Seasonal Flu Clinic.

The Jasper County Health Department has scheduled a seasonal flu (not H1N1) and pneumonia immunization clinic for Friday December 4., 2009 from 9 - 11: A.M. and 1 - 4 P.M. The clinic is for residents of Jasper County (outside the city limits of Joplin) 3 years of age and older.

Seasonal flu vaccine is not available for pregnant women.

Those that have Medicaid (Missouri Health Net) or Medicar part B should bring their cards to their appointment. The Department will not bill Medicare part D or any supplement policies for vaccination. The cost of the flue vaccine is $15 and the pneumonia vaccine is $45.

Call the Jasper County Health Department at 417-358-3111 or toll-free 877-879-9131 to schedule an appointment.

Offices Closed Today.

City and County offices are closed today in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

The City Recycling Drop-Off Center and Composting lot will also be closed. It will resume its normal Tuesday through Saturday 8:30 to 4:30 schedule next week.

artCentral

ART NOTES from Hyde House

by Sally Armstrong, Director of artCentral

The opening night for our current show here at the gallery was a festive success, with several paintings sold, a wonderful number of patrons as well as artists attending, and nary a morsel of food leftover! I look forward to greeting additional visitors the remainder of it’s presence here, which will be weekends through December 6th, and I hope if you have not been out you will take the time. I want to get back to my history lesson for artCentral, and if you remember I left off last with our organization entering the 1990s. In the early part of the decade, the emphasis was on the old structure on Central Avenue and it’s refurbishment, which according to the records, ate up an enormous amount of grant money and donated funds. Art shows and classes were held along the way, and the Midwest Gathering was declared the sole property of artCentral.

As a side note, it was interesting that the newly prepared Hyde House was used for the first time this year to house visiting artists during the Midwest Gathering of the Artists, as reported in the October 1991 minutes. Shades of things to come! The 1991 calendar reflects a spring art show, a youth art and poetry competition, a sculpture show, the MGA, and a Christmas show. Bill Snow joined Bob Tommey and Sam Butcher as honorary lifetime members of artCentral. Membership numbers that year were 141, but a funds request letter sent out to 130 businesses only generated two responses collecting 125.00. It was a lean time, and only thanks to the Steadley Trust and a few other trust donations were the bills paid. There were 26 entries in the 1991Spring Show, with an entry fee of 30.00 charged, and prizes awarded were 325.00 total. I am pleased to say that currently artCentral has a membership of 220 members, and this past year’s member show charged a 10.00 fee to 56 artists and awarded 700.00 in prize money. We’ve come a long way, and thanks to the hard work of the founders who made it all possible!

NASCAR THIS WEEK

By Monte Dutton

Sponsored by Curry Automotive

Speed Wraps Up Rookie Season.

Scott Speed, once a Formula One driver, was part of a bold experiment perpetrated by NASCAR’s Team Red Bull.

After placing Speed in a variety of races -- 16 each in the Camping World Truck and ARCA series -- in 2008, the team cut loose A.J. Allmendinger and replaced him with Speed in the team’s No. 82 Toyota. Allmendinger took a ride with what is now Richard Petty Motorsports.

Neither driver has been particularly impressive this year, though Allmendinger has performed slightly better, ranking 25th in the Sprint Cup standings with one top-five and five top-10 finishes. Speed, 26, is 35th with one top five (also his only top 10).

But Speed, from Manteca, Calif., is gradually adjusting to stock-car racing. Asked what he has learned, he said, "Probably a lot: how you get the cars running throughout the practice and throughout the weekend, and how you show up with them as far as the setup is concerned is obviously very important.

I’m still learning an enormous amount of just racing sort of skill. Racing on an oval in these big, heavy cars is something completely different than what I’ve ever done my whole life. It’s amazing, every weekend, as we get more competitive and start running in the top 20 and start running in a competitive position, and how much I’m learning in those situations. I think my ‘race craft’ and my feel for the car is what’s getting better and better."

Echoing Juan Pablo Montoya, who has successfully made a transition from Formula One to NASCAR, Speed said this is a whole new world for him.

"It’s completely different because, in Formula One, I went into it just like (fellow Cup rookie) Joey (Logano)," said Speed. "I’ve done it my whole life. It was what was natural to me.

"It’s something completely new and very challenging."

Monte Dutton has covered motorsports for The Gaston (N.C.) Gazette since 1993. He was named writer of the year by the National Motorsports Press Association in 2008. His blog NASCAR This Week (http://nascar.rbma.com) features all of his reporting on racing, roots music and life.

Since ya got a little time ‘fore Christmas, ya might take a little time and check out some of the local shops for some gift ideas. If ya haven’t made the rounds here in Carthage for a while, I think you’ll find there is a wide variety of things ya won’t find ever’day.

‘Course there are those local type articles that show some of the Carthage history, but there is also an abundance of handmade and unusual gifts that ya don’t find just anywhere.

I haven’t seen much year 2010 stuff, but I’m sure that’s around too.

The City Christmas lights are on, so it’s official. The Christmas Season is here. Shop ‘till ya drop.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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CLICK and CLACK

TALK CARS

Dear Tom and Ray:

My wife’s 90-year-old aunt recently allowed us to take her 1995 Dodge Caravan with 55,000 miles. She said it needed to be driven, as she hadn’t driven it in more than 17 months. Since we have received this vehicle, interior parts have been falling off of it at a rapid clip. I’ll spare you the many details, but the one I really need to fix quickly involves the power rear side-vent windows. They both open fine, but then the right side one quit working with the window in the open position. I believe the switch is bad or a wire has come loose on it. I need to get into the overhead console but cannot figure out how to remove it. Does it just snap into place, or is it connected by hidden screws? --Albert

Ray: it just snaps in and out, Albert. But in only comes out with a fair use of force.

Tom: So, add "overhead console bezel" to the list of interior parts you need to pick up at the junkyard so you’ll have a replacement ready when you break the bezel on this one.

Ray: I would suggest that you go to a local body shop and ask them to show you how it comes off. They’ll know just how much pressure to exert on it. Even if you have to pay them for the demonstration, it’ll be worth it, because it’ll keep you from breaking the thing, and you’ll know how to remove it when the left side window switch breaks.

Tom: But there are no screws involved, and it pops back on very easily - unlike the rearview mirror, the door handles and the other stuff that’s fallen off. Good luck, Albert.