Today's Feature

Trash Exemptions Denied.

The Public Works Committee met earlier this week in a regular session. The committee continued a discussion about trash exemption requests. Several requests have been received by the Public Works Department from citizens wishing to have their rates reduced or their trash service discontinued altogether. Public Works Director Chad Wampler has rejected the requests and forwarded the items to the Public Works Committee for review. The committee had previously expressed concerns about "opening the floodgates" by allowing certain variances in price. The committee felt that if one citizen’s price is reduced that others will feel entitled and that the evaluation of each case would be time consuming and difficult to keep equitable.

The current rate structure for trash collection was augmented recently, increasing prices across the board and eliminating the "single" reduced rate for collection. There are now two categories within the "residential" pickup rates; the senior citizen rate being $6.50 and the regular rate being $8.00. Senior citizens, to receive the reduced rate must show identification to prove age qualification.

The committee discussed the complications of allowing variances, saying that guidelines would have to be set to evaluate each case. Income levels, disability, and the amount of trash actually placed for collection would have to be taken into consideration, according to the committee.

Committee member Bill Johnson said he was against allowing the variances.

"I think the current system is working," said Johnson. "You can’t base everything that you do on the fixed income; you have to make it equitable."

The committee approved a motion not to allow individuals to be exempted from the rate structure. It was agreed that the decision will become a policy for the City. The item will be presented to Council next Tuesday.

Stench Report:

Thursday,
2/8/07

No Stench Detected On Carthage Square

The coach was tryin’ settle the team down and turned to my brother to soothe the nerves.

"I don’t care what anyone else thinks," he said, "I think you can make it."

My brother didn’t get a chance to win the game, ‘cause he missed his first attempt. No tellin’ what the coach woulda said to him if there was the game winnin’ throw on the line instead of the tiein’ shot. I’m sure he woulda come up with other memorable words of wisdom.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Here is a quick rundown of the action of some amino acids.

ALANINE is highly concentrated in the muscle and is extremely important as a source of muscle energy. It is also a participant in the regulation of glucose metabolism.

ARGININE is necessary when there is a major muscle growth, or pregnancy for that matter, or any major trauma. It assists the body in the release of growth hormone. It has been reported to improve fertility in males. It may also help lower cholesterol.

CARNITINE is generally supplemented for those dealing with heart conditions. It helps improve fat mobilization and some have said it may be useful in the treatment of obesity. According to Dr. Norman Shealy, it’s greatest benefit is to individuals with poor heart function.

LYSINE is important in growth and strength of the immune system. Lysine is currently being studied in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. It is noted that low levels are often found in Parkinson’s, hypothyroidism, kidney disease, asthma and depression.

TAURINE, again according to Dr. Shealy, is deficient in 86 percent of individuals with depression. Taurine is important for healthy heart, eyes and brain function. It is found only in animal protein or the grain quinoa. It is helpful in managing hypertension, depression, and even gallbladder disease. It is often found in formulas to help treat alcohol withdrawal.

* Nutrition for Life, Energy, Youth, Longevity by Dr. N. Shealy * Amino Acids by Carlson Wade

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

Hyde House is open again beginning Friday! We are pleased to welcome John Fitzgibbon and his 25 beautiful paintings to the Main Gallery and hope many of you are planning to be with us for opening reception this Friday night at 6:00. John arrived Monday morning and I met him for the first time, helping him bring in the paintings and discussing them as we visited. This is a truly beautiful group of pieces, many sizes and media, in watercolor, traditional oil and very heavy oil and acrylics applied thickly with a palette knife --- in other words, something for every taste. And many themes and subjects as well as a nice variation of prices, so something for everybody! One of the largest pieces is a very large acrylic painting entitled NEW YORK NIGHTS which was an award winner in a recent Spiva show, so if you missed seeing it there you will have an opportunity again.

Sadly, we did not get enough persons registered for the workshops this weekend to be able to have those. I am very sorry, as I had hoped there would be more interest in those wanting to try their hands at watercolor. As it remains, John has agreed to combine the NEXT week’s scheduled class for Intermediate Watercolors with the Beginning Watercolor class, so if your reason for not calling us was a problem with the dates, then the weekend of the 16, 17 and 18th might fit your schedule better. Any adults who desire to participate in Beginning AND Intermediate Watercolor with John as instructor please call as soon as you can and make your reservation for one, two or all three days. This class already has several participants signed up and two have agreed to join that had signed up for the first class. I am looking forward to it myself!

Thursday night will be the re-scheduled Carthage Chamber of Commerce banquet and the award for Artist of the Year to be presented by last year’s winner, Joplin sculptor Jorge Leyva. I look forward to sitting at the table with Jorge and his candidate as well as other members of the area art community, and we hope for better weather this time! The award category was created years ago by Sandy Higgins, noting that the visual arts needed to be recognized each year. The past year’s winner not only chooses the current winner, but constructs by hand the unique award or trophy actually presented. This year’s piece is a beautiful hand carved marble artist’s brush touching a thick palette made from thick acrylic. It is a truly beautiful piece of sculpture and one that Jorge should be proud of creating--- the winner is going to love it!