Carthage Soroptimists to Host Meeting

Soroptimist International of Carthage will host the District II Annual Meeting October 2-4 at the Precious Moments Convention Center in Carthage. Clubs from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri are expected to attend.

Activities begin Friday, Oct. 2 with registration at the Precious Moments Hotel; followed by a tour of Historic Homes, Jasper County Courthouse, and downtown Carthage on the Double Decker Bus; Trade Fair Setup; Precious Moments Chapel Tour; an informal social with hors d'oeuvres; and the Fountain of Angels Show.

The Official Opening Ceremony begins at 9 Saturday morning with Betty Evans, District II Director, Wichita, KS, presiding. Members of the Ozark Area Girl Scouts will present the colors and lead the salute to the flag. Sharon Croley, Carthage, will sing the National Anthem followed by Shelley Bradberry, Winfield, KS, with the day's inspiration.

Sue Joslen, Carthage Soroptimist President, will make introductions.

Free Mammograms Available.

Free mammograms are being provided by Soroptimist of Carthage, in cooperation with McCune-Brooks Hospital and Carthage Radiologists, throughout October.

This offer is for women who have no insurance or cannot afford the expense of a mammogram. Vouchers are available at the McCune-Brooks hospital or Poor Richards Gift Shop, NW corner of the Carthage square. There are a limited number of vouchers.

For more information about the free mammogram, persons may call Ruth Overton at (417)-358-5861.

According to guidelines set by The American Cancer Society for early detection of breast cancer, women ages 20-39 should have a clinical breast exam at least every three years. Women ages 40 and over should have a clinical breast exam and mammogram every year. All women 20 and over should do a breast self-exam each month.

The organization also recommends if there is a family history of breast cancer, individuals should discuss mammography screening with their health provider. For more information about breast cancer, persons may call toll free 1-800-ACS-2345, or www.cancer.org.

Commentary

Martin "Bubs" Hohulin

State Representative, District 126

Does it seem like it costs more to drive your car these days? Maybe you should get a job with the Missouri Housing Commission. Their car allowances run as high as $79 per mile! That’s right, $79.

The Commission makes loans to low-and moderate-income home buyers in the state. It is overseen by a board that includes the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and treasurer. The Commission is not subject to the mileage rates for the rest of the state employees, even though tax dollars are involved. The rates that were paid were unbelievable. One employee got $350 per month to make two trips per day of a few blocks, another received $507 per month for a little more than a hundred miles per month. As outrageous as all this sounds, it is not the worst of it.

To the Commission’s credit, once they discovered the excessive allowances, they discontinued them. Had they stopped there, the story would have had a happy ending. But like I’ve said before, the easiest word in the world to say is yes, especially if you are using someone else’s money to say it with. After stopping the allowances, they then raised the salaries of the employees because "We did not want to penalize employees". That was a quote from Governor Carnahan. Never mine these employees had been in the pockets of the taxpayers for years. All the governor was concerned about was that money keep flowing from taxpayers into state government. Maybe that helps explain why we have had to refund excessive taxes that were collected illegally every year Governor Carnahan has been in office. But that is another column, maybe next week. Stay tuned.

In addition to the mileage, some of the employees had their liquor tabs picked up by the Commission as well. What a country! As you probably know by now, I have gained a reputation in state government for being against much of the way government perates. I have been criticized for that many times. I have been told I should be more positive, that I should go along with more things. Folks, as long as your tax dollars are involved, I am going to continue to be against practices like what the Missouri Housing Commission was doing. While the easiest word to say is yes, the hardest word to say is no, but many times it has to be said. Our hard earned tax dollars are at stake.

As usual, I can be reached at House Post Office, State Capitol, Jefferson City, 65101, or 1-800-878-7126, or mhohulin@services.state.mo.us for your questions, comments, or advice.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

There is one thing that most folks have in common, the dislike of standin' in lines. They will stand around the coffee pot, stand on a bus, stand in front of windows in the mall all day long, but waitin' in line just isn't to be stood for.

'Course since standin' in line is such a nuisance, the one thing that might top the aggravation is havin' someone cut in front of you while your waitin'. I witnessed a real sneaky attempt at line cuttin' over the weekend while waitin' for a table at a restaurant.

A mom and her kid come in, the kid heads for the restroom, the mom waits in line. After a while I look up and the kid is standin' next to a table bein' cleared, wavin' to his mom. She makes a move but is cut off by a savvy line stander. "Oh did you want that table?" she asked innocently.

And they ask where kids get the ideas. I thanked this one for savin' our table for us.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin'.

by

McCune Brooks Hospital

Health Notes.

POINTS OF INTEREST: With autumn comes falling leaves and falling bodies on the gridiron. Dr. Maureen Finnegan, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, cautions football players not to overlook warm-up exercises before the game.

Professional and college team coaches make warm-ups mandatory. Too many high schoolers or younger people, unfortunately, don’t warm up. "A good warm-up," Dr. Finnegan says, "reduces the chances of some of the most common football-related injuries- muscle pulls."

Especially vulnerable is that hamstring muscle which is found along the back of the thigh. Also vulnerable are the Achilles’ tendon at the back of the heel, and the abductor muscles inside the thigh.

Dr. Finnegan suggests a light jog around the field at about half-speed, followed by gentle stretching (remember that word: gentle) of the main muscles. Make sure everyone who gets into the game is outfitted with the right gear.

Calcium is a vital nutrient for everyone, but especially so for younger women and girls who need to build strong bones that will help reduce the risk of osteoporosis in later years.

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