Today's Feature

Set Hearing Date.

The Carthage City Council this week set the date for a special Council meeting to hold a public hearing for the new property tax levy.

Finance and Personnel committee chair Diane Sharits reported to the Council that a "major crunch" is anticipated in receiving the final numbers on which the City bases its property tax levy. The rate is based on property tax values from the County and other tax information from the State.

Due to property value re-evaluations on the County level and a number of citizens protesting the new values, the final numbers may not be received in time to hold the two required Council readings for the City to set the tax rate, according to Sharits.

A special meeting was proposed to be held Thursday, August 23, during which the City will use preliminary numbers from the County for a public hearing and first reading of the ordinance adopting the new tax rate.

During the next regular meeting on Tuesday, August 28, Sharits said the committee hopes to have the final numbers so that Council may have the second reading and vote upon the levy.

They appear to know the difference between the sound of a recliner comin’ down and the sound it makes goin’ to the reclinin’ position. They like to chirp when the recliner is reclinin’ and shut up when it’s upright. (Yellin’ at ‘em just seems to make ‘em chirp more.)

If ya ever want ta practice bein’ quite while sneakin’ up on something, use a cricket. The slightest sound of even breathin’ too hard will warn them of your presence. ‘Course, they always like to hide back in a corner or where there is a newspaper or a paper sack ta step on.

There’s nothin’ like a good cricket hunt for family fun.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Natural Nutrition
By Mari An Willis

Our bodies are kind of like a watermelon, a whole lot of water! Our entire body functions are dependent on having enough water. It should preferably be clean water and the rule of thumb is at least 64 ounces of water a day if you activity level is fairly sedate, upwards from there if you add some activity like walking, mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, driving the car or any activity in which your body is evacuating fluids. Imagine how much you lose if you are playing softball or driving a tractor in the middle of the day and your shirt is wringing wet! When it is hot and humid, walking to the car makes some people perspire. These fluids have to be replaced.

"I just don’t like water" is not a good excuse. There are options to tap water which have added chemicals. Water filters are common and inexpensive these days. They are available at most any store which carries hardware or plumbing parts or many of the health food stores can supply you one. Flavor your water with lemon or a small amount of fruit juice if you can’t stand the taste. When counting your water consumption (which is a good idea until you have a handle on what is at least 64 oz.) you must add extra water if you have consumed any alcohol. Some medications and health conditions require one to drink more fluids. Caffeine products, when diluted are good sources of fluid, but are diuretic by nature so require even more water. Why is WATER the important word? Water is the cleaner with which we flush our bodies. You know that nothing gets as clean as when you use nice clean water, so our bodies work the same. We create a lot of waste during the day and our kidneys, liver and other eliminative organs must have the necessary fluid to do their jobs or the waste begins to accumulate.

Even mild dehydration can create symptoms such as fatigue or light-headedness. We may not immediately associate these with the loss of fluids, but try drinking more fluids and taking some minerals after or during a long duration of activity. I am constantly amazed how I have to remind myself to drink water during the day. Night leg cramps can sometimes be avoided if enough water is consumed prior to bed time.

This article is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. References available by request. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

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

An organization like artCentral, as a business, has seen it’s ups and downs over the 20+ years of its existence. I am sure in the early years, things were pretty simple and needs were few. As membership grew and the constitution and bylaws established, a board of directors was created to see to the monthly needs and doings of the director, and these individuals were all volunteers starting out . The directorship is now a paid, part-time position, but the directors are still volunteers from the community, serving three year terms and meeting at the gallery monthly, and they do a great job for the organization. This board met yesterday to hear of the results of kid’s artCamp, just completed, and the other business of artCentral and the Hyde House. As usual, funding is a primary concern, and even though our membership is way up, membership fees can in no way fund the operation of the gallery. Our kid’s camp was a great success, and though it does not pay for itself, we consider its continuation a service to our members and the community. Even so, the numbers must happen every month to make it all go, and that’s where the community comes in to help us. You HAVE helped us, in so many ways! I thank again our friends who have partnered with us to produce the 8 shows per year to fill the gallery. Because we charge no admission and have open invitations to our various functions, the cost to hold these shows is considerable. Occasional sales do not produce the commissions necessary to cover the cost of shows. I am following up some written requests that were made earlier this summer by a phone call to additional businesses and individuals who are known to be very generous in many ways to our community. Until you get my call, won’t you consider again helping artCentral in any way you can? As you know, the fine arts in so many ways are being neglected, made second-class in schools, or eliminated completely. I am so glad that here, we can help meet the needs of the community to teach and foster the arts that many of us learned to love as children. Next week I hope to tell you a bit about our next gallery opening on August 24th, new photography from artist Bill Perry III of Joplin and new sculpture and jewelry work of Rebecca Perry.