I have driven through parts of Dexter and Bloomfield since the twin-ice storms came through and caused major problems for folks in those communities. The cleanup is pretty well underway, but there is still a lot to be done.

In fact, as of last week one city block in Bloomfield still had limbs hanging on the power lines. I don't pretend to be an expert in such things and can only conclude the utility cooperative that serves that area has determined there is no danger. Another real possibility is that there were other, more pressing problems to be dealt with.

One young man who works for me in Dexter and Bloomfield told me last week he still has power poles leaning over and lines sagging near the ground.

It's been interesting to read readers' comments on the website in Dexter as they praise or criticize the utility company. From the comments, one can just about determine which of the utility's customers had service restored early and which ones had to wait a while.

I haven't gotten an official word, but I'm told the utility companies in Stoddard County received some assistance from folks down here clearing debris and getting power restored.

We were fortunate here to have missed those storms. Bid Miles pointed out that old Chief Chilletecaux's name (also the first name given to the county's capital city), which reportedly means "Land of Dividing Wind," proved true once again. We might suggest including "ice" to that as well.

As I drove around Stoddard County I couldn't help but recall the number of times I've seen City Light Gas & Water trucks out trimming the trees around power lines in the city. And I recall the time several years ago when the wind and ice didn't divide like they did a couple of weeks ago.

There were some power outages, but nothing compared to what some of our neighbors experienced at the time and nothing like some of them experienced in the recent past.

There are two power companies that service that area. SEMO Cooperative is the electric company that provides power for Bloomfield. Ameren services Dexter.

It occurred to me that those companies have probably made a determination that it is more cost effective to handle damage caused by an ice storm than maintain an aggressive limb-cutting program.

Now on the surface it sounds like a dumb decision. However, before we decide to go after the utility companies for making that decision and allowing service interruptions for several days to some of its customers a question needs to be asked. Are customers of those, and other utility companies that made that same decision, willing to pay more for an aggressive tree cutting/thinning program? I'm sure any utility company worth its salt would prefer not to have the massive outages. Whether or not its customers are willing to pay for it seems to be another matter, at least once the electricity comes back on.

CLGW does a pretty good job of keeping tree limbs clear of its lines, but obviously they can't get them all and that's why there were some outages several years ago. Even they could probably do more, but are customers willing to pay for the service?

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It is here?

Did spring slip in this weekend? Are we about to get a cure for an almost month-long case of cabin fever?

One fellow looking forward to the warmer temperatures has more than one reason for wanting it to warm up.

For Jack McDaniel springtime means a time to get rid of a few things, like, um, those few things we all seem to accumulate around the waist line from being cooped up and mostly sedentary during the winter months.

If you're thinking you might want to join Jack in his spring exercise program there are a few things you should know because it's not the ordinary weight loss program. Jack intends to work his few (it really doesn't look like he's put on much of anything to me) pounds by working in the yard.

The side benefit to this is that his wife, Wanda, gets a nice looking lawn out of Jack's exercise work.

I don't think Jack's weight loss program is any threat to Brenda Gatewood's Weight Watchers, but just in case you'd like to give it a try I'll bet Jack has a rake and a hoe that will fit your hand.

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Officially omitted

The Missouri Senate passed a bill last week that, while hardly landmark, has at least a smattering of an impact of this little corner of the state.

By a vote of 24-10 senators sent a bill to the House that would make the ice cream cone the official state dessert.

The reason SB 991 is of at least passing interest to local folks is because Sen. John Loudon's bill contains no mention of the originator for ice cream's additional treat. A pretty convincing case can be made that a Kennett man by the name of Hamra invented the ice cream cone.

There is no dispute that the cone was introduced in St. Louis at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904, but there is much discussion as to who had the original idea. The majority, according to the late A.O. Goldsmith, credit another fellow.

In a March 23, 2003 column, Dr. Goldsmith wrote, "Charles E. Menches, a young ice cream salesman, gave an ice cream sandwich, as well as flowers, to the young lady he was courting. Lacking a container for the ice cream, she took one layer of the sandwich and rolled it in the form of a cone to hold the ice cream, with the result that the ice cream cone was invented."

In what may be termed a politically shred move, Sen. Loudon's bill does not attribute any particular person with the invention.

Bud Hunt is the publisher of the Daily Dunklin Democrat.