Today's Feature

Maple Leaf Parade, Saturday 16.

News release.

Started in the late 1960’s as a marching band competition, the annual Maple Leaf Festival received its name thanks to the help of Mother Nature. Surrounded in an array of glorious fall colors, the city of Carthage proudly welcomes the 50,000 + visitors to this wonderful fall celebration.

Beginning with the largest parade in Southwest Missouri, the one day celebration held on the third Saturday of October, is the festival’s key event. Numerous activities are scheduled to entertain both the young and the young at heart. The week preceding the one-day event is filled with a variety of activities including a family fun walk, baby contest, and a lip sync competition. Currently in its 38th year, the Maple Leaf Festival offers family-style fun combined with a home-town atmosphere.

The parade is on Saturday the 16 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. It begins on the west side of the Carthage Square, heads south down Grant/Grand Avenue, turns east on Centennial ending up at the Carthage Junior High on River and Centennial.

There always seems ta be an exception to the rule.

Most children spend most a their wakin’ hours tryin’ to figure out such loop holes. These typically take the form of bein’ very specific in the interpretation of the rule.

"Don’t throw peas at your brother" is way too specific. To an inventive youngster this would still leave the option or a carrot or green bean throwin’ available. And of course, the completely different activity of droppin’ or squirtin’ various vegetables would also be outside the limits specified.

The fact is that most kids are very observant learners. The parents most likely used this "exception" rule to their advantage from time to time. This culminates in the ultimate "do as I say, not as I do" exception.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

This Is A Hammer

By Samantha Mazzotta

To Cut or Not to Cut

Q: Please settle an argument between my husband and me. I say that the old oaks lining our driveway and in our back yard are rotting and need to be taken down. My husband says they’re beautiful and perfectly healthy, and he refuses to call a tree service. What do you say? — Madeleine H., Altamonte Springs, Fla.

A: I don’t know that I can settle it, but I can help you find a way to come to an agreement about those trees. Spend a few dollars and have an arborist inspect them.

A certified arborist — employed by many tree removal companies — evaluates each tree and decides whether it needs to come down. The evaluation includes an inspection of your yard and tests of the trees to determine whether they actually are rotting, or if they are still quite healthy.

In some cases, if the tree is healthy but you’re worried about what will happen when the next storm hits, the arborist will recommend pruning. The tree service will remove weak branches and thin the crown, allowing the wind to blow through the tree rather than pushing it over.

Based on his or her recommendation, you and your husband can decide which direction to take.