Did Ya Know... Friends of the Library will meet Wednesday, November 5 at 1:00 p.m.

Did Ya Know... The Family Literacy Council will have the third annual Book Affair - Silent Auction on Sun., Nov. 9 at the historic Phelps House. For details, call 358-5926.

Did Ya Know... St. Ann’s Church chili dinner and bazaar will be Thurs., Nov. 6 on 1156 Grand from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Serving will be 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Did Ya Know... The Christmas Parade theme this year is Christmas Comes From The Heart. For a parade entry form, call the Main Street Office at 358-4974.

I used to be a tree surgeon, but I kept falling out of my patients.

My boss follows the straight and narrow-minded path.

Talk about bad luck! I opened a fortune cookie and found a summons.

A little old lady was on a park bench in the Bronx. A neighbor admired her two little grandchildren and asked how old they were. The little old lady said, "The lawyer is four and the doctor is six."

The Trial of James McAfee.

The trial of James McAfee, of Joplin, charged with murder in the first degree, has been set. McAfee’s attorneys are John H. Flanigan, of this city, and M. R. Lively, of Webb City. In a talk with Mr. Flanigan a reporter obtained some information in regard to the case. Mr. Flanigan declined to outline the defense, but said that McAfee claimed, and he believed that he could prove, that he had no gun at all on the night of the holdup, and that he was induced to go into the alley by parties who wanted to get him killed. "The state," said Mr. Flanigan, "does not provide one cent for the expenses of attorneys in such a case and McAfee has not a dollar. So I have simply got out subpoenas for about fifty of them and it will cost the state $3 a head to bring them here for the trial. If McAfee had money to pay attorneys’ traveling expenses there is no question but that he would be acquitted."

Chamber Revisions Requested.

The Budget/Ways and Means Committee will discuss the contract with the Carthage Chamber for tourism and promotion at tonight’s 7:30 meeting.

At last Tuesday’s Finance and Personnel Committee meeting, members voted to return a Chamber of Commerce request for reimbursement to the Chamber for revisions. The Committee questioned a request of approximately $1500 toward the Executive Director’s salary.

Committee Chair Lujene Clark brought the claim to the attention of the committee saying she recalled from budget hearings earlier this year that the Chamber had agreed not to seek salary reimbursement for the Executive Director, Heather Kelly. This is the first request the committee has had for such reimbursement this fiscal year.

According to City Administrator Tom Short, the Chamber receives $23,000 from the City for salaries and the City’s contract with the Chamber does not contain any specific guidelines stating whose salary may be paid with the City money.

Clark reported that she and Short met with Chamber President Roger Bohm to discuss the reimbursement request. Bohm did not recall the budget hearings as Clark did and said he and his Board only recently became aware that Kelly was not submitting her salary for reimbursement and instructed her to do so.

Committee members agreed with Clark’s recollection of the budget hearings, and Clark asked for discussion in light of the lack of documentation. Whitledge pointed out that the Chamber has met the obligations spelled out in their contract.

Members mentioned the coincidence of this request following so closely the Chamber’s request to Budget/Ways and Means for additional funds to cover tourism costs.

Charlie Bastin made a motion to return the requisition form to the Chamber for revision. The motion passed with Clark and Whitledge voting no because there was no documentation of the agreement during the budget hearings.

Sidewalk Repair Discussed.

Mayor Don Riley announced at Tuesday’s Council meeting that he had asked City Attorney David Dally to prepare a Council Bill addressing the sidewalk issue because the current ordinance is not being enforced.

"If you do not want to enforce the ordinance, then change the ordinance. Our staff is having difficulty determining what this Council wants them to do," Riley said.

The sidewalk ordinance on the books now holds property owners responsible for the cost of repairs to sidewalks on their property.

According to Riley, City staff has brought violations to the Council’s attention, and the Council has not enforced the current ordinance. Riley reminded the Council that the City is in litigation concerning a fall on a sidewalk and that not enforcing an existing ordinance places the City in further jeopardy for such lawsuits.

"We need to make the public aware of this ordinance before we start enforcing it, because I think it’s been slipshod for so long...we need to go ahead and publish that so that everybody knows," said Council member Art Dunaway.

Council member Lujene Clark pointed out that the City is probably the biggest offender with the most sidewalks needing repair and said she has no problem enforcing the ordinance, but that the City needs to address the issue as well as private citizens.

Sidewalk repair has been a topic of conversation in the Public Works Committee for some time. Codes Inspector Bud Rogers has asked for input from the Committee regarding amending and enforcing the sidewalk ordinances.

The Engineering Department has presented Council members with a partial list of the City sidewalks needing repairs with a cost of approximately $57,000. The Committee has discussed using money from unrestricted reserves to help pay the cost of repairs to City sidewalks.

Veterans Day 1997

Release by Richard F. Ferguson

The veteran’s organizations of the Carthage area welcome you to the annual Veterans Day Services, on the 11th hour, 11th day, 11th month. All veterans are honored, especially those being held as prisoners of war and those missing in action. Dick Ferguson will serve as moderator. The schedule for the day is as follows.

On November 11 in front of Memorial Hall by the monument south of the hall entrance will be The Pledge of Allegiance led by Russ Williams. Next will be the Laying of the Wreath by Harold Downey followed by an opening prayer by Harold Downey for those in attendance.

After the prayer, everyone will move to the auditorium of Memorial Hall to be seated. At this time, D. P. Kirchner, Commander U. S. Navy who is retired will present Remarks Appropriate To The Occasion. The presentation will be followed by introductions of representatives of The American Legion, D. J. Downey; the Veterans Of Foreign Wars, Jim Hartley; the Disabled American Veterans Of America, Ed Buck; the Chosen Few, Russ Williams; the 40 & 8, John Wheat; Desert Storm, Candy Chandler; Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, and Dick Ferguson; Vietnam Veterans Of American, Inc. Former POW’s are John Graham, Bob Crawford, and Roger Pruitt. The Ladies Auxiliaries of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Disabled American Veterans follows this.

Introductions will be followed by music, Amazing Grace and Scotland The Brave played by Garland Greene on the bagpipe. The Benediction will be by L. J. Downey followed by Sounding Of TAP’s by J. D. Whitledge.

This program prepared in advance is subject to change if problems arise. The Jasper County Veterans Alliance sponsors the memorial observance. The Alliance is indebted to VFW Post No. 2590, Carthage, for use of facilities at planning meetings.

If ya didn’t make it to the Square on Friday night to watch the kids and parents parade in their costumes ya missed the real treat.

I suppose there are near as many adults who enjoy the dressin’ up as their are kids. For some reason seein’ adults get into the fun takes on a whole different outlook.

Main Street Carthage sponsors the event on the Square ever Halloween in a dual purpose of givin’ the kids a safe place to be goblin’s and attractin’ folks to take a look at the businesses operatin’ in the downtown area.

‘Course the near perfect weather made for a great night last week. The neighborhoods were crawlin’ alive with tricksters approachin’ homes that were obviously willin’ participants in the tradition.

With Thanksgivin’ close at hand, the extra dose of sugar should go a long way toward gettin’ ready for the holidays ahead.

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

Health Notes

IF THE SHOE FITS, wear it. Properly fitting shoes can be more than just comfortable; they may help you avoid serious foot problems including, for diabetics and others with circulation conditions, amputations of toes or feet. If more people wore properly fitted shoes, we’d see a large drop in the number of diabetic amputations that occur far too often among the elderly, among others. Good fit also means fewer corns, calluses, bunions, hammertoes, or other painful foot deformities.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons cautions women not to wear heels higher than 2 1/4 inches. Heels higher than this can cause all the aforesaid foot problems, plus ankle problems. Also avoid pointed toe shoes, which force your toes into an unnatural position.

For children, the shoe should fit immediately. No child should be expected to grow into his or her shoes, or "break in" the shoes.

For toddlers, avoid heavy rubber soles that can stick to a surface and cause the child to fall. Also, have both your children’s feet measured, since differences between feet are common.

Babies and crawling infants do not need shoes. Provide them, instead, with socks or booties to keep their feet warm.