Today's Feature
Jasper County Extension Council Elections.
News release

The 2005 public election of ten new members for the Jasper County University of Missouri Extension County Council will take place January 18 - 28. The county election will be held in accordance with state law (Chapter 262.550-262.620 R.S. Mo. 1969).

Every county in Missouri has an extension council made up of elected (and appointed) members who represent the broad educational needs and backgrounds of people in that county.

Missouri state statutes create county extension councils to work with University of Missouri Extension. The publicly elected (and appointed) council members assist in planning and carrying out extension programs in the county, providing local extension governance and representing the diversity of the county’s changing population.

Citizens over the age of 18 who reside in Jasper County can vote at seven locations within the county. Carthage locations include: the University of Missouri Extension office in the basement of the Courthouse, Midwest Ag Supply, Cloud’s Meats, and Ag Services. Other Jasper County locations include: Whitehead Farm Supply in LaRussell, the Joplin Courts Building in Joplin, and Maneval, Inc in Jasper. Voting will begin on January 18 at noon and end at noon on January 28.

Registered voters in Jasper County can vote on line. The Jasper County Extension website is http://extension.missouri.edu/jasper/ Voters will be asked to supply voter registration number. The ballot can also be printed and returned to the Jasper County University of Missouri Extension Center, Courthouse Basement, Carthage, MO 64836 before noon on January 28.

Ten positions on the Council will be filled from the following nominees: Pete Connelly, Carthage; Dawn Craig, Carl Junction; Ronnie Craig, Carl Junction; Debbie Ducommun, Carl Junction; Brandon Duff, Carthage; Sharon Duff, Carthage; Ron Forbis, Carl Junction; Margaret Hartman, Carthage; Lora Honey, Carthage; Zeta Johnston, Carthage; Loren Kalliwick, Carthage; Linda Leaming, Jasper; Henry Leaming, Jasper; Dan Mortimer, Carthage; Josh Platner, Carthage; Bernie Vandalfsen, Reeds; Corinne Waggoner, Carthage.

University of Missouri Extension offers educational programs addressing high-priority areas like agriculture, horticulture, nutrition, consumer and family economics, business and industry, community development and youth development (4-H) for all citizens of Missouri. For information about the election, call the Extension office at 358-2158.

The squeeze is if cable doesn’t carry the local channels, the chances are a good portion of their customer base may switch to dish type services. The Joplin battle has shown an increase in dish installations I am told.

One the other end, if the cable companies pay the thirty cents a station per customer they will in all likelihood pass that directly to the customer. Raisin’ rates would prob’ly have the same end effect, customers changin’ to dish delivery.

The first tv I had used a coat hanger for an antenna.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

One of our most precious gifts is our eyesight. Something most of us take for granted until something goes wrong. Prevention is a key to keeping our eyes healthy. Two of the main herbs used for nurturing our eyes are Eyebright and Bilberry.

Traditionally, Eyebright has been used for failing vision, inflammation, conjunctivitis, ulcers and eye strain. It helps the nerves and optic tissues stay supple and maintain their elasticity. It can be used as an eyewash or taken internally as a tea.

The use of Bilberry or blueberry was first documented during World War II when it was noted that British pilots had better records as night fliers than anyone else and they were the only ones consuming large amounts of blueberry jam. Research led to the connection between the high amount of flavonoid activity in this fruit which led to better night vision. Flavonoids act as free radical scavengers and have a collagen-stabilizing affect.

Collagen is the most abundant protein of the body and is responsible for maintaining the strength of the tissues. Collagen is destroyed during the inflammatory processes that occur in various forms of arthritis, peridontal disease, and other inflammatory conditions.

It has also been noted that Bilberry can help normalize the strength of capillaries, it may assist in muscle relaxing and has several ophthalmological applications including improved night vision, quicker adjustment to darkness, and faster restoration of visual acuity after exposure to glare.

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Debbie Reed expresses "The Spice of Life" through art

Beginning January 18, the walls at Shellie’s Restaurant in Carthage will exhibit the work of Joplin artist Debbie Reed. Her exhibit, "The Spice of Life", offers diners a variety of themes and media rendered in a palette of warm, sunny hues. Debbie works in several media—watercolors, oils, pastels, and collage—and uses a broad range of subject matter to express her interest in light, color, and pattern.

"I like to give the viewer lots to look at," states the artist. "If there’s an empty space, I want to fill it in."

Debbie works from life, photographs, and a combination of both, depending upon the subject matter. If a still life, the piece develops from direct observation in the studio. To create a landscape, Debbie will take several pictures on location and make a pencil sketch to discern the light and dark shades for later reference.

Born in Lubbock, Texas, Debbie has lived in Joplin for the last 22 years. Following a career in nursing, she returned to school to earn a degree in studio art from Missouri Southern State College. She has received numerous awards and Best of Show honors from exhibitions throughout the MidWest. In addition to currently serving on artCentral’s Board of Directors, she is a member of Spiva Art Center, Art Forum, and an Associate Member of the American Watercolor Society. Some of Debbie’s work can be seen online at www.ozarkartistscolony.com.

"The Spice of Life" will be displayed at Shellie’s through April 2.