Your Town: Chaffee residents find the good and the bad in small-town living

Editor' note: This is an installment of "Your Town," an occasional series about the state of towns in our area and what makes them tick.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- If there is any lesson Loretta Mohorc has learned from her experience in politics, it's that all cities have problems, whether over replacing a police chief or keeping water fresh.

Mohorc, mayor of Chaffee, said the city's fire hydrants will be flushed next week. Residents had complained of odors and bad taste "from all parts of the city," she said. Mohorc said the city's water system gets passing grades when inspected.

City officials also have to look for new police chief because the current chief recently resigned. Officials haven't yet announced plans for recruiting a new chief.

Like many people who live and work in the city of 3,000, Mohorc sees the good and the bad of small-town living.

Steve Whitaker prefers to focus on the good, such as working cell phones and Internet access.

"We have everything Cape has," he said.

AARON EISENHAUER ~ aeisenhauer@semissourian.com Alex Hamilton and Zach Browne watched as Codey Browne bounced off the diving board at Chaffee's public pool Wednesday.

Chaffee was founded in 1905 after railroad officials decided to leave Cape Girardeau. There's still some debate as to whether the city got its name from Chaffee Realty of St. Louis or Gen. Adna R. Chaffee. An old city map shows a grid of streets -- many named for railroad officials -- and a circular park at the center of town. Some have begun to call it a roundabout, but others will correct newcomers with, "No, that's Circle Park."

Jennifer Nolen, the city's library director, describes Chaffee as "as close-knit community."

"I just think it's neat. There's not a lot of business, which is a down side, but it's a good place to raise a family because you feel safe with your children," she said. "It's different than a bigger city. You can ride your bikes and go to the pool."

This summer, she's running a state-funded program that has allowed her to bring in guest speakers on bugs, butterflies and bees. City officials have been taking turns reading aloud to the children as well.

Nolen has been working on grants and finding ways to make the library more of a destination. She has two computer stations with high-speed Internet connections and hopes to add more.

Even as she pushes for progress, the downtown area offers evidence of extremes. On one hand, the Chaffee Elks Lodge draws people from miles away to the Friday night fish fries during Lent; not far away, a closed Sinclair Gas station sign reflects a time when unleaded gas cost $1.40 a gallon and diesel fuel cost $1.56. Next door, the Chaffee Drive-In is bustling with customers eager to buy soft-serve ice cream cones and chocolate malts. Far on a back wall a vintage Dairy Queen sign boasts of ice milk sales. A previous owner decided the Dairy Queen franchise fees were too high. Ice cream blended with cookies or candy is called a Storm, and the largest sells for $2.50.

A block away, at 109 Main St., is the Chaffee Historical Museum. Inside -- not obvious to a casual observer -- is a time capsule made for the city's 100th anniversary in 2005. Jerry Stroup maintains Chaffee Historical Society's Web site, www.chaffeehistory.com, and said the museum is open by appointment as well as on Tuesday mornings. He said he'd like to see more volunteers willing to keep the place open more frequently.

Keeping things going in a city of 3,000 is challenging.

No one knows what will happen over the next year or two at the No Name Cafe. Owner Mike Leggett died June 26; his mother and sister have kept the cafe running. Leggett bought the restaurant in part to continue the legacy of former owner Mable Grissom, who had opened it as Mable's Cafe in 1958. In a Southeast Missourian interview in April, he talked about plans to expand the menu, but more than anything, he talked about how much he loved the cafe. Every day was an adventure, he said.

Steve Whitaker said he hopes the restaurant stays open.

Whitaker, 47, left Chaffee long enough to attend Southwest Missouri State University, becoming the third generation in his family to complete a college education. Now he runs the Whitaker Ace Hardware store with his dad.

Chaffee probably won't grow much, Whitaker said, but it is no dying town.

"We lose people at times and we gain people. We've basically had 3,000 people all my life," Whitaker said.

Twenty-four years ago, he married Karen Moudy -- her father's dental office is across Yoakum Street from Whitaker's shop -- and they raised their two children in Chaffee, tearing down one old home to build a new one.

"My kids might not have liked being in Chaffee when they were little bitty kids and everybody knew their business," Whitaker said, smiling, and recalling that his children were as likely to be corrected by other adults as they were by their own parents and that "they turned out fine."

On Aug. 1 and 2, the city will celebrate its annual German Days, a tradition that dates back 20 years.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127