Today's Feature

‘Whee’-Ness Preservation Discussed.

The Carthage City Council met earlier this week in a regular session. Items discussed included an ordinance which would accept federal aid for the replacement of the Oak Street Bridge.

Council member and Public Works Committee Chairman Tom Flanigan elaborated on the project. Flanigan said that the Missouri Department of Transportation was concerned with the substructure of the bridge, which was built in the 1920’s. A grant has become available in the amount of $177,200 for the replacement of the bridge through a Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission On-System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program.

Funding through the grant only be applicable for the complete replacement of the bridge. In the Public Works Committee meetings prior to Council presentation this item was discussed at length. Committee members mentioned that the bridge is valuable to Carthage in a historic and nostalgic way. The shape and design of the bridge causes a fairly sharp incline and drop on the other side of the peak, and due to this the bridge is called by many Carthage residents, "the whee bridge."

Flanigan reported to Council that the committee did not feel the replacement of the bridge would be in the best interest of the City.

"I’m not sure we would want to destroy the ‘whee’-ness of the ‘whee bridge,’" said Flanigan.

The committee had discussed alternatives including inspecting the substructure to see if repairs could be made to keep the bridge up to standards. Although the repairs would be made at the City’s expense, the committee had mentioned that this option might be better than to tear the bridge down and build a new one.

Flanigan did not recommend an action for the second reading but did discuss the committee’s concerns with Council.

Maple Leaf Event Line-Up.

The 40th Annual Maple Leaf Festival, hosted by the Carthage Chamber of Commerce, is scheduled for October 14-21.

This year’s festival will kick-off with five events scheduled for Saturday, October 14th. Events scheduled from the 14th through the 20th are listed on the inside page. For more festival information, contact the Chamber at 358-2373.

Saturday, October 14
• Christian Women’s Day hosted by Precious Moments Park
8:00AM-5:00PM $35 per person
Precious Moments Park (4105 Chapel Road) To make reservations call 1-800-543-7975 x3089

• Carthage Maple Leaf Bike Ride hosted by Joplin Trails Coalition
8:30AM Registration fee: $20-$30 (add $5 per rider if paid after September 15)
Kellogg Lake (Highway 96, east) To register call 417-624-7451 or email curtis-c@mssu.edu

• Maple Leaf Little Miss & Mister and Junior Miss Pageants sponsored by Hometown Bank
5:00PM Event FREE to the public
Carthage High School Auditorium (714 South Main)

• Maple Leaf Queen Pageant sponsored by Hometown Bank
7:00PM Event FREE to the public
Carthage High School Auditorium (714 South Main)

• Carthage High School Alumni Football Game hosted by Carthage R-9 School Foundation
7:00PM $2 per person
K.E. Baker Football Stadium (13th & River Streets) For more information call 417-359-7000

Sunday, October 15
• Maple Leaf 5K Run & Fun Walk sponsored by Fair Acres Family YMCA
Registration: 12:30PM Race: 2:00PM
$12 per person $15 per person after October 7
Fair Acres Family YMCA (2600 South Grand) For more information call 417-358-1070

• The World Famous Willie Arthur Smith’s Marching Cobras sponsored by Beimdiek Insurance Agency
4:00PM Event FREE to the public
Carthage High School Gymnasium (714 South Main)

Monday, October 16
• Dessert Auction hosted by Cub Scout Pack 9
7:00PM Event FREE to the public
First United Methodist Church (617 South Main) For more information call 417-358-9183

Tuesday, October 17
• Maple Leaf Quilt Show sponsored by the Four Corners Quilter’s Guild
October 17-21—9:30AM-6:00PM
October 22—1:00PM-5:00PM
October 23—Noon-5:00PM
October 24-28—10:00AM-5:00PM
Powers Museum (1617 West Oak Street)

Wednesday, October 18
• Maple Leaf Gospel Sing hosted by the Carthage Ministerial Alliance
7:00PM Love Offering
Carthage High School Auditorium (714 South Main) For more information call 417-358-8896

Thursday, October 19
• Three Minutes of Fame Lip-Sync Competition sponsored by Grundy’s Body & Frame Shop
7:00PM Event FREE to the public
Carthage High School Auditorium (714 South Main)
Registration forms available at: Grundy’s Body & Frame Shop (140 North Main),
Carthage Chamber Office (402 South Garrison), For more information call 417-358-2373

Friday, October 20
• Brats on the Square hosted by the Carthage Rotary Club
11:00AM-2:00PM and 4:00PM-6:30PM
$5 per person (includes brat, chips, drink and dessert)
Jasper County Courthouse Lawn, south side

• Maple Leaf Baby Contest sponsored by McCune-Brooks Hospital
6:00PM $5 pre-entries/$10 day of contest
(Pre-entries accepted at Chamber until Noon on event date)
Carthage Junior High Gym (13th & River Streets)
Newborn to 24 months (as of October 1, 2006)
Entry forms available at:
McCune-Brooks Hospital (627 West Centennial)
Carthage Chamber Office (402 South Garrison)
For more information call 417-358-2373

• All School Reunion hosted by Hunter Tire, Main Street Wireless & Keith Garber
7:00PM-11:00PM $5 per person
Carthage Memorial Hall (407 South Garrison) For more information call 417-548-3977

Clarification About Rabies Vaccinations.

City dog and cat licenses are free to senior citizens 65 years of age or older, under a new two-tier plan approved by City Council on September 26. Rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats are not free for any age group.

City Administrator Tom Short during Tuesday’s City Council meeting said he had been in contact with several local veterinarians who felt there was some miscommunication about the new two-tier plan, concerning rabies vaccinations. Short stressed that the only fees affected by the new plan are those for City licenses.

Stench Report:

Thursday,
10/12/06

No Stench detected on the
Carthage Square

It’s the cool, wet season that I most miss a stove sittin’ in the livin’ room. As a young kid we had a big brown gas stove with a fan on the side. Comin’ in from a rainy day meant a warm place to back up to and dry off.

‘Course as a kid we also had onea those foldin’ racks ta hang clothes on to dry. Ya pop that up in front of the stove and in a few minutes they’d be not only dry, but toasty warm.

My grandparents house had a big round floor register with a heater in the basement. Now there was the ultimate warmin’ up, dryin’ out machine.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

What is....
DMAE- DMAE is a natural substance that is found in minute quantities in the brain. It is a precursor to choline, a B-vitamin your brain needs to produce acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in nerve signal transmission and healthy brain function. Through this metabolic pathway, DMAE may support learning and memory functions, which decline as we age. DMAE is also an effective free radical scavenger that may help combat the effects of oxidative damage, which are implicated in the aging process.
CARNOSINE- L-Carnosine is actually a combination of two amino acids, alanine and histidine. This naturally -occurring substance has multiple functions in the body, the most remarkable of which is its ability to rejuvenate cells. L-Carnosine is also a potent antioxidant that is able to protect proteins from breaking down. Research shows that destructive changes to proteins contribute to signs of aging such as wrinkled skin and decreased cognitive function. Which means Carnosine may help to maintain youthful vigor and appearance.

artCentral
Art Notes from Hyde House
By Sally Armstrong, Director of artCentral

Much activity at the Hyde House since last I wrote! The opening night for the watercolor show of Betsy Pauly went so well Friday with a record crowd and record paintings sold. I want to thank all who came and made this such a successful beginning. Four originals and four prints were sold, with several sales pending. Betsy will be in town through the weekend, and then will be traveling back to Florida, but she leaves behind a good stock of her work and plans are in the works for boxed notecards to be printed of her scenes and we will continue to handle those and her prints long after her show is a memory. Meantime, we have four weeks that the gallery will be proudly exhibiting the 22 originals as well as the many prints. Kudos again to THE WILDFLOWER and Justin Thomas who does the beautiful floral displays for each show. This time there were three beautiful arrangements, on done for the gallery as he always does, the other two gifts for the artist, and all are lending a beautiful atmosphere to our galley.

Our Pottery House has been freshly painted and our gallery windows washed. Soon the trees will be bare and winter will be upon us. That means the holidays, and we are so excited to present Barbara Courtney in mid- November with a show of her paintings we are calling " HOLIDAY TREASURES: Paintings for Christmas Pleasure." Barbara is from Oklahoma, and her show will be the last one before we close before Christmas so we are hoping patrons and guests will enjoy shopping in our Library Gift Shop for gift ideas. Our members have been asked to provide additional art for the shop at this time of the year, and I hope we get a good response from this request. Additionally, we are fortunate to be a part of the Carthage Chamber of Commerce’s Christmas promotion, Grand Old Christmas! ,and will be in that brochure. The folks from Victorian Carthage are including the Hyde House in their Christmas Home Tour plans on December 2nd, and the Soroptomists will be using us as a location as well for their Christmas Tea in November. These things will all be announced as they come up, but I am so glad to get some exposure for out gallery and the house in this way.

I welcome to my staff of one, Missouri Southern art student Alyson DeBoutez. Alyson is a studio art major and will be acting as intern for the gallery until she graduates in May. She is 23, hails from Nevada, Missouri and is a delightful help around the place, having assisted at the recent art Opening and operating the gallery when I am away. Many of you met her then and were pleased. I think she is a great fit for us and we are fortunate that she came our way.