the steady expansion of the city of Branson northward along the Highway 65 corridor, that development of that area will not take place “but for” the use of a TIF?



    In the opinion of an Ole Seagull, in Branson Hills, as was the case on the Lake Taneycomo Lakefront, development was, is, and will take place without a TIF. Oh it won’t be as quick and grandiose as some would like but it will happen. And, when it does, it will happen without the potential loss in tax revenues it could bring to other taxing entities such as the Branson R-4 school district, county government, the ambulance district, and other entities that rely on real estate or sales tax for huge portions of their operating budgets.



    One interesting aspect about a TIF is that it can be done without the approval or consent of other taxing entities affected by the TIF. As an example, the city of Branson can impose a TIF that could cost the Branson R-4 School District millions of dollars in real estate tax revenues without their consent. Of course, the developers, who will benefit from the TIF and others supporting it, will present their optimistic estimates but, what does the actuality of the Branson Meadows TIF indicate about relying on those estimates?



    In an Ole Seagulls opinion, there is an excellent chance they will be wrong. Why? The whole TIF system is set up to neuter effective general public participation in favor of those seeking the TIF. The composition of the TIF commission, economic estimates predicting what will happen twenty years in the future, the legal fiction used to define a “blighted area,” the “but for” test, etc. are but a legalistic and bureaucratic “smoke and mirrors” TIF show.



    The TIF show is designed, controlled, and manipulated to insure that those wanting a particular TIF get it. It creates the illusion that the public actually participated in the process in an effective manner while at the same time insuring that there is no current test or bench mark that they can use to easily and conveniently evaluate whether or not a TIF should be authorized for any given project.



    How about using the Ole Seagull’s “but for” test as a starting point. “But for” the willingness of the city of Branson, or any other city or government entity seeking to authorize a TIF, to exempt all school districts, county governments, and other taxing entities from the TIF, a TIF will not be authorized. It doesn’t get much simpler, no exemption for other taxing entities, no TIF.



    Will that stop TIFs? No, that’s not what is intended. It will however, in an Ole Seagulls opinion, mitigate the number of TIFs, the size of their indebtedness, and place the entire risk where it belongs, on the backs of those who seek, control, and authorize TIFs. At the same time it will provide the public with a simple initial bench mark for use in determining the appropriateness of a TIF for a particular project.


  • Branson Band Wins Vahalla Championship


    In a “nail biter” worthy of champions, the Branson High School “Marching Pirate Band” won the Third Annual Valhalla Marching Band Festival Championship on October 4, 2003.How much of a nail biter was it?At the “end of the day,” when the last band had left the field, the Branson “Marching Pirates” had defeated the defending champion, Kickapoo “Golden Arrow Band” and won the Festival Championship by six tenths of a point.



    The Festival, held at the John F. Kennedy Stadium, in Springfield, Missouri, had 31 competing bands from all over southern Missouri.The bands, comprised of over 3,250 Student Musicians, Drum Majors, and Auxiliary Members, engaged in an exciting day long competition of marching precision, choreographed pageantry, and musical presentation.In the Preliminary Round, bands were divided into four “Classes,” A-D, according to the number of all playing band members, with A being the smallest and D the largest.Branson was assigned to Class “C.”



    Out of the 31 bands starting the Preliminary Round only ten would make it to the Finals. The top band in each “Class” automatically qualified along with the next six highest scoring bands, regardless of Class.The Branson “Marching Pirate Band” won First Place in its Class to qualify for the Finals and also won best Soloist, Percussion, Winds, and Auxiliary (Color Guard) for its Class.



    At 9:00 PM, immediately after an excellent performance by the Festivals two time Champion, the Kickapoo “Golden Arrow Band,” the Branson “Marching Pirate Band” took the field to perform their exciting, fast paced, and intricate performance of the “Rise and Fall of Rome,” by Keith Poulan.The pressure was on, but months of practice, and their individual dedication, and commitment paid off as the Branson Band responded to the challenge.The result is that, for the first time in its three year history, the Valhalla Marching Band Festival has a new champion, the Branson “Marching Pirate Band.”



    When asked what he thought of the Bands performance Eric Matzat, the Director of the Branson High School Band, said “The results were such a great surprise.We didn’t know what to expect because this was our first public performance of the show. There is nothing like bringing a crowd of over 7,000 people to their feet.”And bring them to their feet they did!

  • Fishing Report- Lake Taneycomo October 3

    Editors General Comments: Very little affects the fishing on LakeTaneycomo like the generation of power at the Table Rock Dam. Call 417-336-5083 for up to the moment information on generation and lake levels or click here. October 4- At 0600- 0 generator(s) on, Table Rock is at 913.2 and Taneycomo at 701.5.


    Trophy Trout Area: Special Regulations apply to the Trophy Trout Area running from Table Rock Dam to the mouth of Fall Creek. Click here for an overview of these regulations.


    Fly Fishing Only by River Run Outfitters (Dam to Fall Creek)- September 30- Came home from vacation Tuesday. Had a great time on the Little Red River in Heber Springs, Arkansas. Basically the same flies, olive zebra midges, sow bugs, etc. but we also had the good fortune to get into some great BWO hatches and terrestrials hitting the water in the afternoons. So, we got out the dries and did really well. While we were gone, had boats on the water most every day. All trips are catching lots of fish, especially on the zebra midges. Olive and rust were the colors yesterday. The tan flashback scud worked well below the KOA yesterday afternoon. Stan’s couple from Alabama were seasoned fly fishers and caught 60-70 fish. Nothing big but still decent size fish, 13-17 inches.


    Fly Fishing and Spin Fishing By Chartered Waters Guide Service and Fly Shop –


    October 2nd – Brad and his son Zach joined me for a half day boat trip this cold October morning. I expected another tough one early (no water running) and we definitely got that. Both started spin fishing and action was slow that first hour. The very windy conditions and choppy water made it tough to see the hits we were getting.



    Time for some major moves, and while I knew the day would bring improvement with a higher sun and the front blowing through, we needed fish now. I started by going down to 7x Rio Fluoroflex. I don’t do that a lot on the spinning reel set ups but drastic times call for drastic measures. I moved to an area where trout tend to start midging before all other areas and I dropped a #22 Smidge (olive and brown) behind a #18 brown G-Bug on that 7x. That was the combination as both fishermen started picking up fish nicely from there on out. We had good (but not quite as good) action with a black GLB Zebra about 18″ down then trailing a Smidge about 3 feet behind that with no weight. An all midge setup in and around those midging trout but the brown G-Bug was supreme all day. Olive Bit Scuds were not good at all and while I love that fly a lot there are times that dictate adjustments from the norm. Today was one of those days. ….



    Gary‘s Current Report: October 3– 0700-1000 water off conditions. Went fishing with my friend Duane (Mac) McCammon. Fished from the 21 mile makrer about half way to Fall Creek with the boat out far enough to cast back into the “channel”. Mac used a fly rod and I used my spion float system and we both used orvis Miage 6x tippet. Mac stayed pretty close to 3 1/2 feet all the way down and I stayed at 4 feet. Between us we caught over 40 fish in the 12-18 inch range with most of them in the 12-15 inch range. Mac decaught a beautiful Rainbow that was definately closer to 18 inches than it was to 15 inches. Although, as on any trip different flies and jigs were used, Mac caught his big one and the majority of his fish on the size 16 Red Tungsten Bead Head Midge and I caught the magority of my fish using the a 1/100 ounce River Run Peach Jig. I will mention however that I started the day using a white version of the Peach Jig that Shannon, of River Run Outfitters tied for me and it did real real coming down the chute from the 21 mile makrer into the Lookout Hole. It seemed that one us had a fish on most of the time and we ended the day with out second or third double of the day. Congratulation to Betty McCammon, the beautifylhalf of the the Mac and Betty team who caught a nice 19 1/2 inch Brown on the 2nd.


    Guide Bob Klein: October 3- No change from Bob Klein, of “Bob’s Guide Service“. Fishing is good from Cooper Creek to Rockaway Beach using pink and white power eggs and night crawlers. As always the following standard default techniques are producing fish.


    Water Off Conditions (not generating power from Table Rock Dam) – Air injected night crawlers or Orange and Chartreuse Power Eggs, with the Chartreuse on shank of hook and the Orange on tip. Fish them off the bottom with no heavier than 4 pound leader, size 8 or smaller hooks, and just enough split shot to cast. Place the shot so that the bait floats 12-18 inches off the bottom. Spin-A-Lures and Little Cleos have been working well.


    Water On Conditions – Orange and Chartreuse Power eggs with the Chartreuse on shank of hook and the Orange on tip, white Power Eggs, or inflated night crawlers bounced off the bottom using the standard “Lake Taneycomo Drift Rig.” which is readily available at all Marinas and most resorts on the Lake.


    Get Your Lake Taneycomo Questions Answered:Bob, Gary, Brett, and Stan will be monitoring the Outdoor Activities Forum on the Branson.Com Message Board . If you have any fishing questions on LakeTaneycomo just ask.Use the word “Taneycomo” in the Search Function and enter it in all your posts so they’ll show up.

  • Women To Be Honored During Veterans’ Homecoming 2004

    The Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB together with the Branson Veterans’ Task Force welcome all women veterans and active duty military women to Veterans Homecoming Nov. 5 -11, 2004 and plan to honor them during a special day of camaraderie and fun on Nov. 8.



    The purpose of the event is to honor women veterans and active duty military women, and to give them the opportunity to meet other women from around the country who share similar backgrounds and experiences, according to Mary Slivka, chair of the Women Veterans’ Welcoming Committee. The Nov. 8 event will include an 11a.m.luncheon at the Radisson Hotel with guest speaker Brigadier General LaRita Aragon, Air National Guard, who, as a school teacher and single mom, enlisted in the Air National Guard and worked her way up the ranks.



    Following the luncheon, the women in attendance will have the opportunity to Ride the Ducks, visit Stone Hill Winery and tour the American Presidential Museum.Dinner will be held at the Lodge of the Ozarks at 5:15p.m. Several local entertainers are expected to stop by the Lodge of the Ozarks to welcome the women to Branson.



    Branson Veterans Task Force sponsors have donated gifts for the Nov. 8 event which will be given away at the luncheon and dinner.



    For more information on the women veterans welcoming event and to book travel arrangements, please contact Mary Slivka, Inside Sales Coordinator at the Branson Chamber of Commerce and a US Navy veteran at (417) 334-4084 ext. 317.

  • Nixon and “Watergate” – is this Branson’s “Treegate?”

    Nixon and “Watergate” – is this Branson’s “Treegate?”



    As the Ole Seagull read the letter of Branson City Administrator Terry Dody, appearing in the September 29 edition of the Branson Daily Independent, he was reminded of what Abraham Lincoln once said, “If the end brings me out all right, what’s said against me won’t amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.” An Ole Seagull would paraphrase Mr. Lincoln, in terms of Dody’s letter and public comments, by saying “If hundreds of public columns don’t testify as to the integrity of the opinions they contain, responding to Dody’s personal attacks on that integrity would make no difference.”



    It appears that Dody takes issue with two recent “columns regarding the cutting down of a tree in front of a restaurant in downtown Branson.” The first was entitled, “Score: Birds and Trees, 10 – City of Branson, DBMA, and Downtown Restaurants, 0” and the second, “In Cold Sap – a story of better government through communications?” Both can be found, on the internet, at https://bransoncourier.com/ under “Editorials.”



    The Ole Seagull believes that a review of those columns will indicate that the first column was written before the tree was cut down and that the core issue, of both columns, wasn’t the “cutting down of a tree.” Rather, it was the unresponsive, dismissive, and unprofessional response of Don D. Stephens, director of planning and development, for the City of Branson, in his August 24 letter of response to the letter of Jo Anne Lund of Jimmy Jet’s Grill, dated August 11. Unfortunately, for all of us, Stephens’ letter was, in the Ole Seagulls opinion, the primary causal factor of the trees demise and all the “sap” flowing from it.



    Dody, as only he can do, graciously shares his opinion that “Mr. Groman unfortunately tries to sensationalize the issue and to state his opinion and one-sided knowledge of the issue as fact.” To the “charge” of stating his “opinion” an Ole Seagull would simply say, “Isn’t that exactly what columnists are supposed to do?” One could not help but notice that, although his letter “spins” on and on, Dody doesn’t cite one occurrence of where he alleges that any of the factual information presented, one sided or otherwise, was inaccurate, unfair, or failed to substantiate the conclusions contained in the columns.



    Instead, he appears to use the standard bureaucratic tactics of spin and diversion in an apparent effort to shift the focus to a peripheral issue, “the cutting down of a tree.” This appears to be an attempt to cover up the real issue which caused the trees demise, the documented unresponsive, dismissive, and unprofessional manner in which the City’s director of planning and development, responded to a legitimate request for assistance and guidance from a Branson business. Dody delivers a paragraph long apologetic in an attempt to explain what Stephens was conveying in his August 24 response to Ms. Lund’s letter. If it takes the City Administrator to explain what Stephens meant in his letter, 30 days after he sent it, imagine how confused Ms. Lund was when she got it on August 25.



    After receipt of Stephens’ letter, in light of the continued confusion it caused, and prior to the tree being cut down, Ms. Lund contacted the city forester on August 25. According to Dody’s letter, during that conversation, “She was again informed that the tree belonged to the city.” Put in its kindest light, and to paraphrase Dody’s letter, “readers should be aware of the distinct possibility that not all information provided by Dody is correct.”



    The following excerpt, from a transcript of a tape of the August 25 conversation between Lund and the city forester, indicates that Dody appears to “be a fountain bubbling over with misinformation” regarding what Ms. Lund was told by the city forester on that date. Does the excerpt indicate that Ms. Lund was “again informed that the tree belonged to the city,” as Dody said, or just the opposite?



    Excerpt:



    Lund: Well how can it if I don’t own the tree? That’s what I’m trying to get to-



    City Forester: DBBA [Downtown Branson Main Street Association] does. And since they own the tree, you’re not allowed at, anybody, I mean, just because you don’t own the tree, doesn’t mean – that’s the ordinance that it falls under -and you’re asking to cut it down yet you don’t own it. Um-



    Could it have been a Freudian slip when Dody wrote about taking “potshots with incorrect or incomplete information and presenting them as facts to an unsuspecting readership?” It’s becoming very clear who “may want to minimize this issue by distorting and obscuring the real issue,” the city’s unprofessional handling of this matter, even as “the fact remains that someone knowingly, willfully,” and unprofessionally is attempting to cover it up. Anyone want to guess who? All together now, can we say “Treegate?”

  • Branson’s Newest Attraction – Branson Balloon Soars

    On the morning of August 31, 2004 this writer had the opportunity to take a ride on Branson’s newest attraction, “The Branson Balloon,” which just opened for business this week. From the size of the balloon, 200,000 cubic feet and over 10 stories tall, through the slow, silent, and smooth tethered flight to an altitude of 500 feet, and the breathtaking view of Branson and the Ozarks from that height it was, to say the least, an impressive experience.

    Manufactured by Aerophile, the balloon can comfortably carry 30 passengers and is the largest tethered helium balloon in the United States. The flight ascends slowly and silently, and lasts approximately 15 minutes.

    The graceful ride of the Branson Balloon is truly a unique, affordable, and fun experience for the whole family! Daytime passengers will enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view over Branson and the surrounding natural beauty of the scenic Ozark Mountains and Table Rock Lake. At night, the balloon will be lit and riders will experience this peaceful journey skyward above the city lights. If one plans a night flight to coincide with the fireworks show at Celebration City the ride will really be even more special and unique.”

    The Branson Balloon is located 3218 Shepherd of the Hills Expressway, just east of the Shoji Tabuchi Theatre or west of the junction of Roark Valley Road and Shepherd of the Hills Expressway. For tickets and information call 417–336-6060 or, to visit their web site, click here.

    Originally Published In the Branson Courier during 2004.