Greater Ozarks Blues Festival.



Springfield, Mo. - Whether you're a die-hard blues lover or just have an appreciation for soulful talents, you won't want to miss the Greater Ozarks Blues Festival Sept. 6-8 in Springfield, Mo. Gates open in downtown Springfield at 4 p.m. Sept. 6 and the all-star line up begins on the main stage with The DT Blues band at 5 p.m.

Along with the music, a pub crawl featuring nearly all the city's downtown pubs is planned. Most also will feature a blues artist. Pubs included are the Abyss, Bar Next Door, The Boogie, Harpo's, Springfield Brewing Co., The High Life, The Juke Joint, Outland, Inferno, and the Burgundy Room.

New at the 2002 blues festival is a full day of gospel acts on Sept. 8. The gospel line-up includes the Southwest Missouri State University gospel choir, The St. Louis Consolators, The Holmes Brothers and more.

A free blues forum is set for 1 p.m. Sept. 7 at Springfield Brewing Co. Local artists Don Shipps and Bert Smith will host the program featuring blues legend Robert Lockwood Jr. Attendees are invited to meet Lockwood and hear what he has to tell about the blues.

Festival tickets for all events are $30 in advance, and $35 at the door. One-day prices range from $5 to $20. Proceeds benefit the Springfield Symphony, Springfield Little Theatre and DDEC.net. Proof of age will be required at the gate, but all ages are allowed.

Tickets are available at Kaleidoscope, Springfield Little Theatre, The
Springfield Symphony, Springfield Brewing company, Stick It In your Ear, www.greaterozarksbluesfest.com or at the gate every day of the festival. For more information or a complete schedule of events, visit www.greaterozarksbluesfest.com or call 417-864-6683. For information about Springfield attractions, hotels, restaurants and other amenities, visit www.SpringfieldAdventures.com or call the Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-678-8767.

Workin’ for farmers was the main source of summer employment for students in the rural town I grew up in.

Spendin’ the summer on a harvest crew was thought to be one of the more glamorous jobs, although by the end of the season, those who stayed at home and worked typically ended up with more money in their pocket. The crew I was in one summer discovered if you pumped a grease gun real hard, a gob a grease would fly through the air for some fifty yards or so. The novelty of this discovery wore thin on the owner of the combines when he saw the splatters of grease all over his machines.

With a little practice, a grease gun can be amazingly accurate. On the threat of bein’ abandoned in South Dakota, we only had that one day of target shootin’ however.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing Services

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

Q: We’re helping a friend paint several rooms in the house he’s restoring, and we’re having an argument. Which should we paint first — the walls or the trim? And, can you offer tips to make the work go faster? — Joseph L., Eastport, Maine

A: The first answer is easy: Paint the walls first, and the trim last. Trim takes much more time to paint because of the level of detail involved, especially in older buildings, which still feature lots of molding.

The only way to make painting go faster, unfortunately, is to spend plenty of time prepping the rooms. This includes scraping away old paint, sanding bare wood, patching drywall and other damage, and replacing rotted wood and deteriorated fixtures.

First, scrape away old paint. If the paint is more than 30 years old, it may contain lead — wear a respirator (not a filter mask) while scraping and cleaning up. Old enamel paint is difficult and time-consuming to scrape away, so budget plenty of time to this task. Latex often lifts away with little effort. Use spackling compound to cover nail holes and small dents or dings in drywall. Wood putty will fill gouges and small cracks in wood trim and fixtures.

Once the scraping and patching is done, sand the wood smooth with a medium-grade sandpaper, then finish with fine grade. Smooth spackled areas with fine-grade sandpaper as well, and run sandpaper over the walls and glossy trim to help new paint adhere more easily. Mask off the walls with painter’s tape, available at home-improvement stores. To protect large areas, tape newspaper over the area to be avoided.

Now that you’ve prepped the area (and you’ll be grateful it’s done), start painting. I recommend priming the walls first — a primer with a base that matches the type of paint you’re using, such as oil or latex. Make sure the rooms are well-ventilated, and don’t reuse the brushes or rollers when applying the color coat.

Allow the primer to dry, then paint the walls. Make sure everyone agrees on the direction the brushes and rollers should take — either up and down, or side to side. Let the base coat dry overnight, then apply a second coat if needed. Once all the coats are completely dry, remove the masking tape and begin masking off the trim.

Oil-based paints are best for wood trim, while latex works well on drywall.