Today's Feature

Seeking A Referendum.

Five Carthage citizens have taken the steps to begin a petition to force the City Council to either repeal or submit to public vote the recently approved ordinance prohibiting parking in front yards.

The citizens who signed the affidavit are as follows; Regina Wells and husband, Council member Ronnie Wells, William Clyde Phillips, Chuck Tobrock and Jan Shumny. The filing date is listed as March 16, 2006.

From the date of filing, the Carthage City Clerk has 3 days to present the petition forms to the requestors. According to City Charter the requestors then have 60 days to collect signatures for the petition. The number of signatures needed is 15% of all City registered voters, approximately 1,200.

Citizen Regina Wells spoke during the Council meeting when the ordinance was originally approved. Wells said she felt the Council should have asked for more public opinion on the ordinance before approving it.

Council member Ronnie Wells voted against the ordinance and told other council members he felt it was improper for Council to designate what citizens were allowed to do with their property. Council member Tom Flanigan also voted against the ordinance.

A Mornin’ Mail interview was conducted recently with Ronnie and Regina Wells who noted that they had already been contacted by several citizens interested in signing the petition. The Wells intend to follow up on these phone calls, go door to door and call registered voters in order to get support for the petition. Ronnie Wells said he views the petition as an opportunity to find out if he has been properly representing his constituents.

If the full number of required signatures is presented before Council it will be the decision of Council whether to repeal the ordinance or designate a public vote on the matter.

According to a search of the Mornin’ Mail archives, the only other call for a referendum was filed June 21, 1994 by the Citizens to Save Myers Park. The referendum in this instance called for the City Council to reconsider its vote on a contract with Walmart in the Myers Park Memorial Airport area during the time of controversy about the closing of the airport. The successful petition drive resulted in the question being put to a vote of the people. In March of 2001 the Myers Memorial Airport Committee voluntarily dismissed the suit that was filed against the City in early 1996.

Stench Report:
Monday,
3/20/06

Stench reported 2/17 in the evening.

I don’t know how many times that phrase was repeated durin’ my childhood, but I can’t remember ever bein’ treated to a cool soft drink as a result. For some reason this phrase was primarily used as an excuse to punch your buddy’s arm five or six times. Each punch was supposed to add to the number of cola’s you would get.

I don’t know where this stuff comes from. I prob’ly learned the trick from my older brother, but he didn’t have any siblings to teach him. The power of peer education I suppose. It’s amazin’ what kids learn from other kids. Not so amazin’ that they learn it I suppose, but more that they seem to retain it more than they do traditional type learnin’. Who da thunk it?

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

What Makes a Migraine Headache a Migraine?

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have awful headaches. I sometimes see spots in front of my eyes and have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I get the headaches. Everyone says they are migraines. Could you write something on this subject? -- B.T.

ANSWER: Migraine headaches are almost always one-sided headaches with a pulsating beat to the pain that’s often in synchrony with the heartbeat. Along with the migraine, people are frequently nauseated. The headache makes them sensitive to light and sound, and they look for a quiet, dark place to lie down. Activity worsens the headache. It lasts anywhere from four to 72 hours.

Some migraine sufferers experience what’s called an aura before the headache begins. The aura can be flashing lights, a blind spot in the field of vision or a numbness of the face. Caffeine and some other foods and drinks can trigger a migraine. So can missing a meal. Menstrual periods can bring on headaches for some women.

There are effective migraine medicines called triptans that have made life bearable for sufferers.

Tension headaches, the most common kind of headache, feel like a band of tightness that squeezes both sides of the head as though it were in a vise. Usually there are no visual symptoms with the headache.

I’m not convinced that you have true migraine headaches. See the family doctor. A few more questions can settle the issue. Yours could be one of the more uncommon types that need further investigation.