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C
Y
K M
Index
10
Thursday, February 5, 2004
Insomniac invades
Kirksville nightlife
SAB spends $36,500
to bring comedian
from Comedy Central
Tony Albrecht
Index Staff
Mandy Sheets/Index
An empty ditch on Osteopathy was once the site of Spur Pond. When the city decided to drain the
pond for environmental reasons, rumors abounded about what would be found at the bottom.
Pond creates folklore
Residents believe Spur
Pond contained mine
carts, guns and goldfish
Josh Flint
Staff Reporter
Driving north on Osteopathy,
students might have noticed that
what was once a pond is now just a
large hole in the ground.
City workers broke Spur Pond’s
dam last summer, draining the
pond in a controlled fashion.
Scott Meredith, Kirksville
Parks and Recreation Department
director, said the city had several
reasons for draining the pond.
“I’d like to get the sediment
cleaned out of it,” Meredith said.
“It needs an emergency spillway,
and we need to bolster the dam.”
Meredith said he was concerned
about the condition of the dam. In
addition to it being somewhat
weak, he said he has seen the pond
run over twice during hard rains.
“I’d like to do some work to the
dam and stock it with fish,”
Meredith said.
He said he is familiar with
many of the rumors as well as
the facts surrounding the history
of the pond.
“I’ve heard there’s a railroad
car in the bottom of it,” Meredith
said. “I know there’s a bunch of
guns in there.”
At Bayview Building Supply,
Kirksville resident Charles West
said he has been familiar with Spur
Pond for at least 40 years.
West said he heard at one time
the pond was used to provide water
for the electric company. West then
told an interesting story.
“There’s one lady that said she
drove a Model T in there when she
was a little girl,” he said. “She
never did get it out.”
After he began telling tales,
others around him began to take
interest. Soon the lumberyard was
in a flurry of stories about the
pond.
A.C. Watts, from Milan, Mo.,
said people told stories about the
pond just to keep children from
swimming in it.
“I used to hear stories all the
time when I was little,” Watts said.
“It was supposed to be really super
deep, and there were supposed to
be old mine carts and stuff in
there.”
Watts, now 29 years old, said
when he was 12 or 13 years old, he
caught about six goldfish out of a
local pond that weighed about two
pounds each. He and his friends
then released the fish into Spur
Pond.
West said when the pond was
drained, he managed to snag a 24pound goldfish. Watts said he
thinks this was more than simply a
coincidence.
“I’m not sayin’ it was the same
fish but more than likely,” Watts
said.
West said he almost is convinced he caught one of the fish
released by Watts.
“That was pretty neat that I
found the guy that put him in
there,” West said.
One of the curious onlookers
then asked where the fish is now.
“I turned it loose in my pond,
and it’s still going,” West said.
After this story was told, the tall
tales really began to fly in the lumberyard.
Liz Martin, manager of
Bayview Building Supply, snickered at some of the stories being
told. She provided some insight for
interpreting the stories.
“In northeast Missouri, if it is a
true story, it starts out with, ‘This
ain’t no [crap],’” Martin said.
As the host of the popular
Comedy
Central
show
“Insomniac,” it only makes sense
that standup comedian Dave
Attell has some trouble getting
sleep.
“Yeah, I’m an insomniac,”
Attell said. “It’s the lifestyle —
late working, late drinking.”
The Student Activities Board
selected Attell as the featured
comedian this semester. He will
perform at 8 p.m. Saturday in the
Baldwin Auditorium.
Attel said he is from Long
Island, N.Y., and he has been
doing standup comedy for about
17 years.
He said he recently finished a
photo submitted
50-city tour with Lewis Black, SAB is bringing comedian Dave Attell to campus to perform 8 p.m.
comedian and frequent contribu- Friday in the Baldwin Auditorium. Tickets are on sale through Friday .
tor to Comedy Central’s “The
Daily Show,” but “Insomniac”
won’t be traveling to Kirksville comedians also included Janeane
A similar situation did not
with him this weekend.
Garofalo, Colin Mochrie, Colin present itself this semester, howAttell said he will only be in Quinn and Darrell Hammond.
ever, as Attell cost about as much
Kirksville Saturday night, as his
Attell received more student as SAB expected.
future plans call him away.
support than any of the other
Dalsted said SAB spent
“We won’t be doing
comedians, but he $36,500 for Attel’s performance
a
show
[in
“I’ll probably be is not a household fee, which nearly consumed all
Kirksville],”
Attell
name yet.
the money set aside for the spring
picking up a
said. “We’re off right
Junior Ellen comedian.
now. Then we’re head- drink somewhere Hart falls into the
The money SAB paid Attell
ing on a foreign tour.”
group of students for the performance will be well
in town. Small
When it comes to
not familiar with spent, according to some students
towns are some Attell’s work.
which
entertainers
around campus.
of the best
come to campus each
“He’s a comeSophomore Dan Matheny said
semester, the student
places to party.” dian, right?” she he is pleased to have Attell combody seems to want
said.
ing to campus.
well-known celebrities
Yes,
Dave
“People have told me ‘Oh,
Dave Attell
who aren’t hitting the
Attell is a come- he’s funny,’” Matheny said. “And
Comedian
low point in a not-sodian, and at this I said, ‘Oh, I’ll go.’”
great career.
point he is the
Tickets for Dave Attell sold
Dave Attell serves as proof only well-known comedian com- out Wednesday, suggesting that
that SAB pays attention to what ing to Truman this semester.
the show will be well attended.
students want.
Dalsted said SAB managed to
Although Attell said he won’t
Junior Alisha Dalsted, comedi- afford both Mitch Hedberg and be shooting an episode of
ans and films chairwoman for Pauly Shore during the same “Insomniac” during his time in
SAB, said Attell appeared to have semester last spring, but two Kirksville, he does plan to get out
the students’ approval.
comedians probably are not feasi- and see the nightlife.
“He got the most votes out of ble for this spring.
“I’ll probably be picking up a
anyone on the list,” Dalsted said.
“Pauly Shore didn’t cost as drink somewhere in town,” Attell
More than 1,200 students much as we had expected, so we said. “Small towns are some of
filled out the online survey last were able to bring in another the best places to party.”
semester. The list of possible comedian,” Dalsted said.