 A
number of local and area residents visited Holden’s new Farmer’s
Market which began Saturday at Holden’s City Park located on East
Hwy. 58. The market is sponsored by the local chamber of commerce and
is coordinated by Jo Ann Nolan. Nolan says she was pleased with the
initial response.“The turnout was very good and many of the people who visited were asking the sellers if they would be returning next week. Several of the visitors commented on how happy they were to be able to purchase locally grown produce and added they thought the Farmer’s Market was a wonderful idea.” Nolan says some of the vendors who were scheduled to attend were unable to due to previous commitments and illness but added they will be attending this coming weekend. “It is still early in the growing season and some of the growers’ vegetables aren’t ready for harvest yet but will be soon. Each week there will be new items and varieties as the Farmer’s Market gets established.” Nolan says, however, all the sellers were happy with the location and number of visitors to the market. “They all sold many items and are looking forward to next week when they will be bringing more items and varieties of goods.” Alan Dean, Nolan says, brought an entire truckload of vegetables. “He sold more than 16 pounds of green beans in the first one and one-half hours and by noon, he only had a few turnips and stalks of broccoli remaining. He will be back with a huge assortment of fresh vegetables next week. Marcia Smith of Holden, she says, had fresh picked cherries that completely sold out. Nolan says she will be back next week with large brown eggs, white bantam eggs, fresh picked cherries, mulberries and baked goods. Lisa Wright of Holden, Nolan says, had free samples of her all-natural, homemade farmhouse soaps and she, too, will be back with more fragrances and varieties of her all natural hand-made soaps and skincare products. A big attraction for the children was a variety of rabbits brought by Kingsville FFA. They will be back next week with plants grown in their own greenhouse. Nolan says newcomers scheduled to be at the market over the next few weeks are Gary and Gloria Burden of Holden, Bryan Coffman of Holden, Courtney Family Farm of Holden; Cathy Furrey of Chilhowee and Clair Wadel of Holden. “These growers will be bringing eggs, poultry, homemade jams and breads, perennial plans and a large selection of fresh vegetables.” Nolan says since the local market is part of the Missouri Farmers Market Association and AgriMissouri, they are included in all of the promotions and contests these organizations offer. She adds the Missouri Department of Agriculture is sponsoring the “Experience AgriMissouri” vacation get-away sweepstakes and entry forms will be available at the local market in July. The local Farmer’s Market is open every Saturday morning from 7 a.m. to 12 noon, rain or shine. For additional information, contact Nolan at 597-3353 or by e-mail at info@holdenmarket.com. Complete details and items that each seller will have available can be found at www.holdenmarket.com. See The Image For Additional News Coverage
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Those
famous tenderloins that put nearby Medford on the map are back as Jerry
and Phyllis Millstead announce the re-opening of Millstead’s Drive-Inn
five miles south of Holden on 131 Highway. The business is scheduled
to open Thursday, June 24. The original Millstead’s opened in 1970 in a small walk-up drive-inn and was open 10 years. In 1980, the family built a new restaurant in Holden, later selling it to another owner. In 1986, they built a new building in Medford with inside seating and operated it until 1994. That building has since been torn down, replaced recently with a new facility. Phyllis says the decision to re-enter the drive-inn business was an easy one because she enjoys working with the public. “I missed greeting people and wanted something to do,” said Phyllis. She adds she looks forward to seeing customers who were regulars in earlier years. “We still have a lot of people who remember us. There were a lot of kids who were probably six or seven who are now 30 who remember those tenderloins and I’m looking forward to seeing them again.” In addition to their famous tenderloins, Millstead’s was also known for their homemade fried pies and steak fingerlings which will again be a part of the menu. Although no inside seating will be available, Phyllis says plans call for a covered area with tables and umbrellas for customer use. She also adds that the family is considering constructing an amphitheater adjacent to the business which would feature area vocalists and bands. The drive-inn will be open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For additional information, call 732-4622. See The Image For Additional News Coverage By Rusty Hartwell Publisher The
City of Holden will continue to utilize an interim chief of police to
oversee its local force. According to Scotty Walker, chairman of the
police merit board, the group is waiting to name a permanent chief until
more applicants are available for possible employment.“The merit board will meet again when we have more applications,” said Walker. “We’re in no hurry. The acting chief is doing a good job and I want to stress that he has not been disqualified despite rumors to the contrary.” Although Walker says it would be nice to “wrap it up soon”, he says he and the board believe it is important to offer sufficient time for additional applications. Walker says when the merit board met in May, they were only given one application for consideration. However, he adds, when the position was initially advertised, six applicants applied and at his request, these applicants were added to the pool. “The applications were two months old when the board received them, and before we went too far, we called to see if they were still interested in the position. Three of the six were no longer interested and one did not meet the qualifications. Currently, there are two interested, qualified candidates including the interim chief.” Walker explains he and the board did not believe they had a broad enough field to choose from at that point and additional efforts were made to publicize the position in metro-area publications. “We decided we wanted more applications - not that we didn’t feel the two we had were qualified. We just wanted to make the best decision for Holden.” People need to realize the purpose of the merit board is to keep politics out of the police department, Walker says. “If we’re going to do the job right, we can’t just rubber stamp what the council wants if we don’t think it is best for Holden.” Although it is not a requirement and something he stresses would not rule out the current interim chief who lives in Lee’s Summit, Walker says he thinks it is very important the chief of police live in Holden. “I know some people think that is not right but people all over the country move to advance their careers. The position of chief of police is probably the highest profile job there is in the city and if someone is going to draw their salary from Holden, what’s wrong with living here?” Walker adds he believes the officers on the department should also be encouraged to reside in Holden. “I think all city employees should be required to live here. We have good schools, adequate housing, a good business district and friendly people,” he added. Although no date has been set, Walker says the merit board will meet again once ample time has been given for additional applications. See The Image For Additional News Coverage By Rusty Hartwell Publisher |
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