Sam has introduced a new column in the newspaper: an advice column called Dear Minerva, with Sam secretly being said Minerva. Kate thinks the advice Sam is doling out is all wrong and comes up with better advice to the letter writers. Kate's advice is exactly what Sam was hoping as he wanted a woman to take over the column. He convinces Kate to be Minerva, she agreeing only on the condition that no one knows it's her. The plan is for Kate to type the columns at the hotel, with Dog being the messenger between Sam and Kate. Kate has a difficult time trying to find a place in the hotel where she can type her columns without anyone finding out. She manages to get the job done and the column becomes a big hit, but typing the columns in peace while still attending to her hotel duties and the needs of the family takes its toll on her. Kate finds out in a roundabout way what effect her column writing is having on life at the hotel, and she has to decide if the grief is worth the big time ... Written by Huggo

The very cosmopolitan looking and acting couple, Oliver Wendell Douglas and Lisa Douglas, are staying overnight at the hotel before they move into their newly purchased farmhouse, the run down Haney place. When Uncle Joe learns that Mr. Douglas is a lawyer, Joe hopes to get some free legal advice about how to get out of jury duty. Despite Mr. Douglas stating that he would never give advice on how to get out of what he considers the privilege of serving on a jury, he does unwittingly give Joe an idea. The only thing Joe has to do is find someone else willing to take his place, and he knows the person: Kate. While Kate is away in Pixley serving on the jury, Joe learns that he won the raffle, the prize being a television set which he has to claim by noon tomorrow. Two problems arise. The first is that he can't remember where he put his raffle ticket. When he does remember where he hid the ticket, the second problem becomes how to retrieve it from the suitcase that Kate took with her to ... Written by Huggo

Betty Jo and Bobbie Jo are among the group trying to mount a fund-raising stage production to buy some playground equipment for the kids. Because of casting problems for the female lead, Betty Jo comes up with a new idea: rewrite the play for an all canine cast with Dog in the lead. Meanwhile, a former guest of the hotel, Mr. Kroger, who has just passed away, has deeded $200 to his favorite resident at the Shady Rest: Dog. With his new found wealth, Dog is generous to his friends, which does not include Uncle Joe, who does whatever he can to get a hold of some of Dog's money. But Dog is also letting the money, the resulting fame and adulation - including a front page newspaper article at which he can't stop staring - and the starring role in the play go to his head. Dog learns the hard way that fame and wealth can be fleeting, and that keeping to commitments is more important. Written by Huggo

Kate wants to support Bobbie Jo in the upcoming spelling bee in any way she can, but it may be a losing battle against stuck up but admittedly excellent speller Henrietta Watson. Regardless, Cora Watson, Henrietta's equally stuck up mother, protests Sam's new appointment as judge since she feels he will be biased in favor of Bobbie Jo, the daughter of his best friend. As such, Mr. Douglas, newly arrived in the valley, is appointed the new judge. Whoever the judge, Bobbie Jo doesn't seem to have a chance of winning as she doesn't have the confidence to win, that is until she finds a scarab ring, which coincides with her getting flooded with good luck. Slowly, all the Bradleys and Uncle Joe begin to believe in the power of the ring when they too receive what they want when wearing it. Bobbie Jo feels she can't lose the spelling bee with the ring on her side. She learns the true power of the ring after the spelling bee's conclusion. Written by Huggo

Being forced to paint the hotel's exterior gives Joe the idea that he can go into business as a general contractor, especially when he finds out that the wealthy Douglases are looking for a contractor to help fix up their place. Although Joe knows nothing about construction work, he plans on hiring subcontractors for their expertise while he garners all the profits. He does get Mrs. Douglas to hire him, which starts his juggling act. He plays the hotel and the Douglas jobs against each other. He also finds that he may be scheming rich, but cash poor which means that he needs to find some additional capital to get both jobs going. Uncle Joe's scheming affects Kate in unexpected ways, so she comes up with a plan to set Uncle Joe straight. Written by Huggo

An excited Bobbie Jo has been nominated for membership into Omicron Epsilon Pi, Hooterville High's only sorority. She is still concerned as she knows of many girls who were nominated but didn't pass the initiation. The head of the sorority, Henrietta Watson, who is still mad at Bobbie Jo for beating her in the spelling bee and as such doesn't want Bobbie Jo in the sorority, devises what she believes is an impossible initiation task for Bobbie Jo: get a date with the school's star athlete, Stonewall Jackson, who seems only interested in sports and not girls. Bobbie Jo thinks that Billie Jo and her seductive powers may be able to help, but Bobbie Jo asked the wrong sister as Stonewall is probably more interested in what Betty Jo can teach her. The Betty Jo School of Sports only has three days of operation before Bobbie Jo needs to get that date. Bobbie Jo thinks that she also has a way to get back at Henrietta for the difficult initiation task. Written by Huggo

Uncle Joe answers the ad of Dr. Mathew Bailey. Dr. Bailey is looking for office space in return for provision of free medical service. Kate not only thinks it's not the best idea for the family, but not the best idea for Dr. Bailey since there just aren't the patients in the valley, especially with everyone in Hooterville going to see Doc Stuart. But once the girls get a look at the young and handsome Dr. Bailey, there is no way they're going to let Kate let him get away. So the Bradley clan opens up an office for Dr. Bailey adjacent to the hotel lobby. But Kate is right: there is no business for Dr. Bailey, who many of the traditionalists in the valley see as too young and inexperienced. The girls and Uncle Joe even go on a marketing spree to round up patients, to no avail. Doc Stuart, who is welcoming of his medical colleague to the valley, unwittingly gives Kate an idea to boost Doc Bailey's clientèle, the plan worthy of the scheming mind of Uncle Joe. Kate's plan takes an ... Written by Huggo

The Every Other Wednesday Afternoon Discussion Club, with its new member Lisa Douglas, is planning on holding a square dance (which beat out a gay 90's party) as a high school benefit. The kids don't think it's a good idea as a square dance is, well, square. They'd much prefer a dance with music by someone like King Ring a Ding, the biggest recording star in their musical world. Kate won't hear of it as she doesn't consider King Ring a Ding's music as being music. Regardless, the Bradley girls decide to try and get King Ring a Ding to perform at a benefit. Who shows up unexpectedly at the hotel instead is Herbie Willis, who used to live in Hooterville and who Kate encouraged to become a singer as she loved his lyrical voice and soothing rendition of traditional folk songs. Kate wants Herbie to sing at the benefit. What Kate and girls don't realize is that both Herbie and King Ring a Ding can't perform at the benefit together because... When Herbie hears that no tickets have been sold ... Written by Huggo

Boxer Kid Dynamite is offering $100 to anyone who can stay in the ring with him for three rounds without going down. Uncle Joe is trying to find someone to who he can act as trainer, with Joe retaining the majority of the prize money as a training fee. He thinks he's found that person in Herman Crawley, the strong as an ox but none too bright plumber Kate hires to fix the plumbing problems Uncle Joe caused around the hotel. What makes Herman the perfect candidate in Joe's mind is that he can take punches to the head without even feeling them. Joe does set-up a makeshift boxing ring at the hotel to train Herman, which doesn't sit too well with Kate in so many different ways. When Joe meets Kid Dynamite and his overprotective but brazen manager mother Mrs. Hogan, Joe thinks there's no way Herman can lose. So Joe makes a $500 versus the hotel side wager with Mrs. Hogan on the outcome. What Uncle Joe doesn't realize is that Herman has a particular weakness. In turn, Uncle Joe both has to ... Written by Huggo

Mrs. Douglas asks an excited Betty Jo to accompany her on a week long trip to New York City as her guest, all expenses paid for their stay at the Ritz-Savoy. After an initial hesitation, Kate allows Betty Jo to go. Despite the trip only being a week, Betty Jo and the family have a tearful bon voyage. When Betty Jo returns to Hooterville, she's a changed person, putting on airs and believing country life, especially her chores and even her tomboyish ways, is beneath her. Kate initially believes Mrs. Douglas is to blame for Betty Jo's new snooty attitude, but quickly comes to the realization that she isn't. Kate does get some help from Mrs. Douglas for an upcoming visit by Gregory Tremayne, a young gentleman Betty Jo met in New York. Gregory's visit ultimately shows Betty Jo where her heart lies. Written by Huggo

Kate's sixth sense tells her that there is impending doom. Reality ends up being worse: Homer Bedloe shows up. But he tells a story of woe: he has been fired by Norman Curtis for his actions against the Cannonball, and he has been replaced by Wilbur Goodfellow, who is the exact opposite of Bedloe in every way. So Bedloe, penniless, is looking for somewhere, anywhere, that he can call home, at least for a little while. He is even willing to work at the hotel to pay his way. Following Bedloe's arrival is that of said Wilbur Goodfellow, who has come to inspect the spur line and the Cannonball. After his inspection, Goodfellow plans on making major investments into the line as he sees it as an integral part of a burgeoning community. He even plans on sending the Cannonball in for a refit and loaning a new diesel locomotive in its place during that time. Everyone seems to be excited by all this news, except for Kate, who changes her mind about the proposed upgrades and Mr. Goodfellow after... Written by Huggo

Kate receives a telegram from Ralph Denton, an old boyfriend, who states that he is coming by the hotel for a few days. Kate seems unconcerned by the news, but Uncle Joe thinks Kate is acting just a little too nonchalantly, which means she is masking still deep seated romantic feelings for him. Regardless of if she or Ralph has a romantic interest in the other, they probably won't be able to act on them with Ralph's overbearing and busybody spinster sister, Mabel Denton, along for the visit. The girls and Uncle Joe do whatever they can to preoccupy Mabel so that Ralph and Kate can have some romantic alone time together. Joe's scheming has an unintended consequence which he has to figure how to get out of. Written by Huggo

After Joe insults Sam about the way he runs the post office, saying that even a baboon could run it better, Sam gives Joe the post office. Against Kate's wishes, Joe decides to set up the post office at the hotel's reception desk. Joe tells Kate that the post office will bring customers into the hotel, they who will want to stay for the night. Kate does whatever she can to persuade Joe to give the post office back to Sam and for Sam to take it back. Joe in turn does whatever he can to gather whatever equipment he needs to run the post office, namely to steal whatever he needs all in the name of the federal government. On the customer side, they treat the new post office much like it was still in Drucker's Store. Joe even tries to co-opt Charley and Floyd to help him. When things start falling apart around him, Joe tries one last scheme to deliver the mail as easily for himself as possible. Written by Huggo

It's been close to a month since there have been any guests at the hotel. So Kate is surprised when a Mr. Reynolds checks in, he who walked to the hotel from Stuben's Bluff instead of taking the train. To Kate and the girls, Mr. Reynolds seems like a warm, friendly and kind man. Despite paying in cash and reserving the entire hotel solely for himself so as not to be disturbed, Uncle Joe however doesn't trust him - how can he trust anyone who likes to walk? Uncle Joe thinks he's a criminal on the run from the law. So when Uncle Joe hears that the Benton Bank was recently robbed of $3,000, Uncle Joe is certain Reynolds is the robber. Uncle Joe does whatever he can to bring Reynolds in to the authorities, more for the $500 reward money than to see justice served. Will Uncle Joe get his man, and if so how will he get Reynolds to the police? Written by Huggo

Bobbie Jo and Betty Jo are creating havoc for Kate in the kitchen by entering contests as they are required to send in food can and box top labels, leaving much of Kate's pantry left with unlabeled cans and boxes. Bobbie Jo manages to win one of those contests, with first prize being a traditional English butler for one month. Unannounced, their new butler, Faversham, arrives on their doorstep. As hard as Kate tries, she just can't get accustomed either to relinquishing control of the chores around the hotel or to doing things the traditional English way. The latter is taken to an extra extreme by Uncle Joe, who organizes a fox hunt. The problem for Uncle Joe becomes how first to find a fox, which have been scarce in their parts of late. Written by Huggo

Secretarial student Billie Jo wants some real work experience, so Uncle Joe advertises to hotel guests Billie Jo's services as a stenographer. The one hotel guest who does hire Billie Jo is Mr. Norton, a salesman who wants to write a business letter to Frank Mortimer, one of his customers. Norton dictates a letter to Billie Jo that is harsh and scathing as Mortimer reneged on an order worth $15,000, which has placed Norton in a bad position at his company. But Norton decides not to send the letter until he returns to the office as he feels the letter does not yet have a nasty enough tone. It's lucky he decided to do so as he learns when he returns to the office that Mortimer has come through with his large order with a promise for a future order in addition. Norton obviously decides not to send the letter anymore. However, Norton can't find the letter. Norton returns to the Shady Rest to see if he left the letter there. Once back at the Shady Rest, all learn that Uncle Joe found the ... Written by Huggo

Gladys Knockleheimer and Bernie McKenzie are holding their wedding reception at the hotel. They are the fifth set of friends of Billie Jo's that have gotten married in quick succession. Both Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo are excited by the notion of weddings and marriage, but Betty Jo just sees the festivities as outside of her mentality. So she's horrified when she catches Gladys' bouquet as she feels it is a death sentence to have to get married since every person she knows who has caught a bouquet has gotten married shortly thereafter. Since marriage becomes foremost on Betty Jo's mind - despite being only sixteen - Kate decides it's time to have the talk with her about the issue. Betty Jo misinterprets her mother's advice, but it may be a moot point as Betty Jo has a secret admirer who has been sending her gifts. Could a wedding be in the works for Betty Jo and whoever her secret admirer despite Betty Jo not really knowing what true love is? Written by Huggo

Billie Jo wants to move out of the hotel and into her own apartment in Pixley. She feels that she's outgrown living with her younger sisters, that the traveling back and forth to and from secretarial school in Pixley is more time than it's worth, and that all the eligible young men of the valley live in Pixley. Kate's response?: no. Billie Jo's sisters are on her side, the three who try to come up with ways to convince their mother. Kate finally gives in on the stipulation that she have approval of the place, and by association the landlord. Kate only agreed however as she believes there is not an apartment to be had in all of Pixley. She's wrong as Billie Jo finds a place that does meet Kate's standards, so Kate feels she can't renege. After a few days, Billie Jo states that she loves the feeling of independence, sometimes not realizing what the cost of independence is. And Kate, as much as she openly supports Billie Jo while trying to undermine Billie Jo's efforts, hates to admit ... Written by Huggo

Betty Jo is on the verge of breaking up with her latest beau, Edward, due to differences in their interests - Edward's being more along the intellectual line - leading to differences in their outlooks. He believes Betty Jo is intellectually immature. The problem for Betty Jo is that she now has no date for Saturday night's basketball game. Betty Jo changes her mind about Edward's outlook - but not Edward himself - when she meets an older college boy named Chuck, who is visiting relatives in Hooterville. Chuck believes Betty Jo is an intellectual Emily Dickinson College girl, a misconception she doesn't correct. In an effort to impress Chuck on their upcoming date, Betty Jo tries to be what she believes a college girl should be, forgetting to have any fun along the way. Edward might have a say in what Betty Jo does on her date with Chuck. Meanwhile, Uncle Joe is collecting loose pieces of string to roll into one really big ball. Written by Huggo

It's the start of the new semester at Hooterville High. There are seven new girls and one new boy enrolled, the latter being big, hulking Walter Thorp. In addition to feeling sorry for him for being forced into the home economics class (he being the only boy in the class), Bobbie Jo is attracted to the athletic Walter, and wants to make him feel welcome. She and Betty Jo try and get someone to switch classes with Walter so that he can transfer out of home ec. If they can't, Walter may be forced to take the upcoming practical home ec class exam, which is to prepare a full dinner for one's imaginary spouse's imaginary boss in twenty minutes. Written by Huggo

The annual county fair is soon approaching. Betty Jo is in charge of finding Hooterville High's cutest livestock contest entry, her choice of Everett the pig which doesn't go over well with her fellow committee members. Bobbie Jo will be singing in the talent contest, she who is concerned about her costume and keeping her vocal cords healthy until then. Uncle Joe is expecting to win all the prizes at the baseball throwing booth, which may result in a few broken windows at the hotel as he practices. And although she wasn't going to enter again, seven time cake baking winner Kate reconsiders when she learns that her arch enemy Cora Watson would probably win otherwise. Keeping whatever she will be baking as her entry a secret from all the other contestants is this year's challenge. Things don't look good for anyone from the hotel winning this year as Kate battles distraction after distraction while she tries to bake her cake, Uncle Joe's pitching arm doesn't seem to be very accurate, and... Written by Huggo

An accident at the county courthouse has blown off the roof of the building. Uncle Joe uses some sly tactics to try and get the jury of the current case sequestered at the Shady Rest rather than the much closer Pixley Hotel. He manages to do so. Joe doesn't mind the extra work and inconvenience to Kate and the girls. Those inconveniences include figuring out sleeping assignments for the shortage of rooms, lack of food due to an extra hungry jury, the jurors' personal lives invading the hotel, and certain parts of the hotel being off limits during the jury's deliberation. But when that inconvenience extends to Joe, he may wonder if getting the business and money is worth the crimp on their collective lives. Written by Huggo

Kate receives a letter from a Mr. Donald Dobble stating that he and his friend and business colleague would like a reservation for two rooms. Mr. Dobble's friend, Mr. David Benton, arrives, and says that Mr. Dobble is with him, but Kate sees no one but Mr. Benton. Despite Mr. Benton seeming crazy to Kate since he sees and talks to an invisible man, Kate checks them in to the two reserved rooms. Her stance is that Mr. Benton is probably overworked and needs some much needed rest and relaxation. But as time goes on, Kate is wondering if she is the one going crazy for not being able to see Mr. Dobble. She feels this way as although Uncle Joe and the girls haven't seen him either, they have never been in a situation with Mr. Benton talking directly to Mr. Dobble in the room and they don't seem overly concerned that they have yet to see Mr. Dobble. So Kate tries at whatever opportunity to sneak a peak at or speak directly to Mr. Dobble, instead of just seeing the indirect implications ... Written by Huggo

Kate and the girls are excited at the prospect of a convention taking place at the hotel, with its associated revenue windfall. For the business, they are in competition with the Pixley Hotel, which may have an elevator and telephones, but doesn't have Kate's home cooking. To be on the safe side, Kate decides to do a face lift of the hotel's rooms before the convention organizer's inspection, with Uncle Joe to do much of the work. Kate also receives notice of a property tax increase of $6, the amount about which Kate is relieved but Uncle Joe is livid, although he states he is angry about the increase on principle. Unknown to Kate, Uncle Joe writes a scathing letter to the tax review board demanding the taxes be lowered. Problems ensue not only for Uncle Joe, but Kate when Uncle Joe confuses the visit by the convention organizer, Mr. Forbes, with the visit by J.C. Albright, the chair of the tax review board, to who Uncle Joe wants to make the hotel look as shabby and run-down as ... Written by Huggo

The Shady Rest is busting at the seams with guests, while the Pixley Hotel is virtually empty except for those that couldn't make their way into the Shady Rest for lack of rooms. As such, the Pixley Hotel's owner, Murdock Sneep, feigning that his establishment is also full, proposes to Kate that they merge their businesses. Kate kindly declines as she knows how empty the Pixley Hotel is. As such, Sneep vows to ruin Kate. He starts with an aggressive local advertising campaign, which doesn't bother Kate. But when Sneep starts to advertise on Shady Rest property, Kate and Uncle Joe believe his act is the start of war. Both Sneep and Kate/Uncle Joe have the same sorts of ideas as they try to one up the other. The first question becomes whether Kate or Sneep will realize first that their war may be reaping business but is taking a bigger bite in their expenses. And the second question is whether or not anyone else can capitalize on their feud. Written by Huggo

With the hotel empty and bills piling up, Kate needs an influx of revenue, which means someone, namely Uncle Joe, has to find a paying job. Although Uncle Joe pounds the pavement, he does whatever he can to dissuade anyone from hiring him. On Uncle Joe's rounds with Dog, Dog, in an empty lot for sale in Pixley, digs up a tin can full of money. Initially, Uncle Joe plans on not telling Kate about the money, but rather spend it on himself so that he can live in luxury in the big city, but Dog guilts him into doing the right thing. So Uncle Joe secretly pays off all Kate's bills. A surprised Kate has no idea who her benefactor is, and thus has no idea who to thank. When Uncle Joe learns that the money was probably stolen from the Crabwell Corners Bank, he tries to return what's left of it to the bank without appearing to be involved in the robbery. Written by Huggo

Uncle Joe is excited by a letter from Jeff and Nancy Anderson, who honeymooned at the hotel and are planning on returning soon for their tenth wedding anniversary. It gives Uncle Joe the idea to market the hotel as a second honeymoon haven for past honeymooning guests. The girls, who think it's a good idea, build upon it by suggesting they hold a gala reunion. They'll send out invitations with stamped return envelopes, so that all the invitees have to do is fill in the dates they will be staying on their RSVP. The plan doesn't work as every single couple to who they send invitations turn them down. The unfortunate recipients of the plan end up being the Andersons, who wanted a quiet second honeymoon, but receive Uncle Joe's constant attention as he wants to document every single second of their visit for his Shady Rest Second Honeymoon brochure. Uncle Joe's meddling has an unexpected second result which could put the kibosh on the whole second honeymoon haven idea. Written by Huggo

Life at the hotel is not going the way Kate would hope. The arrival of the store catalog seems to be the big event for the girls, but they can't buy anything since the bank turned down Kate's loan request. Kate realizes that she has never been able to make a go of the hotel, but she can't imagine the girls or Uncle Joe ever wanting to move away. Mr. Carter Deming, a writer and the only current guest at the hotel, overhears Kate's musings, and as he gets ten times more work done at the hotel than he does in his own home in New York, he offers to buy the hotel from Kate. When the girls and Uncle Joe imply that they'd love to live in New York City (without Kate mentioning the reason why she's asking) and when Mr. Deming offers Kate much more than the hotel is really worth, Kate reluctantly accepts Mr. Deming's offer for what she feels is the good and the want of the rest of the family, especially in the ability to send the girls to college with that money. But when Kate tells them the ... Written by Huggo

Because the cheap refrigerator that Uncle Joe bought for $9 isn't working, Kate sends him into Pixley to get some ice for the icebox. However, Floyd and Charley are having a feud over who is boss of the Cannonball and a resulting feud over a missing apple, and as such they are not speaking to each other which also means they aren't operating the Cannonball. If Kate doesn't get some ice, all her food will spoil. So she does whatever she can to patch things up between the two, who have been best friends all their lives. Despite bringing in the analytical mind of Mr. Douglas to assist in convincing the two to make up, Kate does not have an easy task due to both Charley and Floyd's stubbornness and Uncle Joe's meddling. Written by Huggo

Kate is cleaning out the storage closet, and wants all the family members to go through their belongings of the items in the closet. Although no one is around when Kate starts the job, she manages to find Uncle Joe (who wants to start an antiques business with his junk), Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo, but Betty Jo, who should have have been on the afternoon Cannonball run from school, isn't around. Kate receives news from Floyd and Charlie that last they saw Betty Jo that morning, she, all made up and with suitcase in hand, looked like she was about to run away to elope. Worried that Betty Jo has done something foolish, Kate, with help from the other girls, look for clues in Betty Jo's room and find that if Betty Jo is indeed planning to elope, the groom's name is Peter Latimer, a new boy in town. Kate does what any concerned mother would, and that is to rush off to find and stop Betty Jo from getting married. Written by Huggo

Kate's widowed friend Vera Wilson is looking more elegant than usual, on account that she has been dating Ronnie Beckman, a bookkeeper who moved to the valley five years ago. Their relationship is going very slowly as Ronnie has never been married and seems to be a confirmed bachelor as he has lived on his own for virtually all his life. So when Kate runs into Ronnie, she tries to encourage him to take his relationship with Vera a little more seriously and a little more quickly. To help him along, she allows Ronnie to stay at the hotel to see how happy real family life really is. Two problems arise. First, there is currently less than harmony at the hotel among the feuding sisters. And second, Ronnie's stay at the hotel is misconstrued by others, who think Ronnie and Kate are sweet on each other. Those others include Uncle Joe, who believes Ronnie is a fortune hunter after the family's money. Written by Huggo

Night after night, everyone at the hotel, even Dog, has an engagement out on the town, that is except for Kate, who seems content to be alone and knit in peace. However, Uncle Joe, and by association the girls, become concerned for Kate, thinking she needs to get out herself. So the girls take it upon themselves to try and find her an eligible bachelor. Before they can do that, they feel they have to demonstrate that they're grown up now, since they believe Kate's reluctance to date is because of her need to take care of them. In their overall scheme, the girls first try the direct approach, which doesn't work. Then they try the tricky approach, which has unintended consequences and still doesn't work. So they try the sneaky approach, bringing in the person they believe can help them the most: worldly Mrs. Douglas. Since all the eligible bachelors are scattered all over the valley, Mrs. Douglas suggests holding a lonely hearts club gathering at the hotel. Complications ensue when ... Written by Huggo

Uncle Joe is excited by a new capital works project for the valley, namely the damming of Bleeker Creek which will create a new lake in the area. Uncle Joe wants to exploit the benefits of the lake, such as market the hotel as the place to stay for tourists using the lake for recreational purposes, and corner the market in the provision of whatever specialized products and services for those tourists. However, Kate points out to Uncle Joe that there is one flaw in his plans: the location of the new lake does not mean that the hotel will be lake front property, but rather be under water in the middle of the lake. The railroad spur line would also be under water. When she sees how this project will devastate her and the Cannonball, she knows who is behind it: Homer Bedloe. Kate does whatever she can to stop the project, her first order of business being to collect two hundred signatures required on a restraining order petition. When it looks like Kate will just run short of the required... Written by Huggo

What Betty Jo wants more than anything is to be able to buy her friend Willie's motorized bicycle. Kate allows her to do so only if she is able to come up with the money, which may not be that easy for Betty Jo. After placing a job wanted ad in the World Guardian (which she could only pay for by dusting Sam's store in exchange), Betty Jo does get a babysitting offer only on the condition that Kate is around to supervise, to which Kate reluctantly agrees. With Kate doing much of the work, Betty Jo makes it through the babysitting job. The result is that many other babysitting offers and many other babies come out of the woodwork. Unfortunately for Betty Jo and the the rest of the family, the jobs are all for the same night and under the same condition of Kate supervising. Despite all the help provided by Kate and ultimately Bobbie Jo and Uncle Jo on these jobs, Betty Jo has to come to a decision if there are more important things in her life than the motorbike. Written by Huggo