FREE
High-Flying
FUN
LAKESIDE AIRPORT HOSTS MONTHLY FLY-INS
+
A visible reminder C C C WO R K E R S TAT U E D E D I C AT E D AT R R S P
THE
E K A L
JULY 2013
Eat what you can
TIPS FOR PRESERVING YO U R S U M M E R H A R V E S T
LAKE
’ N I LOV
CK LE RO TAB OF
HARE THEIR MEMO S S R E RIES D A E R
JULY 2013
CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 1
contents CONNECTION MAGAZINE
July 2013
8 High-flying fun
Turkey Mountain Airport in Shell Knob hosts monthly fly-ins
15 Home decor business thrives Towneley Furnishings opens in newly renovated downtown building
20 Eat what you can and can what you can’t Tips for preserving your summer harvest
32 Table Rock Years Love for the lake began at any early age
34 Lovin’ the lake Readers share their memories of Table Rock Lake
38 A visible reminder CCC Worker Statue dedicated at Roaring River State Park
On the cover: Joey McCracken gets some air and jumps the wake while wakeboarding on Table Rock Lake. Photo by Jeremy Huse of Huse Photography.
JULY 2013
43 Crazy about the Cornhuskers Mt. Vernon man has amassed impressive collection of sports memorabilia
47 The people in your neighborhood CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 5
High-flying STORY BY CHARLEA MILLS
PHOTOS BY JOSHUA BOLEY
FUN
TURKEY MOUNTAIN AIRPORT IN SHELL KNOB HOSTS MONTHLY FLY-INS
8 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE
JULY 2013
One Saturday a month from May through November, Shell Knob residents may notice quite a few small planes buzzing through the skies. The occasion is the monthly fly-in at Shell Knob’s Turkey Mountain Airport. The grass airstrip on Table Rock Lake is unassuming, but that one weekend a month, a flood of small plane enthusiasts and their families pop in for fun and food. Judy Reynolds bought Turkey Mountain along with her late husband, Marshall Reynolds, and another couple in 1992. At that time, the airport was part of a bigger picture -- a nine-hole golf course and clubhouse with restaurant. Turkey Mountain was built in 1970, but eventually, it had to be split up to survive. After Judy’s husband died, she and the other couple continued the legacy until
JULY 2013
2003 when the couple sold out their portion. Now, Judy is the one-woman show responsible for keeping a long-standing tradition alive. The draw of a fly-in for aviation enthusiasts is the fellowship with other pilots and their families. The pilots fly into the airport, park their planes and chat with Judy and the others. Judy serves a specialty meal to anyone who pays, but the fly-ins are
free otherwise, including to members of the community. It’s a fun event for anyone who wants to bring a lawn chair and watch the small planes buzz in and out of the airport. The most memorable event of the fly-in season is the Wounded Warrior fundraiser on Memorial Day weekend. On that Saturday, the fly-in becomes a stop on the Piper Cub poker run, which raises money for the Wounded Warrior Project. Planes
CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 9
fly into the airport, raising money for the benefit and competing with short take-offs and landings. The event also includes a flour-bombing competition where small planes try to hit a target on the grass with a bag of flour from the air.
10 | CONNECTION MAGAZINE
Each fly-in scheduled throughout the year offers small plane enthusiasts and area pilots an opportunity to eat, socialize and enjoy the lake from a unique vantage point. The events also help promote the airport, and its role in providing convenient access
to Table Rock Lake for those wishing to travel by air. For over four decades, the small business has survived and achieved its fundamental goals. “We bought [Turkey Mountain Airport] to support and promote aviation,” explains Judy. “It was never a money-making operation. Not many small businesses can say they met their goals, but we did.” It was passion for the aviation community that inspired Judy to continue on with the airport. As a retired schoolteacher, her livelihood revolves around the airport and the fly-ins throughout the year. Part of her success is low overhead. Since she keeps no fuel on the field, insurance and taxes are her only costs. Her biggest expense may be the gas for mowing. “All that owning it means is that I mow a lot,” laughs Judy. At one time, her passion was to become a pilot, but time and some roadblocks with her flight training deterred her. “The good Lord intended for me to keep my feet on the ground and mow,” Judy explained. In addition to the fly-ins, Turkey
JULY 2013
Mountain is a private airstrip where pilots must have permission to land. Planes fly in from all over the country, including Tulsa, Oklahoma, Plano, Texas, Rochester, Minnesota, and Wichita, Kansas. The airport has 25 members that pay annual fees to be able to use the airport anytime they need to come to the area, but Judy doesn’t charge anyone to use the landing strip for a one-time landing. “I don’t charge, because once people come in for their family reunion or whatever, they will love the area and want to come back,” said Judy. “Then they can become a member.” It is Judy’s generosity and kind spirit that keep Turkey Mountain Airport alive. The restaurant is no longer open, but she does use it to cook meals for the fly-ins. One of her most popular food items is her famous “In-the-Bag Omelet.” While many smaller airports with grass landing strips have closed over the years, Turkey Mountain Airport and Judy’s fly-ins still draw people who are looking for
access to Table Rock Lake, a quiet, beautiful location, a place to gather with family and fellow pilots, and a generous and joyful hostess.
The fly-ins at Turkey Mountain Airport remain open to the public. A complete schedule is available on the airport’s website at www.turkeymountainairport.com. The airport is located four and half miles off of Highway 39 on Farm Road 1230 in Shell Knob at 23197 Maple Lane. For additional information, call Judy at 417-858-6345 or 417-671-1832.
JULY 2013
CONNECTION MAGAZINE | 11