Central Park Fountain Renovation.

The City Council Public Services Committee approved a preliminary plan to renovate the "fish pond" in Central Park during the Committee’s regular meeting Monday evening.

The Committee has been looking at improving the fountain since it was discovered that the pond did not have any type of recirculating pump installed. Water was simply turned on and then ran out of the fountain into a drain. The fountain and basin that makes up the pond were found to have deteriorated to the point of needing major repairs.

According to Parks Administrator Alan Bull the basic structure for the basin is sound. The interior coating of the basin would be removed and replaced with new material after the water recirculating and filtering system was installed. The exterior of the basin wall would be refurbished and a new fountain would be installed.

Bull told the Committee that the project is estimated to cost approximately $35,000. The City has budgeted approximately $10,000 for repairs. Bull said grant funding for a portion of the cost may be possible.

Education is the Key.

by Steve Hunter

State Representative District 127

"The civilized world faces unprecedented dangers. Yet the state of our Union has never been stronger," the President said in his State of the Union message on Tuesday. Missouri has an incredible opportunity to grow stronger this year if state government will responsibly confront the challenges it is facing.

The key to long-term success is education. As in the previous two legislative sessions, Republicans in the Missouri House have outlined an ambitious plan to improve education in our state. In order to provide the quality of education our children deserve, we must not only fully fund the education foundation formula, we must use our gambling revenues to provide additional resources for schools as they were intended to do and resolve our urban education crisis. We must also reward teachers and schools for their achievements.

Missouri voters intended gambling revenues to provide additional funding for schools, not to replace tax revenues. The Legislature should establish a Classroom Trust Fund that would capture the state’s gambling revenues and channel them directly to schools. This Classroom Trust Fund legislation would send gambling money to every school district in the state, bypassing state bureaucracy, to give schools an additional $165 per student with no state strings attached. Schools could use these funds for their most pressing needs, whether it is teacher salary increases, school construction, computers, or whatever they need.

We must also address our state’s urban education crisis. An entire generation of our children is graduating from our urban schools with an officially inadequate education. Sixty-four percent of 7th graders in Kansas City schools cannot read at their grade level, and only 2 percent of 10th graders are proficient in math. We should break up the unaccredited Kansas City School District into smaller, more accountable and locally controllable districts. We should also provide a $1,000 tutoring credit for students in failing schools who need extra help.

Missouri should also adopt performance-based measures to reward good teachers and schools. The Teacher’s Choice Compensation Plan would give each teacher the choice of staying with their current salary or opting-out of tenure in exchange for bonuses based on additional performance appraisals.

By strengthening education funding and implementing education reform, we will ensure that Missouri’s future will be stronger than it has ever been.

As usual, I can be reached at (573) 751-5458 or at Room 103 B-B, State Capitol, Jefferson City, MO 65101, or by email at shunter@services.state.mo.us if you have any questions or comments.

Commentary

Martin "Bubs" Hohulin
State Representative, District 126

Not surprisingly, talk of the budget seems to be dominating the conversations in the State Capitol. As I mentioned last week, this year’s budget will be about the same as last year’s budget. That is the case in many households, but apparently when it happens in government, it is a disaster. If there is not a lot of new money to hand out to every special interest group, you can bet there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Already, there have been several major tax and fee increases proposed. There have been increases proposed on everything from alcohol, tobacco, gasoline, and billboards. Honestly, the liberal left in the Capitol are in the height of their glory. Now they think they have all the justification they need to propose one tax increase after another.

It never makes sense to raise taxes. It certainly doesn’t make sense to raise them during an economic slowdown. If there isn’t enough money in peoples’ pockets to circulate around through the economy, then what sense does it make to take even more money from them?

On a related issue, I mentioned last week that Gov. Holden’s proposed budget raids the Rainy Day fund to pay for everyday programs. The Rainy Day fund was set up to pay for unexpected emergencies. It was never set up to pay for mismanagement from previous years. The floods of 1993 and 1995 were paid for in part by the Rainy Day fund. That is exactly what it was designed for.

In this year’s budget, Gov. Holden is proposing to pay for ongoing programs in the Department of Mental Health with money from the Rainy Day fund. You have to admire his cleverness. By earmarking the Dept. of Mental Health to receive the Rainy Day funds, he is trying to blunt criticism of dipping into the fund. After all, how can anyone be opposed to funding mental health programs, no matter from what source?

I actually think that funding mental health programs is one of the responsibilities of government. After all, these are people that truly cannot take care of themselves. I think it is reprehensible that Gov. Holden would use our most underprivileged and vulnerable citizens to justify raiding the Rainy Day fund. He should be ashamed of himself for using the mentally retarded as political shields.

As usual, I can be reached at House Post Office, State Capitol, Jefferson City, MO 65101, or 1-800-878-7126, or mhohulin@services.state.mo.us for your questions, comments, or advice.

After discoverin’ that a check for $50 bucks in an unsealed envelope was accidently picked up with a bunch of envelopes to be mailed, it was assumed that it was gone forever. Landed in a "dead letter" bin somewhere in the midwest.

It was decided that the first thing Monday mornin’ the bank would have ta be notified to stop payment on the check, just in case. We didn’t make it to the bank in time.

On Saturday mornin’, we received a letter from the post office, postage paid, with the check and a note sayin’ it was found in a mail bin. I don’t know who it was, or exactly where it was, but it woulda been easy just to pitch it in the trash. A real bright spot for the caliper of folks workin’ for the Postal Service. Thanks.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing Services

PRIME TIME WITH KIDS

by Donna Erickson

A rain stick is an instrument from Chile that makes a sound like gently falling rain. People around the world use rain sticks to add special rhythms to their music. You can have fun making your own with a simple cardboard mailing tube! When friends come over, let them guess what’s trickling through the inside of the rain stick as you tip it slowly back and forth.

Here’s how to make a rain stick:

For best results, use a 2-inch wide medium-length mailing tube from the post office. Using 2-inch nails for a 2-inch wide tube, hammer a row of nails from top to bottom,a bout 1 inch apart, into one side of the tube.

The nails should fit across the inside of the tube without puncturing through to the other side.

Continue making rows around the tube. The rows may go in a diagonal pattern as well. Peek through an open end to see the maze created by the crisscross pattern of nails.

Decorate the tube using paint, stickers, beads or colored adhesive-backed paper cut in interesting shapes. Glue one of the end caps or stoppers of the tube onto one end. If your tube doesn’t have an end cap, cover the opening with a piece of cardboard and tape in place.

Pour about 3/4 cup of dry rice, beans or popcorn kernels into the tube. Test the sound the rain stick makes by covering the open end with your hand and tilting it slightly to hear the contents trickle through the maze.

Add more dried materials if you wish, to make a sound you like. Cover the remaining open end. Your rhythmic instrument is ready to play.

SAFETY ALERT: Due to the shape nails, this project is not suitable for young children.