Pension Fund Amendment.


An amendment to the City of Carthage Policemen’s and Firemen’s Pension Plan was heard in first reading during last Tuesday’s regular Council meeting.

The Council bill would establish a death benefit payable to the spouse or beneficiary of qualified participants. If approved it would be retroactive to January 1, 2004.

The main result of the amendment is to assure that any benefits a participant would have received if they had survived are still paid to the spouse. According to discussions at a Budget/Ways and Means Committee meeting and during last week’s Council meeting there would be no increase in cost to the Pension Fund. The payment of the benefit would begin at the same time as if the participant had terminated his employment on the date of death and survived to his early retirement date. The spouse has options as to when the payment starts after that date, but the actual payment would be the same as the participant would have received.

This mechanism to provide a death benefit has never come up because until early this year, no participant had died in service.

2004 artCamp Classes.

By Lee Sours

Last week’s column told about some of the interesting classes that will be offered at artCentral’s artCamp for kids ages 8-14. This week I will describe a few more. artCamp will be held July 20 – July 31. Classes are $15/day and you can choose from one to ten days.

In Art of China: Great Chinese Dragons you’ll be creating a large dragon sculpture using mixed media and paint. You can bring your own unique found objects (feathers, shells, beads?) to add to the dragon. There will be dragon stories from ancient China. You will see dragon art through museum slides, books and pictures.

On Saturday, July 24, the class will be Origami taught by Gail Wright of Arkansas. He has taught art for 17 years and has presented this class as part of a multi-age and ability program for foster children. Students will be learning this ancient Japanese paper folding technique to make three dimensional artworks such as pterodactyls and other animals. They may then do some painting on them or attach string to make mobiles.

Matisse & Monet at the Café will be taught by Andrea Land who has her training in art and French. She’ll be helping students to create a water lily painting after exploring Monet’s garden at Giverny. They will also be designing a mural with unique Matisse leaves after a visit to his museum in Nice. At the conclusion of the class, students will enjoy crepes at the café while viewing their own art exhibit. And they will learn some French too!

We’ve had visitors from the panhandle of Oklahoma, Joplin, and Atlanta, GA during the last week. If you haven’t been in yet you are missing a real treat. The sculpture exhibit has to be the finest around.

HOURS: T – F 11 - 5

Sunday 12 -5 • Closed Mon. and Sat.

1110 E 13th • 358-4404

ozarkartistscolony.com

I know they’re just tryin’ to be polite, but it bugs me when ya call and they ask, "May I ask who’s calling?" Well sure you can ask. What ya really mean is "tell me who this is or ya ain’t gettin’ through."

Some will get more to the point, "Who shall I say is calling?" That at least says there’s no doubt about what the question is.

My favorite English teacher spent an awful lota time leanin’ me ta speak proper. ‘Specially the difference ‘tween ‘can’ and ‘may.’ We used ta bug her by askin’ "can I go to the restroom." She would always squirm a little, knowin’ she didn’t want to get into a discussion whether we ‘had the ability’ or ‘needed permission’ to ‘go to the restroom."

I suppose the polite thing ta do is ta identify myself when I make a call, that would eliminate my irritation and that of the person answerin’ the phone.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Oak Street health & herb

Natural Nutrition.

By Mari An Willis

You know how something happens and you just know your blood pressure is shooting up? Reminds me of the lady who came in the other day with her blood pressure was up because she had had something pop up on her computer promising to lower her blood pressure and to send for a free sample. Well, you know how pop-ups are on the computer....usually just delete and go on, but for some reason she responded and her free sample(pay" shipping only" it said) cost her $6.50 shipping and handling, PLUS she had been charged $70.00 for her first monthly shipment for which she had signed up for when she took the FREE sample!!! Oh, yeah, do you think the no-see-um attitude of that company cared that their FREE offer had cost her $76.50 and her blood pressure was sky high from anger? They proceeded to tell her that they do not accept returns and that they didn’t care that she forgot to read the fine print. Of course, she can get recourse if she really works on it through the internet? My point....what the heck..shop locally! It may be good for your blood pressure!

This is a wonderful time to get out and see the wild flowers, many of which are used as medicinal herbs. On a short drive the other day I saw about 25 different ones ready for the harvesting at this time. Among those were several varieties of echinacea which has traditionally been used to bolster the immune system. Mullein as an antispasmodic, bronchitis and dry, unproductive coughs, a primary lung herb. Borage, also mentioned for clearing the lungs and for the important oils from it which are a source of gamma linoleinic acid. Dill, which adds the flavor to pickles, but is also good for gas and indigestion.

The preceding information was taken from Earl Mindell’s New Herb Bible.