About Benton County, MO

Whether you're a resident or a visitor, at the Lake of the Ozarks, there is always something happening. Therefore, we thought it would be the perfect time to blog about the Easter celebrations that will be going on around Lake of the Ozarks this wonderful spring season.

· Easter Brunch - April 12^th at the Country Club Hotel & Spa, Lake Ozark. For more information, call (573) 964-2222.

· Easter Brunch - April 12^th at the Resort at Port Arrowhead, Lake Ozark. For more information, call (573) 365-2334.

· Easter Brunch at HK's and Easter Egg Hunt - April 12^th at the Lodge of Four Seasons, Lake Ozark. For more information, call (573) 365-3000.

· Easter Egg Hunt and Pictures with the Easter Bunny - April 12^th at the Lake Ozark Christian Church, Lake Ozark. To highlight the day's activities, the Easter Garden will open with an Easter Egg hunt. For more information, call (573) 374-6594

Each activity sounds like it will be a lot of fun for the whole family. We hope everyone gets out and enjoys as many activities as they can.

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Spring is getting ready to spring upon us already. We really can't believe how fast it has come. But, nevertheless, it's here and it's time to do some Spring cleaning around the lake. Therefore, the Lake of the Ozarks is calling upon its brave souls to help clean up the lake's shoreline.

This year, the annual Shoreline Beautification Cleanup is scheduled from March 15 through April 15. Adopt-the-Shoreline organization is seeking volunteers to help spruce up the lake in time for the summer swimming and boating season. So far, there are over 600 volunteers expected to turn out, but there is always a need for more help.

Clean up will consist of cleaning the shoreline, transporting floating material from the lake and stacking debris for later pickup. Adopt-the-Shoreline provides all supplies, administrative work and disposal of trash. Volunteers will only handle the clean up.

Since the annual Shoreline Beautification Cleanup began, there has been between 120 to 240 tons of dock foam and other junk removed each year from the lake's shoreline. In the past, around 90% of the debris removed from the shoreline was old foam. We have blogged about the removal of non-encapsulated foam docks in the past. There is now a ban on non-encapsulated foam docks so, hopefully, we won't have to be cleaning up so much loose foam in years to come.

If you would like to volunteer, you can call the Adopt-the-Shoreline office at 573-365-9252. There are several volunteer zones around the lake, so be sure to mention which mile marker you are closest to and the volunteer office will direct you to the closest zone to you.

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Tax season is here again and the AARP Tax/Aide will have several volunteers in the Lake of the Ozarks area to help prepare hundreds of federal and state tax returns for lake area seniors. Lake area residents that make up to $50,000 can receive this free quality income tax assistance and tax form preparation.

There are still 64 days left before the deadline date of April 15^th. However, people are already getting in line to get this free help from the AARP Tax/Aide. There were over 1,300 federal returns and over 500 state tax returns filed by lake area residents last year alone who qualified for this free assistance.

Taxes can get complicated for many of us, especially for those over the age of 60. The tax laws, forms and qualifications change each year and can be very confusing. AARP volunteers have had the necessary training and are prepared to handle all your tax preparation needs.

Some changes you need to be aware of this year are that low income residents may be eligible for a property tax credit. The government has also raised some income limits. Be sure to check with your tax preparer to make sure you received the correct amount on your stimulus payment. They will be able to tell you any possible mistakes and let you know what credit you will qualify for to get the best refund possible.

There will be five locations set up around the lake area.

· Westside Senior Center - Wednesdays, 9 am-4 pm, 875-5722 (Opens February 18^th).

· Camdenton Library - Thursdays, 9 am-4 pm, 346-5954.

· Osage Beach Library - Tuesdays, 12:30 am-6 pm, 348-3282.

· Golden Age Retirement Center - Wednesdays, 9 am-4 pm (appt. only), 365-7365.

· Eldon Senior Center on Hwy. 87 - Tuesdays, 9 am-noon, 374-0138.

What to bring:

· W-2 forms from each employer

· Copy of last year's tax return

· Proof of what stimulus payment was from '08 (bring letter)

· Amount of estate tax paid in 2008

· If low-income, may qualify for property tax credit

· If received Social Security benefits, copy of SSA-1099

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A new access point to the lake will open at the end of January in Lake of the Ozarks . The new 78-acre Wigwam School Access will be located at mile marker 66.5 just across from Duncan 's Point. The new access point is named after an early 20^th century school that sat on the property before the area was dammed in 1931 to create the Lake of the Ozarks .

The $1 million Wigwam Access will feature a two lane boat ramp, a lakefront weigh-in station, eighty-nine vehicle & trailer parking slots, handicapped parking, and public restrooms. It's a big price tag for the lake community. However, over 75% of the construction costs are reimbursable from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's program for increasing water access for lakes and rivers.

The biggest problem the project has faced is the addition of the 50 feet long and 30 feet wide boat ramps. The water level in the lake would have to be dropped 15 feet below full pool. Since this is not an option, the ramps will be framed and poured on dry land then slid into place with a large dozer.

The Wigwam Access point will add more convenience for getting on and off the lake. Fishing is a popular sport in Lake of the Ozarks . Fish that can be found in the lake are Crappie, White & Hybrid Bass, Walleye, Catfish, and Bluegill.

Find fishing reports and best times to fish at Lake of the Ozarks fishing reports.

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There is no better feeling than to feel safe. And feeling safe in the community in which you live is a great feeling. Over the past few years, Chief Mark Maples has revamped the police department in the Lake of the Ozarks .

During Chief Mark's first year he changed a lot of policies. He began moving the department in a completely different direction than it had been going. By changing things, Chief Mark made a lot of enemies in the department and lost several officers in the process. Many officers went on to other departments and turnover was high for a short time.

Before Chief Mark came on board, the Lake Ozark Police Department was acting as an island to surrounding agencies, where they depended on other agencies too much. And Chief Mark wanted to fix that immediately. He now meets regularly with surrounding police chiefs and local sheriffs to discuss what's happening in each department. Since having these regular meetings, the lines of communication are now better than ever.

During Chief Mark's second year, he began fine-tuning the department's policies and improving the ones he could. By then, turnover was nearly zero. He also began building relationships with residents and local businesses to establish positive communications. The department began to be more proactive rather than reactive.

Now, Chief Mark continues to hire and maintain quality officers. Although the department is small, the chief makes sure his officers are well-rounded. They are capable of responding to all types of calls. The officers working for the police department today are great. Chief Mark knows this because of the number of tickets his officers are writing and by the lack of complaint calls he receives. Chief Mark also encourages his officers to live inside city limits as he does. He believes that working where you live will help you have a personal interest in the community.

Today, under the direction of Chief Mark Maples, the department is very professional and courteous. The department is also focused on working to become a positive influence in the community. Lake of the Ozarks is a great and safe place to live.

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