New Public Works Meet Day.

The City Council Public Works Committee meeting day has been rescheduled from the first and third Tuesday to the first and third Wednesday of the month at 4 p.m. in City Hall. The change was made to accommodate committee members schedules.

The agenda for Wednesday’s meeting includes a discussion of firms that have been recommended to be contracted as City Engineer.

Tri-State Engineering has held the contract for the last several years. Their current three-year contract ends July 1.

Requests for proposals were sent to several firms earlier in the year and some initial interviews have been held by a selection committee appointed by the Mayor. The selection committee was asked to bring proposals from two or three firms to the Public Works Committee for consideration. The contract has guaranteed approximately $60,000 of work per year for the last several years.

The Committee is also scheduled to review construction contract specifications that deal with a larger percentage of funds being withheld if work is not completed.

Sarcoxie City Wide Garage Sale.

news release

The 11th Annual City-Wide Garage Sale in Sarcoxie will be on Saturday, April 21, rain or shine.

Maps will be available at convenience stores and restaurants in Sarcoxie at 6 a.m. on the day of the sale. Well over 40 sales will be held throughout the city and surrounding area. The maps will show the location of each sale as well as a brief list of what each place has to offer.

Chairperson Helen Sageser stated that each sale will be designated by a bright yellow neon sign with their map location number posted. Buyers are urged to purchase their wares from the sales that are marked. Sales that are not marked with the official sign are not City-Wide Garage Sale participants.

The Sarcoxie Lions Club will serve a BBQ chicken dinner beginning at 10:30 a.m. Their booth will be set up on a parking lot on the Southeast corner where Hwy 37 turns south across from Casey’s.

For more information, contact Sageser at 417-548-7639.

Bob Payton Returns to
Sing About Aging.

news release

The banjo pickin’, guitar strummin’, harmonica playin’ man from Minnesota is returning to southwest Missouri to present a series of musical workshops entitled, "I’ve Never Been Old Before."

He will be appearing at the Over 60 Center, 404 E. 3rd St., in Carthage at 1 p.m. on Friday, April 27th. Everyone is invited to attend. There is no admission charge.

"I’ve Never Been Old Before" is an entertaining and educational program that helps adults of all ages explore and express their feelings about aging. Payton, a talented musician, weaves audience discussion with a lively performance of thought-provoking songs, stories and questions. Audience members are invited to respond to the songs, share their own experiences and express their feelings about growing older. The end result is an upbeat and uplifting musical exploration of aging.

The workshops are sponsored by the Area Agency on Aging and will be presented throughout Barton, Jasper, Newton, and McDonald counties during the week of April 23rd to 27th.

Commentary

Martin "Bubs" Hohulin
State Representative, District 126

There is no end to what we will spend time discussing. What I wanted to say was that there is no end to the ridiculous ideas that spring from the mind of legislators, but I am trying to be polite.

This past week we took up a piece of legislation that would have required all kids under the age of 8 to be in some kind of car seat. The sponsor of the legislation was very sincere in her efforts and that is what made it all the more unnerving. Let us keep one thing in mind right off the bat. There is currently nothing in law that would keep parents from putting their kids in whatever vehicle restraint they want to.

We already have laws requiring the use of seat belts for kids (and adults). To require the use of car seats for kids up to age 8 is ridiculous. I couldn’t help but wonder if the sponsor of the legislation has seen the size of some of today’s eight year olds. It would be very impractical to strap car seats that size in today’s vehicles.

That aside, I find it very offensive when politicians think the government can do a better job of raising our kids than we can. As I said, there is nothing in the law now preventing parents from strapping their kids in however they see fit. To mandate how a kid up to eight years old will ride in their parents’ vehicles is going over the line. The sponsor kept saying that we couldn’t put a price on a child’s life and that she was only trying to ‘take care of the children’.

I offered an amendment to her legislation that would have prohibited any child under the age of 15 from riding in a motor vehicle, period. I did this in an attempt to underscore how ridiculous the situation was. I pointed out that if we were serious about protecting our kids to the fullest, we should never even consider putting them into a hunk of metal hurtling down the highway at 70 miles per hour.

My point is that we can’t, and shouldn’t, protect everyone from everything. Yes, accidents happen and they are very tragic. That doesn’t change the fact that parents should be in charge of parenting, not the government. I am offended by the liberals that think I can’t do as good of a job raising my kids as they think the government can. To look at what they want to do, it is a wonder any of us turned out as good as we did with our parents not having all the government ‘help’ that they try to give us today.

If those folks want government to raise the kids, they are welcome to try to break into Cuba. The last time I looked, Cubans were trying to come here, not the other way around. That should tell them something.

As usual, I can be reached at House Post Office, State Capitol, Jefferson City, MO 65101, or 1-800-878-7126, or mhohulin@services.state.mo.us for your question, comments, or advice.

Seems ta be new project time in the City.

The Kellogg Lake committee is havin’ its organizational meetin’ this evenin’ at 7 p.m. in City Hall. Group a folks interested in seein’ the park developed to its potential or at least maintained to its potential.

I see there is also a group formin’ to work for the Civil War museum. From what I understand this group will work independent of the museum and the City and make recommendations and possibly help with the fundin’ of some projects.

The Carthage Heritage Gallery & Museum, L.L.C. is a new group promotin’ history and the arts. Add these to the fair number of other volunteer groups already in town and there is plenty of room for anyone with an interest in community involvement.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

McCune- Brooks Hospital

Health Notes

Natural Nutrition by Judith Sheldon

SCAMMING: One of the oldest scams on the books deals with property improvement. Be alert for anyone who comes to your door and offers to do something cheap. Sometimes they’ll say you’re getting the price break so that your house can be a model that will encourage your neighbors to have their property spruced up as well. Don’t believe it. You’ll be lucky you get anything done at all once you’ve handed over that "low" payment (which they will usually demand in one chunk). Chances are if they start a project, they’ll leave it unfinished once your check clears. If you paid in cash, you probably never saw them again after they tucked the money into their wallets.

Some homeowners have been even more cruelly deceived. In these cases, the scamsters hired subcontractors to do the work. But instead of paying them with the money you provided, they skipped town. The legitimate workers will then ask you for payment, and if you don’t comply, many jurisdictions will allow them to sue you or even put a lien on your property.

So, please be warned. Don’t deal with anyone except bona fide, established companies or independent contractors who have done good work in your neighborhood. Remember, no one can afford a "bargain" that benefits just one side of the transaction.