Did Ya Know... The After School Assistance program will resume on Monday, January 5.

Did Ya Know... A free mentoring seminar is Tues., Jan. 6. RSVP by calling 417-782-1290.

Did Ya Know... Slide Programs and Videos are available to teachers from the Powers Museum. For details, call Michele Hansford at 358-2667.

Conceited: I can tell just by looking into a girl’s eyes exactly how she feels about me.

Girl: Gee that must be embarrassing for you.

"Darling," scolded the mother, "you shouldn’t always keep everything for yourself. I have told you before that you should let your brother play with your toys half of the time."

"I’ve been doing it. I take the sled going downhill, and he takes it going up."

Church member: I don’t know what we will do when you are gone, pastor.

Pastor: Oh, the church will soon get a better man than I am.

Church member: That’s what they always say, but they keep getting worse and worse.

Fire at Chestnut and Maple Streets.

An alarm was sent to the fire department by telephone from P. Finn’s greenhouse and the firemen made a quick response, but were powerless to do anything, as the nearest fire plug is so far away that water could not be gotten to the building. On account of the dense smoke almost nothing was saved, beyond some half dozen pieces of the parlor furniture, which were passed out the parlor windows by the neighbors. A large square piano was in the parlor and was pulled across the room to the window, but before it could be gotten out the flames were bursting through the floor, making further efforts out of the question.

The dwelling was a modern frame building and worth probably $2,500. This is the second house that has burned on the same foundation - the other fire having occurred some years ago, before Mr. Ground owned the property.

A Salute to those who serve

New Certificate Program

Release by Carthage Technical Center

Carthage Technical Center is set to start a new Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Operator/Programmers Certificate Program for adults beginning January 19. The program is designed to prepare individuals for high wage, high skill precision machining employment as entry-level CNC operator/programmers. Students will be given a training certificate from Carthage Technical Center at the end of each of the three certificate levels. The certificates will be based on skill level competencies developed by professionals in the manufacturing industry.

Level I CNC Certificate will include 24 hours of a Program Orientation, Blue Print Reading, Inspection & Gauging class and 72 hours of CNC Turning and CNC Milling Operation classes.

Level II CNC Certificate will include 36 hours of a CNC Setup and Tooling Fundamentals class.

Level III CNC Certificate will include 48 hours of Conversational language and G-Code Language classes.

Instructors for the program will be individuals who are engaged in the CNC machining industry.

If a student wants to work toward a two-year Associate of Science Degree, college credit can be issued for the courses taken at Carthage Technical Center in cooperation with Missouri Southern State College and Crowder College.

Carthage Technical Center, Mazak Corporation and Concept Technical Sales have entered into an innovative partnership to meet the challenges our manufacturing sector faces as we fast approach the next millenium.

Mazak Corporation and Concept Technical Sales have supplied to the Technical Center one CNC turning lathe and one CNC milling machine to use for training of adult and high school students. The machines will be rotated annually to allow flexibility to adjust technology to meet changing business and educational requirements.

Sandvik Corporation and Tri-Star Industrial Supply are furnishing the cutting tools for the above machines. Simpson Perry Oil Company will furnish cutting oil for the program.

For information of times and costs of the program, please contact Carthage Technical Center at 609 River or phone 359-7026.

COS Town Meeting

Release by Rep. T. Mark Elliott

State Representative T. Mark Elliott (R-Carl Junction), will be holding a press conference on Tuesday, December 30 at 10:00 AM at the Carthage Chamber of Commerce at 107 E. Third in conjunction with the Governmental Relations Committee of the Carthage Chamber of Commerce and the Jasper County Farm Bureau. They will be announcing details of their sponsorship for a Town Meeting regarding the elimination of Community Option Service (COS). Some local area residents, who will be effected by this ruling, will be addressing their concerns and will be available for questions and comments. This service, only recently made available in the Carthage area, allows customers to call into the Joplin, Webb City, and Carl Junction exchange for a nominal monthly fee without being charged for long distance expenses. COS has long been established in the Northwest part of Jasper County in the CRAW-KAN cooperative telephone exchange area. This ruling by the Missouri Public Service Commission to abolish COS would negatively impact the residents of rural Carl Junction, Waco, Asbury, Purcell, Alba and rural Oronogo. There are in excess of 690 subscribers in this service area.

Representative Elliott has invited the Public Service Commission and local state representatives to attend this meeting scheduled for Monday, January 5th at 7:00 PM in Carthage Memorial Hall. Residents who will be effected by the ruling will be given the opportunity to voice their concerns. The Public Service Commission is currently set to do away with COS by March 31, 1998.

Petitions were recently circulated that were signed by approximately 2,740 customers on behalf of Representative Elliott's efforts to reverse the decision of the Public Service Commission regarding this important service. Further questions and concerns may be directed to Representative Elliott's office at 417-673-5500. His office in the Farm Bureau Service Center is located at #2 South Main in Webb City.

Ethics Seminar

Release by the Carthage Chamber of Commerce

"The Carthage Chamber of Commerce’s Business/Education Committee is sponsoring the fourth annual ‘Ethical Decision Making in the Workplace and Society’ seminar in conjunction with the Carthage R-9 School District," announced committee chairman R. Neel Baucom. "This seminar will be held for high school seniors in Carthage Wednesday, February 4, 1998."

This program has received very enthusiastic comments from the students, their parents, table leaders and other participants. The program began in 1987 with a seminar held in St. Louis, Missouri. It marked the beginning of a unique partnership dedicated to bringing an awareness of ethical decision making to the youth of our country.

Chairman, Neel Baucom also announced "Andy Youngworth, a social studies teacher at Carthage High School, will be acting as Master of Ceremonies for the second year. We are excited that he has agreed to do this for us again, as he has a great rapport with the students!"

The Ethics seminar is designed to increase a young adult’s understanding of values and ethics and applying them to career fields and jobs. The program provides an excellent opportunity for parents, schools, and community organizations to join in partnership for the betterment of their community. Without the support of our community this program could not be held.

We have a new tradition for the Christmas season. It’s a ritual of roamin’ aimlessly for an hour or two lookin’ for the location of the annual family gatherin’.

One new in-law is perceived by some in the family to be always in a bad mood durin’ the holidays. Course I don’t know how he is the rest of the year, but he has had good reason for the last couple a years. He’s the one who has instigated this new tradition of wanderin’ throughout the country side on Christmas Day. By the time they arrive, the spirit of the day has been wasted on wrong turns and thoughtful discussions with the spouse. This year’s trip was also delayed after a twenty mile return to retrieve forgotten gifts.

I suppose most "traditions" begin in such a small way, only becoming embedded after years of repetition. I envision the day when we all will just get in the car and drive without regard to destination, encountering random meetin’s with others at crossroads and exchanging directions to grandma’s house.

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

by McCune Brooks Hospital.

BAD AIR CAUSING FEWER HEIRS? Researchers at the North Shore University Hospital in Long Island, New York, believe they have a clue to a cause for the rising rate of male infertility, and the culprit may be no farther away than the next breath we inhale.

The principal investigator, Dr. Susan Benoff, says studies of men who seem to be infertile, "have toxic levels of metals like cadmium, zinc, and lead in their seminal fluid."

Dr. Benoff’s research also showed that varicoceles, a vascular abnormality often considered as a leading factor in male infertility, does not cause infertility alone. Infertility apparently occurs when varicoceles and evidence of environmental exposure to cadmium are both present.

The researchers also found that damage can occur even if the elements in the blood are well below the current permissible air exposure limits.

WATCH THAT PIZZA: Eating tomatoes raw or cooked, or even pureed into pizza sauce, might reduce the risk of prostate and other cancers. But before you dig into a piece of pizza, be warned that the fat in the cheese could promote the development of prostate cancer, which has been found linked to dietary fat intake.

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