Today's Feature

Wayfinding Signs Discussed.

The City Council Budget/Ways and Means Committee met Monday evening in a regular session. Carthage Convention and Visitor Bureau Director Aimee Smith was present at the meeting to request funding for "wayfinding signage" project as well as discussing progress with the committee.

This project was originally presented to the Public Works Committee in April of 2005 by former CVB director Theresa Gilliam. The sign system is used in several surrounding cities to direct tourists to sites using vehicular directional signs.

Smith showed the committee a map of proposed locations for the signs and pictures of what the signs will look like. The committee asked several questions and offered some suggestions. The 26 signs will be 3 feet by 5 feet in size, and color-coded for different locations.

The committee talked about longevity of the signs, inquiring about the materials used to make the signs, and how they would be installed. The signs will be made of the same materials used in stop signs, according to Smith, with a laminate top-coat that is supposed to protect the printing from the elements.

Street Commissioner Tom Shelley is in the process of reviewing the plans for installation. According to City Administrator Tom Short, there were concerns about the wind load on the large signs affecting the poles that will hold them.

The committee agreed to allocate $6,750 for the project, contingent on approval of placement and installation by the Public Works Committee. The funding will go towards the purchase of the actual signs, and installation will be done by the City.

The committee also requested that Smith inquire about a warranty from the company manufacturing the signs.

The item will return to the Public Works Committee for further discussion on the installation and further review of the placement.

In the original presentation of the idea, three types of signs were outlined. The first phase of this project will be the vehicular directional signs. Kiosk-type signs with maps of Carthage are another type of sign that is still in the works. Smith said that the project is being handled in phases, the first phase being directional signs. The third type of sign in the original presentation was a site specific sign marking arrival at the locations. Smith says that the CVB has decided not to do this phase of the project.

Cat/Dog Licensing Program.

Council member Bill Welch addressed the Budget committee on Monday concerning his proposal for a two-tiered dog and cat licensing system. The proposed idea, in current form, would raise the rates for licenses for dogs and cats to $5.00 unless the dogs and cats are neutered or spayed, in which case the license would be free.

Welch originally presented the idea before the Public Safety committee, as an attempt to reduce the increasing number of stray and abandoned animals in Carthage. Mike Harris is the chairman of the Safety Committee and a member of the Budget Committee. Harris asked Welch to present the idea to the Budget Committee prior to taking any action with the Safety committee, because he feared the proposal would impact the City budget. At Monday’s meeting City Administrator Tom Short said that based on preliminary figures the change would likely be revenue-neutral for the City.

Under current City policy, dog licenses are $2.50 and cat licenses are free regardless of whether the animals are fixed. The City currently receives $2.00 and $.50 goes to the veterinarian issuing the license. Harris said he felt that the inclusion of cats in the 2-tier program would draw much public response.

Committee chair Bill Johnson asked Welch to speak with local veterinarians about offering a senior discount for having animals spayed and neutered. Johnson said that animals are considered to be good companions for elderly people, and the monetary burden of having the animals fixed is sometimes prohibitive.

The committee also asked Welch to speak with local vets about the possibility of reducing overall rates for spaying and neutering, saying that lower rates would likely increase the public support of the issue.

Committee member Ronnie Wells said he was opposed to the program because of the burden it would place on people who intentionally don’t want to get their animals fixed.

The committee approved the proposal, in a 3 to 1 vote. Committee members in favor were; Bill Johnson, Diane Sharits and Mike Harris. Ronnie Wells opposed. Welch may now bring the item before the Public Safety Committee for further discussion and review.

The 2-tier program is used by a number of surrounding cities including Joplin.

Stench Report:
Tuesday,
8/15/06

Stench Reported Monday evening and Tuesday morning in various locations.

Growin’ up without air conditioning didn’t seem to bother my family much. Never knew no better. Dad put in an attic fan and we kept our screens in good shape to keep out the June bugs. Slept pretty good at night as I remember.

I don’t remember ever gettin’ to sleep out on my grandparents screened in "sleepin’ porch" although it always seemed appealin’. A cool breeze with a coyote howlin’ off in the distance, a full moon and the locusts chirpin’. ‘Course I was just a kid.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

• "This is a great tip for the upcoming school year: It’s hard enough to keep track of the names of your children’s classmates, but trying to remember who’s who from last year or the year before can be impossible. When class pictures come out, I make a photocopy and write the names of the children on the copy, right next to the child in the photo. I keep the photocopy handy throughout the school year and then file it away later with the actual photo. Our family has been doing this for almost 10 years, and it makes for great recall when looking back." -- Y.O. in Utah

• To help the transition for a child entering kindergarten, or any child going to a new school, try to set up a play date on the school playground a few times before school starts. Also, bring the child to tour the school before the first day. Often, you can walk around and see where lunch will be served, look in on the library or media center and meet the teacher and principal. Familiarity will help a young child adjust to his or her big day.

• "In our house, school (and work) lunches get prepped on Sunday. As a family, we prepackage appropriate servings of snack foods, including cut-up fruit and vegetables, for use in lunches. This way, the kids get to be involved in helping care for themselves, and feel like the decision to eat healthy foods is more theirs than ours. They choose the foods they like, and it makes rushed mornings go much more smoothly." -- C.L. in Illinois

• A drop of vanilla extract on nails can put an end to a bad nail-biting habit. The smell is wonderful; the taste is terrible.

• "Have a pet and smell the scent of doggy hair when you vacuum? Try putting a drop of scented oil, from Yankee Candle or some other such source, on a small piece of rag and stick it in your vacuum bag. The pleasant oil smell emanates as you vacuum." -- J.M. in Minnesota