Did Ya Know... Early discounts for the Maple Leaf Festival are being offered to vendors that register before September 22 for booth space on the Downtown Carthage Square for all day Saturday, October 18. For information, contact the Chamber of Commerce at 358-2373.

Did Ya Know... The Carthage Tiger Booster Club meeting is at 7 p.m. at the Carthage High School Auditorium.

Did Ya Know... The City Landfill will be open Tues. and Wed. this week from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. The additional days are for disposal of tree limbs from Sunday's storm. Call 358-4459 for details.

In my family my mother got up at five o’clock every morning ... no matter what time it was.

Patient: Doctor, will I be able to read after I get my glasses?

Doctor: Indeed, you will.

Patient: Well, that’ll be great. I never could read before.

"When I sneeze I put my hand in front of my mouth."

"Really, Phil? Why do you do that?"

"To catch my teeth!"

Mrs. Lettie Armstrong, a well known woman of this city who was for years a domestic in the family of G. A. Cassil, is now insane at Springfield. She is the wife of Sim Armstrong, but they have not been living together for sometime until about a week ago when they fixed up their differences and she accompanied him to Springfield to live. Shortly after arriving there, she began to show symptoms of insanity and has now lost her mind enitrely. She is very docile and not at all hard to control.

Deputy Recorder Ed Bailey is now minus his official title, having resigned his position. He is undecided as yet what he will do, but will probably engage in business here.

Miss Ada Dulick, the 19 year old daughter of D. W. Dulick, died yesterday of typhoid fever.

A special Council meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow evening at City Hall. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the implementation of the Precious Moments TIF district. The meeting was called by Council members Boyer, Clark, and Harris.

The Council approved a redevelopment plan from Precious Moments in late 1995 but has yet to actually enter into a redevelopment agreement which spells out the responsibilities and expectations of the parties.

The TIF district designation for Precious Moments property, which the Council also approved, would redirect property taxes from future development back into the infrastructure of the property. This would be accomplished by establishing a base valuation and calculating the taxes on any increase from that valuation over the duration of the agreement. By State statute that can be as long as twenty-three years. This includes property levies from all taxing entities, including school districts, county, city, and others. It is estimated that over a twenty year period the total amount generated would approach $4 million.

According to the initial plan, which can be modified with Council approval, the funding would include an allowance for a new entry road from now Highway 71, traffic signals and intersections improvements at Highway HH and Chapel Road, a sewer line extension to the visitors center, and widening, drainage, street lighting and related street improvements to existing roads.

According to the plan, Precious Moments estimates improvements with a cost of $7 million will be completed by the company by the end of 1997. Another $23 million investment in an 18 hole golf course and a 300 room hotel/convention center was shown to be planned.

The approximate $2.7 million proposed in infrastructure improvements financed by the TIF district could be implemented as the funds came in, or a bond could be issued that would be paid off with the TIF contributions. If such a bond were issued, past discussions have indicated that the City would not assume responsibility for the bond, but would require Precious Moments to guarantee the issuance.

The agreement for implementing the TIF district would spell out the exact relationship for these type of arrangements. Others details are expected to be discussed at the meeting tomorrow night.

For a while there, we thought our trees were the only damage. As we went about tryin' to uncover our gate and clear out the fallen branches we began to notice an unusual amount of traffic cruisin' by. It became evident that the Sunday wind had become an event.

Needin' an excuse for a little break from the sawin' and haulin', we joined the caravan of sight seers.

We lost one tree completely but felt fortunate that it fell the only place it could have without doin' serious damage to the garage, house or fence. Others were not as lucky, but it looks like overall, the community avoided any devastatin' structural damage from fallin' trees.

We found others who had similar type of well placed tumbles. Trees layin' within a few feet of homes and various outbuildin's. I didn't see any vehicles crumbled.

I suppose the reported 80 mph winds were a little unusual for these parts. The good news is we now have standin' trees we know will endure a good blast. I think we cleared 'bout all the dead wood from the crop.

This is some fact, but mostly, Just Jake Talkin'.

sponsored by McCune Brooks Hospital

HEALTH NOTES: Most children enjoy playing with toy tea sets. But some of these sets can be dangerous to your child’s I.Q. development. Over the past several years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recalled eight brands of children’s ceramic tea sets imported from China. They contained lead levels which could lead to lead poisoning for any child who ate or drank from the dishes or cups.

A newsletter from Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., noted that when lead is ingested, it circulates in the blood, but is gradually stored in the bones and teeth. Lead poisoning can lead to irreversible brain damage, including mental retardation. The child may also develop learning and behavior problems.

The same newsletter suggests that if you have copper plumbing in your house or apartment, that you never make up infant formula with the "first draw" water. Lead can leach overnight from the solder used to weld water pipes together. It can then concentrate in the water overnight. Let the tap water run a few minutes each morning before using it in infant formula, or, indeed, for any purpose.