According to Parks Department Manager Alan Bull, Carthage has been named a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation. This is the fifth year Carthage has received national recognition. Carthage will observe Arbor Day April 15th at 2 p.m. at Kellogg Lake. Bull reported that at least two trees will be planted at that time as part of the Arbor Day Ceremony.

Bull also informed the Mornin’ Mail that a River Birch tree located at Kellogg Lake may be the largest in Missouri. Bull says that the Department of Conservation has a 133 inches diameter River Birch on record as the largest located in Butler, Missouri. The River Birch tree at Kellogg Lake measures 141 inches in diameter.

"The form has been sent in," said Bull, "to the Department of Conservation. Hopefully we can get it confirmed by then and incorporate that birch tree in the Arbor Day Ceremony."

To qualify to become a Tree City USA, Carthage must have a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program, and an Arbor Day observance.

The National Arbor Day Foundation President John Rosenow stated that the trees in Carthage help clean the air, conserve soil and water, and reduce heating and cooling costs by moderating temperatures.

"Tree City USA honors the countless men, women and children in Carthage," said Rosenow, "who are working hard to ensure a greener, healthier tomorrow for all of us."

The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.

Traditional Arts Festival.

by Lee Sours, artCentral

A traditional arts festival will be held at artCentral June 4-6. Three workshops will be offered, there will be live traditional music and there will be a cookout with some great food!

You can learn the art of stone carving with master sculptor Bill Snow. His work can be seen in Carthage at Central Park and the library garden. He also has a 24 foot bronze at St. John’s Medical Center in Joplin and a 24 ton limestone sculpture at the Joplin Stock Yard. In this class you will select a stone and learn to use the tools to carve it.

Or you could work on your blacksmithing skills with Joe Davis. Joe has done projects for Bass Pro, Catalina Island and Disneyland. You’ll be building coke fires, forge welding and shaping metal.

Another great opportunity is to work on wheel thrown pottery with Jack Sours. He recently won Best of Show at the Art Center of the Ozarks. You’ll be preparing the clay, centering it on the wheel and throwing several forms. There will also be discussion on the glazing and firing processes.

There will be traditional old time music on Friday evening, June 4. This means we’ll get out the guitars, fiddles, concertinas, banjos, etc.

It is a good idea to sign up early as class sizes are limited. Call artCentral to receive a registration form.

HOURS: Tues.-Fri. 11-5

Closed Mon. & Sat.

1110 E. 13th • 358-4404

ozarkartistscolony.com

It’s time once again to pay back that extra hour of sleep ya got last fall. Spring forward comes tomorrow night so get all those clocks runnin’ up to speed.

I always look forward to the extra sunlight durin’ daylight savin’s time. It just takes me a couple a weeks for my body to catch up to the with the concept.

I’ve always understood that the idea behind daylight savin’s was to save energy, mainly electricity. I’m guessin’ that may have been the case back before air conditioners were so common. I’m thinkin’ it would save more electricity if ever’one worked at night when it was cool and slept durin’ the day. More light burnin’, but likely less air conditioning.

I’m guessin’ that extra hour gave me too much time to think.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Oak Street health & herb

Natural Nutrition

By Mari An Willis

I just returned from wonderful trip to Texas. My daughter, Kathy, was married and two granddaughters had birthdays. Fun, but I am paying the price. The obvious thing is that the price on my body gets higher year by year. The 11 hour drive did not seem nearly as long before I passed my 50th birthday! Inflammation is associated with many of the aches and pains of growing older. The good thing is there are herbs and foods which can help decrease the inflammation which sets in when different exercises and long hours of sitting cause pain.

Dr. Andrew Weil has consistently stated in his Self Healing Letters and books, that dietary choices such as increasing omega-3 fatty acids as found in salmon, flax seed, olive and walnut oils. It is easy to incorporate some of these into "car snacking" by eating a handful of walnuts and avoiding saturated fats while traveling. Snack on fruits especially berries and black cherries..lots of black cherries. For dinner you may choose a salad of mixed greens with an olive oil dressing. A good drink choice would be gingerale as ginger has been studied and used for centuries for the anti-inflammatory compounds present in this spice. There are many ginger candies which contain real ginger and lots of it. Sprinkle red pepper on your foods as it also reduces inflammation. Remember to drink lots of water. I prefer to travel with black cherry capsules and ginger caps with lots of alkalizing water on board. Try to avoid any sugary snacks as they may contribute to aggravation of arthritic areas in your body.

I was blessed with little traffic even through Dallas, so my nerves were not frazzled. However, I did have a thermos of chamomile tea handy just in case. I find chamomile tea a good car drink as it does not make me tired, just takes the edge off.