Did Ya Know... Carthage Council of Social Agencies will meet Wed., Dec. 3rd at noon at the Golden Corral restaurant.

Did Ya Know... Less than half of all preschoolers were read to daily and less than half were told stories by their parents several times per week in 1991.

Did Ya Know... The Carthage Public Library will be open today from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Did Ya Know... To schedule rides on the OATS bus call 358-4662 or 1-800-770-6287 on Monday of each week.

Did Ya Know... Call the Carthage Chamber of Commerce at 358-2373 for available openings to the Christmas Dinners Popular.

They say that one in every four Americans is unbalanced. Think of your three closest friends. If they seem okay, then you’re in trouble.

Universities are full of knowledge; the freshmen bring a little in and the seniors take none away, and knowledge accumulates.

Some people are like blisters. They don’t show up until the work is finished.

New Carthage Home.

One of the handsomest and most convenient homes of which Carthage can boast is the elegant new residence of J. W. Ground, the mine operator, at the corner of Macon street and Garrison avenue. The dwelling is just now being completed and was built at a cost of about $7,500. It is a two-story frame structure, containing in all fifteen rooms, and has every modern convenience.

Entering the main doorway on the west, the visitor is ushered into a vestibule and then a large reception hall elegantly finished in oak and with parquet floor. On the left is the spacious parlor finished in antique oak, and on the right the library finished in the natural oak. All three rooms are connected by wide folding doors.

At the rear of the hall is the stairway, which is elaborately carved, giving it a rather dainty effect. This, too, is in antique oak. The living room is at the rear of the library, and just beyond it is the large and airy dining room. The dining room has a beautiful inlaid floor of hard wood. A small conservatory is just off the dining room on the east, and on the south is a high covered porch, which is also used for flowers.

A thoroughly modern kitchen joins the dining room, and from there one can go through the laundry and wood shed to the stables, all the way under roof.

The basement of the dwelling is large and airy. Here are the furnace, the winter conservatory and a cyclone cellar. The last mentioned is at the east end of the basement and its roof is built below the foundation line on beams embedded in the solid masonry.

The second floor is devoted to sleeping apartments, bathroom, etc.

The house has every modern convenience - gas and electric lights, water, electric bells, a hot air furnace, and grates in nearly all the rooms.

The long porch which runs along the west and south sides of the residence has a floor and steps of Carthage stone and is supported by hand carved Corinthian pillars which are very artistic.

Here’s a suggestion. Now that a second appraisal has resulted in about the same dollar amount as the last one, let's get on with it.

Use the appraised values as minimum bids and open a sealed bid auction for one or more parcels. Take the high bid, give the purchaser an adequate amount of time to submit plans for development and let the buildin’ begin.

This would assure that the City gets at least the amount of the appraisal and allows the free market to indicate if there is a premium placed on certain properties. If no bids come in on any one lot, wait till next year and put it up for auction again. After a few years either the land sells or we start reducin’ the minimum acceptable bid.

A firm price could also be placed on the property between auctions in case a developer came along in the mean time.

The anticipation of the auction would keep interest in the project and generate some positive PR for Carthage.

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

by Oak Street health & herbs

Natural Nutrition

by Mari An Willis

Happy Thanksgiving! We are a blessed country.

Stress. This is the season for it. The following are a few herbs which have been used to keep the nervous systems strong.

Skullcap: is one of the bitter herbs. It has compounds that have sedative effects and relieve muscle spasms. This herb is useful in calming the nervous and circulatory systems. It is also a source of bioflavoloids. Traditional usage of this herb has been to treat insomnia, anxiety, headache, enuresis and muscle twitching. I find this herb very beneficial when I am stressed, but must keep going. It takes the edge off!

Hops: are also a bitter herb. Do not think of hops as only good in or for making beer. It has been used by folk herbalists to relieve muscle tension and as an antiseptic for the urinary tract. Some say that it relieves the pain of spastic colon.

Valerian: has been used to decrease anxiety and aggression. It has a smell which is quite unpleasant, but the benefits far exceed the obnoxious odor. Valerian is high in natural calcium and magnesium. It has been used to treat nervousness, anxiety, muscle spasms, and aid in sleep. This herb is not a good herb to give to children. Continued use of this product may cause mild depression so it should be alternated with other nervines.

Passion flower: In France, this herb has been used to calm children. It is a mild nervine and is said to help one focus attention. It tastes rather good and when it is combined with chamomile makes a nice bedtime tea.

Source: Today's Herbal Health and Nutrition Herbology Vol. II

*This article is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.