Special Attraction At The Midwest Gathering of the Artists.

The Midwest Gathering of the Artists will be held on September 8 and 9 in the North Convention Center of Precious Moments. The show will again attract artists from throughout the country and is free to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

This year a special attraction of art by Sam Butcher that has never been on public display will be featured at the event.

Known for his teardrop-eyed children of Precious Moments, this display will include special items and art that Butcher made as gifts for his grandchildren, and hold special sentimental value for the artist.

The collection of art spans over 20 years and will demonstrate the various styles and mediums Butcher has been creating for years.

An Art Auction will be held Saturday evening beginning with a social hour beginning at 6 p.m. and the auction beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets for the Auction are $16 per person.

For tickets or more information call Sandy Higgins at 358-7163.

Commentary

Martin "Bubs" Hohulin
State Representative, District 126

The date for the Special Session has been set. We are going back in on September 5. So far, the topics to be covered are prescription drug coverage, livestock price reporting, and exempting the federal tax rebate from state taxes. Most people expect the Session to last no longer than a week or two.

In a Special Session, we can only take up issues the governor specifies. We have asked him to include the unionization of state employees in the call, but I doubt that will happen. More and more information is coming to light about the executive order that was issued a few weeks ago.

First and foremost, many state employees are becoming increasingly upset about the idea of having money withheld from their paychecks. Gov. Holden recommended these employees receive no raise this year and now they face the possibility of seeing part of their paycheck go right into labor union coffers. There have now been memos and notes surface that indicate lawyers for the labor unions may have actually written the executive order and may have done it quite some time ago.

It will be interesting to see how forthcoming Gov. Holden is with this new information. I am not holding my breath, as this is the same man that denied the existence of the order even after it was on his desk. It was only after being faced with a legal request under the Freedom of Information Act, that he admitted its existence.

After talking about how bad the state’s financial situation is, denying any kind of raise to state employees, and telling various departments to withhold money from their budgets, many employees in the governor’s cabinet and on his staff received substantial raises. The most glaring was the annual raise of over $13,000.00 given to Gov. Holden’s spokesman. This man had left to work in the private sector, discovered he liked politics better, came back to the Capitol and was given a raise of over $1000.00 per month to boot. In light of the million dollar inauguration party, the attempted giving of millions of dollars to the Cardinals for a new stadium, and now raises for his closest friends, there is definitely a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ attitude coming from the governor’s office.

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 questions, comments, or advice.

If you’re wonderin’ about all the "poor brakes" tickets here’s the deal.

First it’s not the Carthage Police Department givin’ the tickets. All those poor tickets are seen in the County courts. Even then there are few, if any tickets actually written for poor brakes.

What happens is someone gets a speedin’ ticket. A speedin’ ticket racks up points against your driver’s license. A ticket for poor brakes doesn’t put points on the record. A "plea bargain" results in a charge of poor brakes, a fine is paid and ever’one moves on through the system.

If ya never happen to edge over the speed limit, ya might be upset by the setup. Most folks don’t want a knock it just in case they need the system on their side at some point. New meanin’ to "Give ‘em a brake."

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

McCune- Brooks Hospital

Health Notes

Health & Nutrition by Judith Sheldon

KEEP THE HELMET ON: Also from Emory University: Football has become a Rite of Fall on school campuses around the country each September. Unfortunately, even with better designed gear, injuries do occur and how people respond can make the difference in how, or even whether, the patient recovers.

Patricia "Skippy" Mattson, director of physical therapy for the Emory Clinic Sports Center says, "Many coaches, parents, even emergency medical technicians are unaware of the risks associated with removing the helmet of a football player who has sustained head or neck injuries.

"Unlike motorcycle helmets, football helmets do allow airway access as well as complete initial head assessments." She adds that removing a snug-fitting football helmet may further compromise a fractured skull or damaged cervical (neck) vertebra. Athletic trainers understand that it’s advisable to leave helmet removal to trauma teams after the patient has been transported to the hospital.

Mattson advises two important ways to help prevent injuries that can lead to paralysis: Be consistent with neck-strengthening exercises before and during football season, and don’t use the head offensively.