The City has little say in the proposed County Food Service Sanitation ordinance according to County Health Department representatives. John Callison of the Department spoke with about twenty local food service representatives and owners during a scheduled meeting Thursday afternoon at the County Annex.

The only way a city can avoid being place under the jurisdiction of the County Health Department is to establish their own health department working directly with the State said Callison. Joplin is the only city in Jasper County with such a department.

Callison also told the group that the reason the proposed ordinance was originated was to comply with the 1999 FDA Food code that requires more inspections and the issuance of a permit by the department to all food service establishments.

Most of those attending the meeting were concerned with the proposed cost of those permits. The federal regulations don’t establish the amount of fees to be charged. The proposed fee schedule ranges from $40 per year for a temporary establishment to $250 per year for high priority establishments.

artCamp Is One Big Summer Blast!

by Robin Putnam, artCentral

It’s here !! artCamp 2000 has blasted off with 30 kids just looking to make master-pieces, messes and driveway drawings !! We managed to fill 111 spots in 10 different classes with 30 kids..............it’s that toooo coooool !!!

Our first class was a 2 day mosaic tile project and you should have seen the cool designs these creative kids came up with !! We had everything from names, Mr. Potato Head, fish, snakes and turtles to polar bears, a horse, flowers, a shark and sun-shine !!! This was an amazing project that kept the kids working every minute. They all really enjoyed themselves and got on great with Lis, the teacher AND they had a great piece of art to take home and show off !!

Tuesday’s class was a roaring success.........all of the kids said they wanted Robbie back next year !! They made cast of feet, fingers and faces plus a few bunnies, dog and cats !!

After only three days of classes we had to wash off the driveway so there would be room for more chalk drawings !! During lunch breaks the kids have been drawing up a storm on our long, black driveway !! Talk about a masterpiece !!

We have a few spots still open for the two Saturday classes. July 29 and August 5. The first one is copper relief and the second one is weaving. All in all we have had a great turn out for these classes and we thank the parents and grandparents for taking the time to get their little ones signed up !!

We have a few new faces at drawing and sculpture on Thursdays !! We are plan-ning a minor change begin-ing in August. Dave our member and friendly coord-inator of these sessions will let everyone know the details as soon as he has them all worked out !! Stop by and check out artCcamp !

More.......next week. 358-4404. 1110 E 13th & www. ozarkartistscolony.com under organizations. Our hours are Tues. - Sat. 9am - 3pm.

I’ve spent the last couple a weekends in the company of three year olds. As you might imagine, I learned quite a lot in a relatively short period of time.

The main thing is startin’ to understand how much I take for granted. I never realized how little I question the ever’day decisions I make. Apparently the question "why" should accompany any action, especially if it curtails the freedom of movement for those under three feet in height.

I also discovered that the "why" is usually just because I figure it oughta be that way. The real challenge is makin’ up an excuse that actually sounds reasonable to a three year old. I still fall back on the old favorite "you might hurt yourself." I’ve found that sendin’ ‘em to their parents usually works pretty well until they start tellin’ ‘em to "go ask grandpa."

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Oak Street health & herbs

by Mari An Willis

Soy foods have been making the headlines for their important role in hormonal balance and part they play in the prevention and protection of various cancers. Soybeans are a powerhouse of proteins and among a few legumes considered a complete protein, meaning they contain all the essential amino acids. Soybeans are relatively high in fat, the necessary, I repeat, necessary unsaturated fats. The only drawback to soy foods is that most of us are unfamiliar with them. The following are just a few items readily available to get your daily dose of soy.

Soy Sauce, also known as shoyu, is an Asian condiment made from soy, wheat and salt. Wheat-free is called tamari (delicious)! Reduced sodium types are available at health stores.

Textured vegetable protein (TVP) is a high protein food produced by processing defatted soy flour to extract most of its soluble sugars. Try using TVP in place of meat in chili, stews, and casseroles. Very easy to use, cheap and most people can’t tell the difference in "taco" meat and the like. Several ready mix packages are available or try soaking the large chunks in spaghetti sauce for several hours...instant meatballs. Cookbooks available.

Tofu can be used in many ways. The important thing about tofu is to be sure you store it right so you can love the flavor! Always store in water in the refrigerator any unused portion and rinse daily. Best used within 3 - 4 days. Tofu will pick up the flavor of marinade and is excellent in stir fry.