Today's Feature

Don’t Forget the Treats.

Today is Halloween, and the Chamber of Commerce is again hosting the annual Treats on the Square event, this afternoon from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.. Area children are invited to trick-or-treat early at businesses around the historic downtown square.

A costume contest for newborns through 6th graders will be held from 4:00 to 4:30 p.m. on the south side of the square. Prizes and Cash will be awarded for winners in five categories. The contest is coordinated by Barrister Title Company.

YMCA Zumbathon.

The Fair Acres Family YMCA invites the public to a special event to help raise money for the American Cancer Society on Saturday, November 1 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.

The event will include a live drummer, motivational Latin dance-exercise, music and door prizes. Donations are welcome and all proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society. A guest speaker from McCune-Brooks Regional Hospital will be discussing Prevention and Early Detection of breast cancer through mammograms.

Mornin'

It’s Halloween, so either turn your lights out or have your goodies at the door.

With the weather a little in question, a good place to take the kids will be the Square this afternoon. Startin’ around three and lastin’ until five, the merchants on the Square and the Chamber will host the Halloween parade around the square. ‘Course the participants will be welcomed to stop at the various shops and pick up a treat for the effort. (Adults seem to like this part of the afternoon also.)

For the kids that feel like gettin’ a little goofy, there’s a costume contest with prizes and a chance to show your stuff. If ya want to get in on this, it starts around four.

If ya don’t have kids ta bring, it’s o.k. ta show up anyway, it’s a great show.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Journey Along the Wellness Path
By Leesa Robinson, NHP

We are all exposed to toxins on a regular basis. Toxins enter our body via the digestive tract, through skin absorption, lungs and respiration, and even our internal emotions such as anger are a potential source of toxins. The body has basically three options when it comes to dealing with toxins. One, the body may and often does bury toxins in body fat. Second, the body may effectively remove them. And third, toxins may be deposited in tissues.

The liver is a primary organ that helps us deal with toxins. It is much like the oil filter in a car. It removes toxins from the blood and dumps them out of the body through the bile.

Some signs of liver overload might include poor digestion, fatigue, obesity, dark circles under the eyes, high cholesterol, joint pain, and sugar handling problems to name a few.

When the body can’t handle the toxic load it starts to function in a suboptimal manner. As we meander down our wellness path we should stop briefly and take an intentional look at feeding our body specific whole foods to encourage and enhance the function of the liver.

For example, beets have countless phytonutrients that encourage and support proper liver and gallbladder function. Specifically, young beet leaves are a great source of betaine which is one of the B-complex factors that help the liver do its job.

Feeding your body whole foods will allow you to take a brisker walk along the wellness path and enjoy increased energy and vitality!

Yours in good health…naturally,

Leesa I. Robinson, NHP

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

This week I want to give you all a preview of the new art exhibition line-up for 2009 here at the Hyde House Gallery. I have just this day finalized the show schedule and am very proud to present it to you as I will be doing for my Board next Wednesday at our regular meeting. The year will begin with an Opening on February 13th and an interesting show of contemporary abstract paintings by artist Jim Bilgere entitled "10-B AT THE CARLTON ARMS". Jim currently resides in Carthage, but has associations with many other areas of this country and others where he has lived and painted over the years. I hope that the dates of March 27th through April 12th will work for Joplin photographer Mary Ann Soerries, as she desires a time slot to display a group of her wonderful floral and nature photographs next year here at artCentral. The third show of the new year will feature the fantasy art of our friend Martha Goldman of Joplin in a show entitled "AN AMERICAN FAIRYTALE". Martha taught in this past summer’s artCamp and we look forward to welcoming her back. Next will be our annual MEMBERSHIP SHOW in June, followed by our friends Bill and Rebecca Perry of Joplin who will be bringing an all new exhibition of his photography and her wonderful "objects" on July 10th through the 26th. After the summer’s childrens’ artCamp, the next offering will be a joint show of Gregory Krepps and Jed Schlegel which will contain the wonderful ceramics by each of these fine potters. Dan McWilliams of Jasper will bring a fine display of oil paintings on October 23rd which will remain until November 8th, and the final show of next year will feature a joint exhibition of paintings by Theresa Rankin and April Leiter, who will bring her sculptures to artCentral for the first time. Don’t miss this wonderful group of artists who will grace our galleries next season!