Today's Feature

Library Tax Increase on Ballot.

A property tax increase will be on the ballot for the August 5th election to help fund the operations of the Carthage Public Library. The increase would reset the levy at 32 cents per hundred dollars assessed valuation. The levy for 2007 was 17.4 cents. The previous property tax levy increase was approved in 1998.

The library completed an expansion project in 2007, which increased the size of the building by 13,000 square feet. That expansion was funded by partial appropriation of a 3/16 per cent City sales tax, and by private funding secured by the Library. The appropriation of the City tax to the Library is due to be retired in 2010. The only form of tax that the Library can independently request is a property tax.

"It’s the only avenue available by law," said Carthage Public Library Director Jennifer Seaton.

With the increased size of the structure, the Library has seen increased operating expenses. Salaries for library employees have increased by 25 percent due to minimum wage increases, material costs have doubled, and insurance rates and utility costs have tripled, according to Seaton.

"The property tax increase will allow the library to be self-sufficient," Seaton said.

Operating expenses aren’t the only increase the Library has seen since the expansion. Circulation has risen by 20 percent, and computer use by 40 percent. Recently, 1,877 users signed up to use computers in one month.

Seaton said that the computers are an "invaluable" tool for a large number of Carthage residents.

"The library is the only resource they have for computer use," Seaton commented.

The expansion has allowed more space for the Library to offer specialized programs as well. Two study rooms are frequently used, according to Seaton, and wireless access using laptops is utilized often. The Library has a new "storytime" area for children, a children’s library and teen library, and has instituted a number of summer reading programs for Carthage’s youth. .

"It’s a nice environment," Seaton commented of the Library addition. "It’s clean, and inviting."

Applications for library cards have also doubled since the expansion.

"We see that number continuing to rise," said Seaton of the new applicants.

Mornin',

I eat sardines two or three times a year. I grew up always havin’ a can or two in the cupboard. Maybe a can of Spam and a couple of cans of pork (sorta) and beans. That and a box a crackers made up my dad’s "emergency" food storage.

We never made a sit down meal of it, but sometimes Dad and us kids would break open the cache and have a snack fest. In a week or two, the cupboard would be replenished and not be bothered for three or four months.

After all these years, the habit hangs on. I don’t like sardines that much, but it’s comforting to know I could eat ‘em if I had too. With all the talk of the economy, I may throw in an extra can just in case. The test would be if I could eat ‘em two days in a row.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

artCentral
Art Notes from Hyde House
By Sally Armstrong, Director of artCentral

artCamp is in full swing here at Hyde House, and we hit the 50th student mark today! Our classes began Monday, and though we have 50 registered, our classes are small so that our students are receiving very personal instruction. The kids Monday created a number of very interesting clay animal creatures, some of which are containers, which will be fired this weekend and available for pick up next week. Today’s students in one group are creating fanciful sewn animals in 3-dimension from colored felt, sewn with yarn and button and ribbon embellishments. A second class is working in clay creating slab construction pieces with texture from nature items found on the property. Later this week, classes in painting and additional classes in clay, batik, and sculpture are still available, as well as additional classes to be held next week in cartoon design, mobiles, origami, and collage books. If you are interested in knowing what spaces are still available in the second week of camp, please call the gallery at 358-4404. artCamp continues through August the 9th. I am also in preparation at this time for our next new exhibition which opens August 29th here at the Hyde Gallery. The plein aire painting style of Joplin artist Frank Young will be featured. Frank paints in oil, and his scenes are painted mostly from live locations, and include scenes familiar to most--- a tractor in the field, street scenes from a small towns, folks at an auction, a huckster selling from his truck. He has a pleasing but loose style, and his work has been featured in other local venues recently. We will feature charcoal drawings of his as well. I thank Lonnie Heckmaster and HOMETOWN BANK for the generous underwriting of this exhibition for artCentral and look forward to this opening on Friday August 29th . This show will run through September 14th, so will be in place during the Midwest Gathering of the Artists weekend.