Treats 'Round the Square.

Downtown merchants will be celebrating Halloween today from 3:30 to 5:30. Merchants will be handing out candy to the kids. This annual event offers a safe and fun Halloween for kids and their families.

There will also be a costume contest on the Court House lawn at 5 p.m. Cash prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. The costume contest is for newborns through 14 years.

Natural Gas Price Set.

The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved Missouri Gas Energy’s request to set its winter costs. The cost of gas is set at $0.75056 per one hundred cubic feet (CCF), is a slight increase over the current rate of $0.72039 CCF. The new rate will take effect November 1st.

Registered Voters.

Carthage voters will be asked on Tuesday, November 4th whether the city sales tax should be increased by three-sixteenths of one percent for a period no longer than 20 years. The money generated would go to the renovation and expansion of the Carthage Public Library.

Architectural Show on Display at artCentral.

By Lee Sours

The work of sixteen artists is represented in the architectural show on display now at artCentral. Many area structures are shown including: the Jasper County courthouse, Barton County’s courthouse, Redings Mill, Jolly Mill, Victorian houses, churches, the Joplin depot, the old Spring City grocery store, an ancient silo and many more. All kinds of media have been used including pen & ink, oils, pastels, charcoal, colored pencil and photography.

Another exhibit currently on display in artCentral’s upstairs gallery is the pottery, sculpture and murals of Kansas artist, Jim Reed. Stop in and see the wonderful organic design work done in clay. Prices range from $10 to $375.

For people who love colorful southwest scenes, the watercolors of Marilyn York are on display at Shellie’s restaurant. Her paintings show her experiences with the people and the land there. We have notecard prints of her work available at artCentral.

On November 22-23, artCentral will be one of the stops on the area pottery studios tour. Potters Jim Reed and Jack Sours will be showing work here.

HOURS: T – F 11 - 5

Sunday 12 -5 Closed Mon. and Sat.

1110 E 13th 358-4404

ozarkartistscolony.com

Carthage has been fortunate over the last several years and has not had any real problem with kids bein’ injured on Halloween night.

The main reason I’m guessin’ is the police take care to help keep the traffic aware and the kids and parents take the time to be careful around vehicles.

‘Course kids do get a little focused on roundin’ up treats and sometimes do stupid things.

Next to stayin’ off the streets with a vehicle on Halloween, it might be best to avoid congested areas and stay vigilant of little monsters crawlin’ in the neighborhood.

Ta my way a thinkin’, Halloween is a great time for youngsters and adults alike. It’d be a shame to spoil the fun by bein’ a little careless.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Oak Street health & herb

Natural Nutrition

By Mari An Willis

One should have general education regarding any product which you plan to consume. If you are paying attention to your health, you may want to ask yourself some of the following: is this product genetically altered? No long term research in that area which is convincing enough for me to consume. IF I knew that something was genetically altered, I would choose not to eat it, but no labeling is required to let us have a choice. Is this product irridiated? I would also choose not to eat irradiated products, again the labeling has been dropped. Has this product been altered? I would always choose a "whole" food as opposed to one where only the active ingredient has been extracted. Ideally, organically grown and labeled as such. To get this approval of "organic" labeling strict growing procedures must be met.

An herbalist or vitalist or naturalist prefers their traditional herbs to be in their whole form just as they appear in nature as put there by our Creator. That means the whole part of the plant which has been traditionally used and proven beneficial when consumed for certain bodily conditions. Senna is one example that has remained on the market and found in most OTC laxatives. It is not standarized or altered for only its’ active ingredient as it works as a whole. It is found in hospitals and grocery stores. Generally accepted as safe. Now, if someone chooses to take way too much and has bad side effects like cramping and diarrhea, should those who have occassional constipation be derprived of this herb?

Many herbs have been mentioned in the Bible and older manuscripts for good health. Has the human body become so different from when it was created that we can no longer use these foods as intended without approval? I trust my judgement when making a decision for myself on weather to take lots of something or just a little. Sad part is, the thing I could be most addicted to is sugar. With diabetes in my family history, why do I have to read every label to know that there is way too much in most any prepared food I choose? Something as complex as sugar may need to be heavily regulated because if it is readily available, I may overeat it!!!