The Carthage Chamber of Commerce now has available Maple Leaf Festival promotional literature. The brochure for this year’s event are available English and a Spanish translated version. An 11 x 20 poster outlining the upcoming events is also on hand.

In early summer, the Maple Leaf Planning committee solicited the community for Maple Leaf Parade Grand Marshal nominees. Nearly a dozen Carthage residents names were submitted for this honor. After reviewing each nominee, the committee selected Detective Laverne Williams of the Carthage Police Department to help lead this year’s parade. Laverne has a lengthy history with the local police department and is very active in the community.

The theme for this year’s festival is Carthage: Rich In History. The festival design, which will be featured on the festival promotions and event shirts, was created by Jeanette Westbay of Carthage. The design incorporates several of Carthage’s historical elements including the Route 66 Drive-In, a Civil War canon and the Jasper County Carthage Courthouse.

It’s all over but the shoutin’. That’s one a those phrases that ever’one was aware of when I was growin’ up.

In general I’d have ta say it means the decidin’ is done. Nothin’ more to be accomplished, just the rumble that follows a lightin’ strike in the distance. But where the different meanin’s might be is dependin’ on whether you happened to be sittin’ under the tree the lightin’ hit, or if ya just happened to see the streak from your back porch.

From a distance, ya might be shoutin’ ‘bout how beautiful nature is in it’s wildest form. From under the tree, the shoutin’ would be more likely heard as a curse of such dastardly power and the wrath it brings to man. ‘

Course that brings us to the consideration that any shoutin’ at all doesn’t change the result.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

• "The buttons on my children’s clothes always seemed to come loose. Several years ago, I started sewing them back on with dental floss. It really holds, and now all I have to worry about are all the stains." — Georgie M. of Pine Bluff, Ark.

• Did you know that you can cook canned vegetables in the oven? Remove the paper label, take off the lid and put the tin right in the oven along with your roast or other meat. Heat for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees F, or cover with tin foil to bake longer. This saves energy (if you are cooking the veggies alongside something else) and time (no pans to wash)!

• "It is very easy for me to get carried away when talking on the telephone long distance. So, I have started putting a kitchen timer next to me when I talk. I set it for the amount of time I plan to chat (usually about 20 minutes), and when it goes off, it is easy for me to say, ‘Well, my time is up,’ without feeling bad. Those long-distance minutes can really add up." — Constance M. in Santa Fe, N.M.

• "I have window boxes for my plants, and I love the look of them. But when I used to water my plants, the dirt would sometimes spray up and dirty the window. I put a layer of fish-tank gravel over the dirt, and it keeps the dirt from spraying up. As a bonus, I can change the color of the gravel to match the season or my flowers. I think it is a smart and fun idea." — Eudora P. in Jackson, Miss.

• Check your oil: Many people store oil on the countertop near the stove, where it is most used. But when exposed to light and heat, oils can break down and turn rancid. Check your oil and store larger quantities in a cool, dark place for maximum freshness.