Council Back On Schedule.

The Carthage City Council is scheduled to meet for their regular meeting tomorrow evening at 7:30 in City Hall.

The Council will hear the first of two readings of the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2002-2003 which begins July 1. Other related contracts and agreements are also scheduled for first reading. They include: a contract with the Carthage Humane Society for services in the amount of $15,600; a contract with Carthage Over 60 Center for services in the amount of $7,360; an agreement with American Legion Baseball for the use of Carl Lewton Stadium; an agreement for Tourism and Marketing Services with Carthage Convention and Visitors Bureau for $136,000 from Lodging Tax funds.

The Council is scheduled to vote on Council bill 02-37 which authorize a Special Use Permit for a sixty-four foot communications tower requested by Leggett & Platt to be located at 1129 W. Fairview.

Also scheduled for vote is Council bill 02-36 which would require the City to issue, upon request, a liquor license to any location that held a legitimate license within one year preceding such request.

Letter to the Editor

Opinions expressed reflect those of the writer
and not necessarily those of the Mornin' Mail.

Good Morning, Jake.

Being the Southwest Missouri farm girl that I am, I have my daily routines that I perform.

When I first get to the office, I read the online newspapers. I begin with the Mornin Mail, then The Carthage Press (my hometown paper). Next, I go to the Joplin Globe (still lots of family there) and the Monett Times (my husbands hometown paper).

Last I go to the Washington Post (the paper where I live now). Not only do these electronic links give me a strong feeling of connection, they also prompt some very fond memories.

Yesterday's story in the Carthage Press about the kids at "Muni" Pool and then today's Kellogg Lake fishing story, to say nothing of your talking about the Acoustic Festival this week end, had me longing to start packing boxes and instruct the moving van to head toward those beautiful tree lined streets I knew so well growing up.

The summers in my memories were filled with large family reunions at the park, days at the pool with my friends, and weeks at my grandparents farm with my cousins. As a teen we had the 66 Drive In and cruisin' Boots and finally being old enough to be a counselor instead of a camper.

Since 9-11, memories and connections to my roots have become even more important to me.

My husband of 33 years works in the Pentagon and was there on the day of the attack. He was not harmed but considers himself very fortunate - the office next to his was damaged. It has been a matter of pride with him and all of his fellow workers that they have not missed a day of work since 9-11. On 12 Sept they had a full staff in his department. Granted - they were evacuated twice that day but they were there and they produced work regardless of what was happening around them. Now, it's not so much "business as usual" but "let's get on with our lives and our work".

So, Jake, it's taken me a while to get here but I want to say thank you and your staff for doin' Mornin' Mail and congratulations on 10 years of excellent work. Hopefully, Jake will Just keep Talkin' for many more years.

In your words, I hope you "have a blast" at the Acoustic Festival tomorrow and here's wishin' I was there.

A loyal reader in our nations capital.

Kaye (Smith) Jones

The first Carthage Acoustic Music Festival brought together the best of what Carthage has to offer. Main Street Carthage served as the conduit for many individuals, businesses, and City and County employees to work together in a joint effort to promote the community.

The event involved cooperation from the City Parks, Police, and Street Departments, CW&EP, McCune Brooks Hospital, and the City Council. County Commissioners allowed use of the Courthouse Square and rest rooms. The Helen S. Boylan Foundation allowed the grant that funded the fun.

We estimate that about a thousand folks rotated through the 12 hours of music, that included 9 bands and 13 acts signed up for the open stage, endin’ with over 300 in attendance when the show closed at 10 p.m.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

McCune- Brooks Hospital

Health Notes

by Judith Sheldon

KEEP YOUR BRAIN FIT FOR LIFE: Many researchers believe that the brain, like the rest of us, needs activity to, as it were, "stay in shape." One way to keep the brain active even when the rest of you feels like relaxing is to play games: Chess and checkers encourage the brain to flex its logic centers; cards do the same. And if you don’t have company to share a game, do a crossword puzzle.

Reading is another great way to keep your brain active. Unlike watching films or television where the brain basically does little more than process familiar images, reading puts the brain to work because it has to translate abstract images (the print) into something we recognize.

Apropos of media images, the radio is better than TV because it forces the brain to translate other abstract stimuli - this time, sound - into something we recognize; i.e., a human being. When we hear someone speak on the radio, we conjure up an image of that person. On television, the work is already done for us by the electronic impulses that recreate images on screen.

Keeping our brains active also helps to keep memory more efficient. Over the years, we’ve taken in so much, we may think our brains are overloaded, especially when we become more forgetful.