Today's Feature

Settlement to Raise Carthage
Cell Phone Charges Over 10%.

A settlement agreed to by Verizon Wireless with the Missouri Municipal League should result in the City of Carthage receiving over $30,000 in back taxes for the last two years from the phone provider. However, the agreement also allows Verizon to add a Carthage Local Business License Surcharge of 5.26% to recover the money. As of the first of October Verizon has begun collecting the surcharge.

In addition, the settlement allows the City to impose a Business License Tax on Verizon Wireless’s gross receipts. Currently the fee is set at 5% by City ordinance.

Other wireless phone providers are currently in litigation over the legality of the tax, but indications are that eventually all cell phone service will be licensed by the City. This is in addition to the current 2.188% City sales tax.

Other entities collecting sales tax on cell phones include the State at 4.225% and the County at .975%.

It is estimated that over 70% of households have wireless service with an average bill of $60.

Blunt Announces Courthouse Grant.

Governor Matt Blunt visited the historic Carthage Courthouse on Thursday afternoon to announce a $500,000 grant program that will emphasize historic courthouses around the state.

Blunt said the Missouri Heritage Properties Program will administer $500,000 in grants to help preserve historic publicly owned buildings, with an initial emphasis on historic courthouses. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ State Historic Preservation Office will administer the Missouri Heritage Properties Program.

"This is an innovative opportunity to use historic preservation funds to strengthen an important anchor for many of our communities," said Blunt.

The program, according to Blunt’s office, is supported by the Missouri Historic Preservation Revolving Fund, which is funded by the state’s non-residence Athletes and Entertainers’ Tax. The governor directed funds from the Athletes and Entertainers Tax to be distributed to cultural partners, including the Historic Preservation Revolving Fund. His office says his action assured that for the first time in three years, the organizations received funding from the tax and that funds from the Athletes and Entertainers tax are being spent on the purpose for which it was created.

Missouri is home to 103 courthouses that are 50 years old or older; 52 of those are more than 100 years old. Construction of the Carthage Courthouse was completed in 1895.

Now, I don’t mind too much that the stores keep changin’ brands on me or even if they switch and only carry one brand, but this perpetual remodelin’ business has got to go. It seems that I’ve wasted days wanderin’ through the aisles lookin’ for a simple item, when I used ta know exactly where it was kept.

Grocery stores aren’t the only ones either. Hardware stores and home improvement stores seem to be endlessly "improvin’" and makin’ things "more convenient." I’ll tell ya what’s convenient. Leave things where they were last time I was here!

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Natural Nutrition
By Mari An Willis

Again, I find myself lost in the pages of a book published in 1934 written by Joseph E. Meyer. It just makes such sense to me, the things he has to say from the opening lines, "Why use chemical drugs when nature in its’ wistom and beneficence has provided, in her great vegetable laboratories -- the fields and forest - relief for the most common and simple ills of mankind?" to his further in-depth discussion of the medicinal value of plants.

The book has reminded me that not all readers know the basic definitions of herbal usages and that I certainly can always use a good review! This partial list of definitions are some to which I frequently refer:

Alternative: use of an herb or other medicine which works to assist a gradual change by supporting the usual function of a particular organ.

Aromatics: have an agreeable smell and taste with certain medicinal properties.

Emollients: remedies applied to solid parts of the body to soften and loosen them or that which has become attached to the body.

Expectorants: helps to facilitate the excretion of mucus from the system.

Tonics: promote the strength and tonification of the body. Good preventatives.

Demulcents: suited to modify the acrid and aggravating conditions which effect the mucus membranes especially of the throat and lungs.

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

Fall is here, and we look towards a fantastic new exhibition here at the Hyde House which will feature two devoted artCentral member artists, Marilyn York in the Main Gallery and Linda Teeter in the Member Gallery.

Marilyn lives currently in Olathe, Kansas, but is originally from Carthage, having lived here in the ‘40s and ‘50s. She says, "I knew there would be twirlers at the band concert in Central Park and Honeymoon ice cream later at Miller’s Dairy. I knew you backed in at Boot’s. Carthage gave me great schools, even Latin with Miss Halliburton, for which I am still grateful. I tended towards music and the arts, and after a detour of 30 years in accounting I have come back to painting that has made this a great time in my life." Marilyn received the Second Award in the recent Member Show here at artCentral, and paints in watercolor. She has had several solo shows in the past five years, has received many honors, and is a member of several watercolor societies. "Transparent watercolor is my favorite medium, and although I enjoy painting the hills and creeks of Southern Missouri and the historic buildings of Kansas City, my favorite subjects by far are people. My style is "tight"--- very realistic and a lot of detail. The reason for the name of this show BOTH SIDES NOW, the old Joni Mitchell song, is that I am teaching myself the luxury and fun of painting fast and spontaneously. Most of the things I have painted in this new way have been painted from life. That title seems to describe this show." The show will open Friday, October 12th with the artist’s reception at 6:00 pm, and will be up until October 28th. Besides the 25+ originals presented, Marilyn also has reproduced several works in giclee archival reproductions, note cards, and postcards which will also be available. Additionally, we will feature a photography exhibition by Joplin artist Linda Teeter in our Member Gallery, titled PHOTOSCAPES, which I will tell you about in detail next week. Come out and visit this great new exhibition and see how beautiful Mike Burken has manicured and planted our grounds for fall!