"We’re still needing more folks to sign up for that," said Honey. "Applications are not coming in as soon as they should."

Honey also announced that January 29th is the 163rd birthday for Jasper County.

In other announcements, Jasper County Clerk Ron Mosbaugh reported that February 24th is the first day of filing for County Declaration of Candidacy. He also stated that August 3rd is the Primary and that this year it will be on a first come first serve for placement on the ballot. The last election used a lottery system where names where drawn for placement.

In other business, Jasper County Auditor Richard Wester reported that Jasper Counties sales tax is up approximately $30,000 from last year.

New Exhibits at artCentral and Shellie’s.

By Lee Sours, artCentral

The December exhibits by artists, the Reed family and Penny Wilkinson, are coming down and two new exhibits are being put up at artCentral’s Hyde House gallery on East Thirteenth. An opening reception will be held on Friday, January 23 from 6-8 pm.

In the Main Gallery we have the paintings of Joe Prater. This Joplin artist works primarily in transparent watercolor but does some acrylic, oil and sketching as well.

He is of English and Choctaw descent. He paints landscapes, western art, and wildlife. Nature is definitely a central theme.

He has exhibited his work at various shows in the four state area including the Midwest Gathering of Artists in Carthage.

In the Members’ Gallery located upstairs in the Hyde House we’ll have the oil paintings of Noel, MO artist Gary Younger. He began painting in 1996 but became more focused on his artwork in 1998 after a construction accident. Painting allows him to work in a wheelchair and he especially loves to paint landscapes.

The exhibit at Shellie’s restaurant near the post office will also be changing this weekend. Starting next week, the pastels and oils of Judy Maurer will be on display. Some great paintings of horses are featured in her work as well as nature in general.

HOURS: T – F 11 - 5

Sunday 12 -5 Closed Mon. and Sat.

1110 E 13th • 358-4404

ozarkartistscolony.com

Martin Luther King, Jr. Program at Carver National Monument.

The staff of George Washington Carver National Monument invites the public to a special music program in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 17, 2004 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Vocalist Charles Smith will present a collection of inspirational music from his new CD entitled "Always For You." His voice and style have been described as uplifting, entertaining, and crowd-pleasing. The audience will hear the stirring "Wounded Soldier" and the spiritual "Oh Happy Day" in addition to new songs and several all time favorites. The program will take place in the Visitor Center.

On Sunday, January 18, 2004 the staff invites the public to view the documentaries "Sweet Auburn" 15 minutes duration and "Martin Luther King, Jr." of the Black Americans of Achievement Video Series, 30 minutes duration. These videos can be shown upon request at the monument's Visitor Center.

Administered by the National Park Service, an agency of the Department of Interior, George Washington Carver National Monument preserves the birthplace and childhood home of George Washington Carver, scientist, educator, and humanitarian.

The monument is located two miles west of Diamond, Missouri, on Highway V, then ½ mile south on Carver Road. For more information, please call the park at (417) 325-4151 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

They say that bein’ the first name on the ballot is supposed ta give ya about a five percent advantage. I don’t know that there has ever been a way to exactly determine that, but a lot of candidates put a lota stock in bein’ high on the list.

If you remember John Putnam camped out on the Courthouse lawn a few years back so he would be first on the ballot. Although he didn’t win the election, he did get a lot of free publicity for the determination.

Bein’ on the Courthouse steps early on the first day of filin’ has always been a tradition and I’m sure there will be some there this year. Looks like there will be several candidates for a couple a three offices this year.

With the County lookin’ for extra revenue, maybe they should charge a campin’ fee like they do at the State parks.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Oak Street health & herbs

Natural Nutrition

By Mari An Willis

Don’t get it. The all natural herb ephedra has been banned from sale in aprox. 60 day, but not the chemical replication? How does that work and why?

Well, we are 2 weeks into our "new" year resolutions. Are you living up to your expectations of yourself? Research confirms that it takes 21 days to change patterns, so stick with it!!!

Vit. B6 or pyridoxine is required for antibody synthesis, nucleic acid synthesis, and protein production. A deficiency correlates with low levels of antibodies and impaired cellular immunity. Foods high in B6 include oatmeal, bananas, chicken, potatoes, sunflower seeds and brewers yeast.

Beta carotene is a precursor to Vit. A and othere carotenoids. It increases your bodies "natural killer cell" activity and immune cell numbers keeping your immune system active, in other words. High doses of beta corotene increase white blood cells and enhance immune response in a short period of time. Beta carotene is high in orange and green fruits and vegetables providing they are not overcooked and much higher if the food is raw.

YARROW is a plant with many properties. It is pretty to start with, but has been traditionally used to fight colds and flu. It is rather strong, but as my mentor says, "the cure is worth the bad taste or you can just suffer"(eliminate taste by taking capsules. Louise Tenney in Today’s Herbal Health also explains that yarrow aids in healing wounds and aids in coagulation when applied to a wound. It has anti-inflammatory properties as well. Yarrow, another tried and true in the Ozarks.