Today's Feature

Sixth Annual Festival of Friends.

The Sixth Annual Festival of Friends will be held at Carthage Central Park on September 16, 2006 from 3-7 p.m. The Carthage Multicultural Committee invites the public to attend the free event that celebrates diversity.

Attendees can visit displays representative of numerous cultures that include such items as artwork, pottery, traditional dress, pictures, music/videos, food/drink samples, and more. A variety of entertainment will be provided to include music, song and dance (with specific names of participating groups and individuals to be announced in the near future). Activities for children will be offered and passports will be provided so festival attendees can have them stamped/signed by displayers.

Businesses and nonprofits have an opportunity to showcase their organizations and many door prizes and giveaways are part of the occasion.

Vendors provide an assortment of ethnic and American foods and drinks. The Festival of friends is fun and educational. It provides a wonderful opportunity to come together and as the festival passports states, "to experience the world!"

PRAIRIE DAY CELEBRATION.

The public is invited to a Prairie Day Celebration at George Washington Carver National Monument on September 9, 2006! This most enjoyable annual event takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. across the park grounds and at the historic 1881 Moses Carver House. Come and enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides, living history demonstrations, and bluegrass music! There will also be a variety of exhibits including live Missouri reptiles, wood sculpting, and quilts galore!

Visitors will be invited to make a candle, churn butter, card wool and wash laundry the old-fashioned way. Park interpreters will be cooking with Dutch ovens and sharing recipes used by our ancestors. The Chuck Wagon will be on display with all the wares of 19th century wagon train travel. Additional demonstrations include basket weaving, spinning fibers, making lye-soap, and wood carving.

Schedule:
10 a.m. – 10:25 a.m. Elaine Smith, Dulcimer
10:30 a.m. – 10:55 a.m. Lost Creek Bluegrass
11 a.m. – 11:25 a.m. Cecil "Panhandle Slim" Williams
11:30 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. Saved by Grace Quartet
12 p.m. – 12:25 p.m. The Harrell’s Folk Music
12:30 p.m. – 12:55 p.m. Now or Never Bluegrass
1 p.m. – 1:25 p.m. Ripplin’ Creek Bluegrass
1:30 p.m. – 1:55 p.m. Granny Chicks Bluegrass
2 p.m. – 2:25 p.m. Cecil "Panhandle Slim" Williams
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. DeWayne & Barbara Smith (music &storytelling)
3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. Carl Junction Tale Spinners (storytelling)

Stench Report:

Wednesday,
8/30/06

No Stench Reported on Carthage Square.

I don’t know how big the machine really was, but I laid on my back and a large glass panel lowered down close to my body. I remember bein’ reassured by Doc that I’d be o.k. and I believed him. The main thing I was upset about was not bein’ able to see the bearing in my belly. This was pretty excitin’ stuff for a kid that still listened to the Lone Ranger on the radio.

My older brother convinced me I glowed in the dark but I could never tell. I never saw that ball bearing again, but then I never went lookin’ for it either.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Speed Bumps Spark Great Debate

Dear Tom and Ray:

Hello! I live in a condominium complex, and there is a great debate we need your help with! We have a question about speed bumps and possible injury to someone’s front-end alignment. Our speed bumps are removable, and they are approximately 12 to 16 inches wide and 4 inches high. They are bolted down when in place; we remove them during the winter for easy snow removal. They are made out of some type of heavy-duty plastic. When winter was over, it was time for us to get them re-installed, and several residents said their car alignment has been damaged by the speed bumps. Several of us made the comment that they needed to slow down, but we were reassured that they were going very slowly over these speed bumps when the damage occurred. The cars that supposedly have been damaged are small cars like Hondas and Toyotas. Is it possible for a speed bump to damage the front-end alignment or cause any other damage to the vehicle if the driver is going at a proper speed over the speed bumps? Any comments you have would be appreciated! Thanks for your time - Rosemary.

RAY: No. Going over speed bumps at a reasonable speed will never cause alignment problems. Or any other problems for your car.

TOM: So these people are either doing their best Flying Tomato impersonations when crossing the speed bumps, or they’re trying - in a roundabout way - to recoup some of their condo association dues.

RAY: Tell them to go jump in the condo association lake, Rosemary. They have no case.