| Today's Feature
Clark Announces
Candidacy.
news release
Lujene Clark announced her
candidacy for Mayor of Carthage today. "I
want to be a part of Carthage’s future and,
as mayor, to lead the city into a new era of
prosperity and progress, while preserving our
historic heritage," said Mrs. Clark in her
announcement.
Mrs. Clark served two terms on
the Carthage City Council, representing the
city’s fifth ward. As a member of council,
she chaired the Finance Committee.
Mrs. Clark’s candidacy is
the first by a woman in Carthage’s history.
The mayoral election is set for April 2002.
While on Council, Mrs. Clark
earned a reputation as a fiscal conservative and
an advocate for accountability. According to Mrs.
Clark, "I’m always willing to listen
and work with others. There are some things;
however, I will not compromise, especially when
it comes to the use of taxpayers’
money."
Another issue to be emphasized
by Mrs. Clark’s campaign is her opposition
to selective enforcement of city ordinances.
"I think the overwhelming majority of
Carthage citizens would agree, that we all live
under the same law and that law should apply to
every citizen fairly and equally," Mrs.
Clark said.
Mrs. Clark advocates the
creation of an innovative, interactive, and
integrated information system which can be easily
accessible by citizens and available at any time.
Said Mrs. Clark, "If a citizen wants to
check a utility bill, or pay a traffic fine, or
sign up for softball, or check the hours of
operation of the library, that citizen should be
able to do so in ways that take advantage of
readily available technology. The city must be a
service organization that is customer friendly,
not a bureaucracy that forces citizens to jump
through hoops to obtain services. The city
leadership must remember who pays the bills and
for whom it exists, that is to first and last
serve the citizen."
On a related issue, Mrs. Clark
will emphasize in her campaign her desire to make
the city open, accessible, and accountable. Mrs.
Clark said she wanted the "taxpaying public
to know who is spending their tax dollars, on
what those dollars are being spent, and why those
spending decisions were made. I don’t fear
open government. In fact, I insist upon it.
Elected officials hold a public trust and that
must rest on a foundation of openness and
honesty. As mayor, I will lead Carthage into a
new era of accessibility and accountability,
everything from televised council meetings to
easily accessible information to prompt,
efficient, and fair enforcement of city
ordinances. "
Mrs. Clark is active in a wide
variety of organizations in Carthage. She has
served on the board of directors of the March of
Dimes and Victorian Carthage, two-term president
of the McCune-Brooks Hospital Auxiliary, is a
former board member and president of Broadview
Country Club, a member of the Friends of the
Phelps House, the Carthage Chamber of Commerce
and the American Business Women’s
Association, Peace Star Chapter. Mrs. Clark
currently serves Program Chair for her ABWA
chapter. She also owned and operated the Back
Porch Café on the Carthage Square.
Mrs. Clark is married to Dr.
Alan Clark who is the medical director of the
Physician Assistant Studies Program at Southwest
Missouri State University and is the medical
director of StJohns.com at St. John’s
Regional Health Center in Springfield. He also
serves as the medical director of the Community
Clinic of Carthage. The couple has one son,
Devon, a first grader at Mark Twain Elementary
School. The Clarks live on South Maple Street in
Carthage.
Mrs. Clark also announced
several campaign staff members. Former Carthage
mayor and retired Circuit Court judge, Herbert
Casteel, will serve as honorary campaign chair.
Former council member Trisha Burgi-Brewer will
serve as campaign treasurer while former city
administrator, Dr. Tom Simpson, will assist in
campaign operations.
The campaign’s first
fundraiser will be held on Monday, November 12,
with a dinner at Memorial Hall. Tickets are
available for $10 each.
For more information, contact
the Committee to Elect Lujene Clark.
Lujene Clark 358-2331 or Dr.
Tom Simpson 358-9151.
Note for Note
sponsored by Main Street
Mercantile
The Blugrass Brigade, Jack,
Mae, Jim and Don, have been together for
twenty-one years. Their shows present traditional
as well as contemporary numbers. The closeness of
their harmony and the variety of songs they
perform combine for a unique performance.
The venues they have performed
are endless, i.e. Festivals, town gatherings,
corporate events, churches, colleges, The Silver
Dollar City Music Festival for many years, The
SPBGMA events held in Nashville, Tennessee for
eighteen years, and for President Ronald Reagan's
visit to Independence, Missouri. In 1998 the
group played in Vienna, Austria and October of
2000 took them to Dublin, Ireland for various
appearances and a TV appearance on Ireland's
"Open House" show. etc. They have
received many awards from the SPBGMA Organization
for best instrumentation and voices.
Don Montgomery plays fiddle the
old time way and sings the bass part.
Jim McGreevy plays banjo and
mandolin with this group, but plays other
instruments as well. He will sing any part and
has received much recognition for his musical
ability.
Jack Burlison is the organizer
of the group plays guitar, and favors the
traditional side of Bluegrass.He sings lead and
baritone.
Mae Burlison plays the upright
bass, sings lead, and Harmonies.
Linda Thomas and Dan DeLancey
thrill audiences with their masterful renditions
of uplifting songs wherever they play.
Linda Thomas, a career music
educator of 30 years, has performed on keyboard,
guitar and hammered dulcimer for virtually her
entire life; her degrees include BS in Education
and Master of Arts in Teaching. Linda's is a
well-known face in the circle of hammered
dulcimer competition having been a finalist in
the Southern Regionals in 1994, 95, 96; she was a
finalist in the Texas State Championship in 1997
and 98 and won that title in 1999.
Linda is receiving outstanding
recognition for her instructional manuals for Mel
Bay Publications as well as excellent reviews on
her recording projects. She keeps an extensive
performance and workshop touring agenda,
maintains a private studio and teaches public
school music in Kansas City, Missouri. She, along
with flat-pick guitarist, Dan DeLancey, has been
pleasing crowds throughout the U.S. and Europe
and is becoming well-known for her considerable
knowledge as a workshop presenter.
Dan DeLancey began playing
rhythm guitar along with records and the radio
over 20 years ago and his interest only grew when
he heard the likes of Dan Crary and Doc Watson;
since that time Dan's proficiency on guitar has
led him to opening concerts for Beppe Gambetta,
Steve Kaufman and Doc Watson. His initial
interest in playing chords developed into the
style known as "flat-picking" and his
playing continues to gain recognition from top
guitar publications and from top performers in
the field. Dan has won State Competitions in
Oklahoma, Kansas. Missouri and Colorado; he has
also been a finalist in the Steve Kaufman Guitar
Competition in Knoxville, Tennessee and he has
won the prestigious Rocky Mountain Bluegrass
Festival Flatpicking Championship in Lyons,
Colorado.
Dan's arrangements are
published by Flatpicking Guitar Magazine and Mel
Bay Publications, Inc.; in addition, he maintains
his own recording studio and keeps an extensive
workshop/concert agenda.
NASCAR to the
Max
The one-mile North Carolina
Speedway in Rockingham, N.C. plays host to this
week’s NASCAR Winston Cup race. The track is
commonly called "The Rock" for several
reasons. First, its location, Rockingham, N.C.,
second, a large granite boulder is located inside
the main entrance where race winner’s names
are engraved and third, the racing surface is
paved with crushed granite. The granite is very
abrasive and will quickly wear out a set of tires
if a driver becomes too aggressive. It is not
uncommon for a car to slow two to four seconds
per lap from the time a driver takes new tires
until it is time to refuel and get new tires.
Because of this excessive tire
wear and the drivers tendency to make up time
with fresh tires, the race is usually slowed by
caution periods caused by blown tires. An
experienced driver who understands tire
management usually wins the race. Jeff Burton,
Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace are all experienced
veterans who will likely pace the field of 43.
Last Sunday’s race in
Phoenix was a case of many teams not
understanding tire management. The race was
slowed by seven caution periods, many of which
were caused by blown tires.
The heat, tire compound and
insufficient air pressure where issues listed by
tire supplier Goodyear as the sources of most
team’s problems. Lower air pressure helped
the tires grip but lead too premature and
excessive wear. Jeff Burton emerged as the winner
but not before undergoing several serious
challenges from Mike Wallace and Ricky Rudd as
the laps wound down. Rudd only cut his deficit to
Jeff Gordon to 380 points establishing Gordon as
a virtual lock for this years Championship.
NASCAR has invited all drivers
to attend a meeting prior to this weeks race to
discuss potential solutions to the rules as they
relate to races at Daytona and Talladega.
Many drivers feel something
must be done at these tracks to avoid massive
pile-ups like the last lap 18-car melee in
Talladega two weeks ago. The drivers are
cautiously optimistic of meaningful changes.
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