The first day of spring 2025 is Thursday, March 20, 5:01 a.m. EDT. For the Northern Hemisphere, the day is marked by the spring equinox.
Traditionally, we celebrate the first day of spring March 21, but astronomers and calendar manufacturers alike now say the spring season starts March 20 in all time zones in North America. Fun fact: In 2024, spring fell on March 19—the earliest first day of spring in 128 years!
Spring is currently being reduced by approximately one minute per year and winter by about one-half a minute per year. Summer is gaining the minute lost from spring, and autumn is gaining the half minute lost from winter.
Winter is the shortest astronomical season, and with its seasonal duration continuing to decrease, it is expected to attain its minimum value—88.71 days—by about the year 3500.
Spring Weather Outlook
Construction behind the dam
Above, early February, 2025, is the Waste Water Treatment Facility (WWTF) behind the Peaceful Valley Lake dam. Before winter snow and melting periods (probably slowing progress) Mike Garlock reported: Mid-States is progressing well and still plans to complete construction by end of April. There is no rate increase planned for this year as a result of the new facility.
Since that date, he said the Gasconade County Republican newspaper was running an article — you may have seen it.
A Cleaner, Greener Peaceful Valley Lake!
by Brian Tharp
Support a community recycling effort:
The City of Rolla, Rolla Recycling Center, serves as an essential resource for the Rolla/Phelps County community and surrounding areas, including Gasconade County.
Accessible and Convenient The Rolla Recycling Center is a drop-off facility for separated recyclable materials, open seven days a week, 24 hours a day for your convenience. Located within the city and easily accessible, the center is open to all residents of Rolla, as well as those from the Ozarks Rivers Solid Waste Management District (which includes Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski, and Washington counties).
What Can We Recycle? Here’s a quick guide to what’s accepted:
Glass: Only food and beverage containers are accepted. Clear and colored glass should be separated. (The facility does not accept light bulbs, ceramics, glass cookware, mirrors, window plate glass, or auto glass.)
Aluminum: Empty cans free from debris are accepted. Flatten cans if you want to save space.
Tin/Steel Cans: Empty and rinsed cans (labels don’t need to be removed). Aerosol cans are accepted, but be sure they’re empty and plastic caps/lids are removed.
Newspapers and Mixed Paper: Accepts office paper, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, cereal boxes, and paperboard cartons. Please remove plastic bags, twine, or string before recycling.
Why Should I Recycle? Recycling is more than just a convenient way to get rid of unwanted items – it’s crucial for the health of our environment! Here’s why you should consider making recycling a regular part of your routine:
Conserve Natural Resources: By recycling, we help preserve natural resources such as trees, water, metals, oil, and coal, all used to make new products.
Save Energy: Producing goods from recycled materials uses less energy than making them from raw materials. Did you know that making 20 recycled aluminum cans takes the same energy as making just one can from virgin materials? That’s a 95% energy savings!
Reduce Pollution: When we recycle, we reduce the need for industries to burn fossil fuels, which leads to less air pollution. Burning coal, for instance, releases sulfur dioxide, one of the worst air pollutants. By recycling, we help combat climate change and keep our skies cleaner.
FREEPIK.COM
Recycling: A Small Act with a Big Impact Americans generate an average 222 million tons of trash annually (about 4-5 pounds per person daily). Recycling is a vital part of any waste management strategy, preventing landfills from filling and overflowing. You help save precious landfill space, an important part of reducing the strain on our earth.
Let’s work together to keep Peaceful Valley Lake clean and green, and make a meaningful difference in our community. Recycle today for a brighter tomorrow! * * * Earth Day is April 22 * * *
NOTE WORTHY
Friday, Mar. 15, 6:00 PM, monthly association board meeting, Lodge. All are welcome.
Annual Meeting of members, Peaceful Valley Property Owners Association, will be Saturday, April 26, 10 am, Lodge. See you there!
Keep an eye out for the spring rummage! …that is, look around for items you can live without. Take them to the lodge or the Maintenance shop garage.
Be ready for the Rummage Sale April 24-27, 2025, coinciding with the Owensville Spring Fest and Car Show.
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Monday, Mar. 17, 5:00 PM, Monthly Public Water Supply District (PWSD) meeting, Lodge. All are welcome.
Save paper and mailing:
CLICK HEREfor PWSD consent form to get bills via email or text.
CLICK HEREfor PWSD new application form for water and sewer service.
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Covid Tests, free again, through the mail, beginning late 2024. Go to covidtestsfor more information.
Board Elections
The Annual Meeting for members will be April 26, 2025. There will be three board positions open this year for end of terms: Dan Hoemeke, current Vice President, 2nd term; Megan Jost, current Treasurer, first term; Cathy August, current Secretary, 1st term. Each board member may serve two consecutive terms.
Throw your hat in the ring to be on the board. Voting will take place during the Annual Meeting, so you have time to fill out an application and campaign for election among your neighbors.
The Peaceful Valley Property Owners' Association Board of Directors consists of 9 members in good standing. Four serve in officer positions, President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary. All positions are voluntary and uncompensated. Terms are 3 years, elected by members on a 1-year rotating cycle, meaning that 3 director’s terms expire each year. Directors can serve only 2 consecutive terms,
Drop off your application at the office, or mail/email it. Submit applications, ideally, 60 days before the Annual Membership Meeting Saturday, 26 April, 10 am, Lodge.
St. Patrick and Reuben
FROM THEPIONEERWOMAN.COM
The Reuben Sandwich: so where did this bit of culinary perfection originate? Remember this tale as you enjoy your munch March 14th.
The history has been debated for years! While many believe this delicious sandwich has Irish or German roots, its origin lies a little closer to home.
Most signs point to a poker game at the Blackstone Hotel in 1920s Omaha, Nebraska, where a man by the name of Bernard Schimmel, who oversaw the kitchen, is believed to have assembled this hot-pressed sandwich—corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing on rye—for a player by the name of Reuben Kulakofsky, who loved it.
Kulakofsky's family maintains that Schimmel merely brought down a deli platter to the game, before Reuben himself assembled the sandwich, but Schimmel's family has cleverly raised the question of why a panini maker would be present at that fabled poker game. The rest, as they say, is hotly contested history.
What's on a classic Reuben?
It's a pretty simple formula: You just build a sandwich on rye bread with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, then cook it in a skillet or on a griddle like a grilled cheese sandwich.
Ready for cruising?Make sure to check community regs for safe and considerate boating. Remember watercraft may not be left at the marinas more than 48 hours. If you stretch the timing, your craft may be towed and stored at an off-site location at your expense. A drawing at the Annual Meeting April 24 will assign some slots to those lucky few who win them. There will be 7 slots available. Call the office to put your name in the hat. Winners will pay $100 to reserve for the season. All other slots need to be kept open for everyone on the lake to have short-term access.
Lake Classifieds
Contact the editor to run an ad in Splash: $5 per month (a monthly publication); $50 per year; maximum 5 lines in print version of the newsletter, approx. 30 ltrs per line.
Karen Hoemeke, helping people buy and sell homes for 17 years. Top 5% all MO Coldwell Banker Realtors. I live in PV and specialize in PV. 314-973-1218
Dec25
Jamie Gerloff, Mary Kay, Independent Sales Director. Contact me: 573-241-2793. 60 years of Quality Skin Care & Cosmetics. Fast & Free Samples & Delivery
Feb26
Prairie Barn Winery & Christmas Tree Farm Complimentary wine tasting; open Thurs. to Sun.; for events and questions, contact [email protected]; call 660.253.0079; web prairiebarnwinery.com
Oct25
The newsletter reaches 265 people through direct email, is available to anyone on the PVL website, and paper copies can be picked up at both gates and the Lodge.
Organized fun
Join the Wednesday dinner club 5:30 Wednesdays. The location changes each week. Randy Fuller (or friend) posts on Nextdoor by Wednesday evening where to be the following week. People decide where to meet drawing out of a "hat.” All invited!
The PVL Book Club meets the 4th Monday of each month, but not February or March. Next one will be April 28. The book is The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, by Kim Edwards, starting between 4:30 and 5 pm. Bring snacks and drinks. Everyone is welcome whether you read the book or not!
The March of Days
4th is Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday
9th begins Daylight Savings Time, so set clocks ahead 1 hour
14th is Pi Day for both mathematicians and bakers
15th is The Ides of March, 44 BC, Ceasar’s doom
17th is St. Patrick’s Day
20th marks the first day of spring and is also the International Day of Happiness. The spring season lasts until June 20.
23rd is National Puppy Day :)
Our mailing address is: PVPOA, 3408A Peaceful Valley Rd., Owensville, MO 65066 573-617-9615 (voice & text)
