Council Accepts the Vision.

The City Council gave its unanimous acceptance Tuesday evening of the "vision for Growth Plan" compiled by Phillips-Ward and Associates. The plan is the result of the Long-range Visioning Summit held last fall. The forty-seven page document outlines various goals for community development and specific actions that are recommended to achieve those goals.

According to City Administrator Tom Short, the Council’s acceptance of the plan did not commit the City to any specific funding, but rather gave the various committees some assurance that the Council at least accepted the basic philosophy of the vision as presented.

The Tourism Action Council was particularly interested in seeing the Council accept the plan according to Short.

The goal spelled out for that group is "to create an experience that encompasses the unique aspects of the community, which, in turn, will attract tourists and encourage them to stay overnight and experience downtown Carthage." The group also wants to increase overnight stays by ten percent in the next five years for motels and RV parks.

2003 Looks To Be a Great Year!

by Robin Putnam, artCentral

Our pottery room is soooo full of critters !! Every shape and size imaginable ! We encourage all artCamp kids who have clay projects here to please come by and get them before they eat each other !!

The teacher, Randy Wright, has fired all of them and they can now be painted with acrylics or even stained ! Sounds like a good afternoon project for this up coming holiday weekend !

Thanks to Randy for taking the time to get all those things fired !

We’ve had a few new helpers around here lately and we sure do appreciate them !! It has given Matt time off to work at his real job...........art ! Something’s going on in Springfield and 2 projects in Carthage.....busy, busy, busy !!

The Paula Giltner and Donna Still exhibit is over as of today. We thank the gals for having a show with us !!

We hope they’ll be back in 2004 ( we are booked solid for 2003 ). While the main gallery is booked we have some time open in the Member’s Gallery upstairs and all artists with new work can book that gallery at anytime.

Our calendar for 2003 has artists from all over this area.........Carthage, Benton-ville, Kansas City, Spring-field, Golden City, Webb City and Joplin. We also have two group exhibits booked that will include 25 or more artists in each exhibit and that doesn’t include our annual Membership Show that features the work of at least 30 different artists !! How’s that for bringing them in in droves!!

It should be a busy and exciting year for us. We look forward to meeting all the new artists we will come across and sharing their work with you !

More......next week. 358-4404. 1110 E 13th www. ozarkartistscolony.com

Tues. - Sat 9am - 3pm.

After refinancin’ the home place for enough money to fill the gas tank of the car and the boat, I’m assumin’ a lotta folks will be on the road this weekend.

‘Course one alternative for those here in Carthage would be to stay in town and enjoy the various musical events scheduled for the ragtime weekend.

I know first hand that at least a couple of the piano players were in town yesterday gettin’ ready for the shows.

For the price of a tank a gas, you can prob’ly take in ‘bout all the ragtime there is available.

Tickets are available at the door (a good portion of the events are free) as far as I can tell, so if ya decide at the last minute, just jog on down and get in line.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Oak Street health & herbs

Natural Nutrition

by Mari An Willis

Allergies! It is the season and this dry weather just compounds the problem. One good thing my friend, Lowell, has shared with me is the bright side to ragweed is that 6 weeks from the date it blooms we will have our first frost...with these hot days doesn’t that sound great!!

Some traditional herbs to take during the allergy season are: nettle root, licorice root, slippery elm, marshmallow and fenugreek.

Nettle root has been used throughout England for many years. It is an astringent and tonic plant. It is used to strengthen and support the whole body. It can be taken either in the tea form or in capsules. It is also available in combination in some very excellent Allergy Support formulas.

*Licorice root is traditionally used as an expectorant, demulcent and antispasmodic. It has a wide range of uses in bronchial problems such as phlegm, bronchitis and coughs. It is widely known for its use in gastric and ulcer conditions.

Slippery elm is a very soothing anti-inflammatory. It is one of my favorites. Not only does it help remove excess phlegm, but it calms the stomach and allows for easier digestion. It is especially good for sensitive or inflamed mucous membranes.

Marshmallow is another soothing herb. It has an abundance of mucilage, as does slippery elm, which makes it beneficial in inflamed conditions including those in the respiratory tract. We use it to calm a cough or dry throat. It, along with slippery elm, is much better if consumed as a tea or in some apple sauce.

*An Elder’s Herbal by David Hoffmann
* This article is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.