Today's Feature
Numbers Down,
Dollars Up.
The number of building permits
sagged slightly in 1999 compared to 1998, but the
amount of money spent on construction in the City
surged by 36% according to a year end report by
the City Engineering Department.
City Director of Engineering
Joe Butler reports that the fees charged by the
City for building permits followed the increase
and totaled over $43,000, up 34% from 1998.
A new City policy that pays a
portion of the cost to repair or replace
sidewalks has also spurred construction. The
engineering office had a total of 80 requests for
eligibility in the program. Of those qualified,
28 permits have been issued. Of those, 23 have
been completed and approved for reimbursement
totalling $13,931.
The Council appropriated
$50,000 to be available for the year. Butler
thinks when the weather warms in the spring, more
requests will come in.
Butler also reports that 49
tons of materials have been recycled through the
City drop-off center in 1999. The cost for
disposing of the material, $3,305.70 has been
reimbursed to the City by recycling grants.
9-1-1
Hang-Up Procedures Work.
news release
The County 9-1-1 Center handled
a frantic call early Monday morning from a caller
who could be heard screaming but not talking with
the 9-1-1 Call Taker. The call was then
disconnected by the caller.
Repeated attempts to make
contact with the caller were unsuccessful, while
these steps were being taken, another 9-1-1 team
Member was following the procedures and
dispatching fire, police and EMS to the address
that had appeared on the Enhanced 9-1-1 data
screen.
As emergency agencies sent
resources to the unknown problem out in the
County, which has become a routine matter due to
the number of hang-ups the Center receives each
month, another call was received advising of a
structure fire at a neighbors house. This caller
was now reporting the event that had actually
started the process. Since the dispatch of units
to hang-ups the appropriate emergency personnel
and equipment were already enroute saving some
precious minutes that could make the critical
difference.
The ongoing effort to keep the
9-1-1 Database up to date is verified by this
type of experience.
Blunt
Calls for Restructuring
on Postal Rates.
news release
Southwest Missouri Congressman
Roy Blunt is urging the U.S. Postal Rate
Commission to freeze first-class postal rates.
"First-class customer should not be
subsidizing the cost of competition with the
private sector for other classes of delivery. The
Postal Rate Commission should reject the latest
request for another unwarranted increase,"
Blunt said.
Blunt, who is Chief Deputy Whip
in the House, urged the Postal Rate Commission in
a letter to end the "shell game"
employed in past rate hikes. "The postal
service has a monopoly on first-class mail and
that service generates most of the Postal
System’s surplus. The surpluses are then
used to unfairly compete in the private market
place against companies like Federal Express, UPS
and MAILBOXES, Etc. The Postal Service should end
the use of such subsidies," Blunt concluded.
Blunt reminded Postal Rate
Commission Chair Edward Gleiman that
"First-class mail plays an important role in
the lives of millions of Americans. The U.S.
Postal system is receiving hundreds of millions
of dollars in revenue beyond that required to
provide postal delivery. I urge the Commission in
the strongest possible terms to reject the
request of the U.S. Postal system for yet another
unwarranted increase in the monopolistic fees on
first-class postage, and a restructing of
business rates aimed at balancing the playing
field with the private sector."
Blunt points to a $363 million
surplus at the end of 1999 which was $163 million
more than predicted. Postal records show it was
the fifth consecutive year that the Postal
Service has collected more in revenues than it
expended for operations.
The total surplus for that
period exceeds $4 billion. Since 1970, mail rate
increases have substantially exceeded the rate of
inflation. The latest rate hike increased
first-class postage to its current rate of 33
cents in 1998.
Helen S.
Boylan High School Art Contest Reception Sunday
16th.
by Robin Putnam, artCentral
Our calendar year begins for
2000 with a reception on Sunday the 16th from
12:30 to 2pm.
Each year the Helen S. Boylan
Foundation sponsors an art contest for the
Carthage High students. This year we have the
priveledge of sharing this event. The student art
work will be hung as usual and there will be the
afternoon reception so everyone can come out and
see what talented young people are participating
this time !!
We hope the students friends
and family, teachers and neighbors will all come
visit and show their support.
We will be hosting this
reception this Sunday and will be serving
cookies, coffee and punch. The public is invited
and we look forward to seeing every one of you!!
The contest was limited to high
school kids ages 15 - 17. Entries were limited to
fifteen for each of three categories. So....that
means we have 45 pieces of art displayed and that
includes 3-dimensional, paintings and drawings.
The Boylan Foundation supplies
prize money in the amounts of five hundred
dollars for first place, three hundred for second
place and two hundred bucks for third place !!
What a great deal for the students !! The judging
and awarding of prize monies will take place at a
separate time. The reception on Sunday is just
for the simple pleasure of seeing one’s work
displayed and giving one’s parents the
opportunity to see what their bright little
children are up to !!
So.....Sunday....art, cookies,
friends.... see you then !!
Our next event will feature the
drawings and paintings of Joe Leiter. Not only is
he a talented muscian but he paints as well as he
plays !! He has some wonderful paintings and
truly enjoys painting plein aire !! That means
outside standing in a field or ditch. Joe’s
opening reception will be February 11th from
6-8pm. Details later.
More.........next week.
358-4404. 1110 E 13th & www.
ozarkartistscolony.com under organizations.
Business
Location For Rent
Across
Lyon Street from the new Jasper County Annex II
213
Lyon Street, Suite 1
Next
to Carthage Printing Services
Just One
Block Off the Square in Carthage, Missouri
Plenty of
Excellent Parking • ADA Compliant Entry and
Rest room
Approximately
1,400 Square Feet
Recent Complete
Renovation
New Roof •
New Wiring Inside/3 phase 220 to Building
New Drywall
& Ceiling Tile
New Central Heat
& Air • New Insulation Throughout
Private Front
& Rear Entrance
Convenient to
Downtown, Courthouse, Post Office and Banks
If you’re looking for a
respectable place to do business, call
Heritage
Publishing
417-358-3160
Or Stop By
213 Lyon
Street, Suite 2 • Carthage, Missouri 64836
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