Missouri Scout Program.

The Carthage Convention and Visitors Bureau is hosting the "Missouri Scout Program," January 29th from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Carthage Memorial Hall.

According to CVB Executive Director Teresa Gilliam the program is designed to educate and assist communities in promoting the area to film and video producers.

The Missouri Film Commission began the "Missouri Movie Scout" program in October 2000. Since then the commission staff has conducted workshops in 33 communities in Missouri. The staff has trained hundreds of volunteers to scout for potential movie locations.

The program provides communities in Southwest Missouri with free training on how to scout and photograph potential film locations for the film industry. The program details the economic impact a production could have on a community and the positive effects on tourism and repeat business once the location has made it to the big screen.

For more information on becoming a scout for the community, plan the attend by calling 866-357-8687 or contact Teresa Gilliam at 359-8181.

By the time I finally dug out the sled from the barn, the snow had melted.

As a kid, sleddin’ was a worthwhile endeavor. My earliest recollection of sleddin’ was on a hill beside our house. One of the advantages of livin’ in a small, small community was they didn’t have any snow removal equipment. When the snow came, ya just didn’t drive up the hill by our house. A few tried, but that just left a good packed base for long slides down from the railroad track at the top of the hill.

My older brother set the record by slidin’ all the way to main street without stoppin’. A good three or four blocks. I doubt that our mother ever heard of that slide as we were instructed to stay on the hill itself. But for a couple a days, he was the king of the neighborhood.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

• "I always carry a few spare electrical-outlet shields in my diaper bag. They have really come in handy a couple of times when out visiting. You’d be surprised where you might come across an outlet that baby can reach." — Tilde R. via e-mail

• Make sure that when doing the wash, you launder matched outfit sets together, regardless of whether you dirtied both pieces or not. For example, if you have worn the pants to a tracksuit but did not wear the jacket, you should put them both through the wash. That way they will fade evenly. If you don’t, you may find they no longer match.

• "One of my favorite (and most popular) items for our annual Super Bowl party is individual nachos. I pre-chop all the possible ingredients for nachos, throw chips in a big bowl and set out the toaster oven. I buy those aluminum toaster pans, and guests pile on the toppings. Then, they stick their pan in the toaster oven for 5 minutes at 400 degrees F. It makes a wonderful, personalized plate of nachos. I just put a little sign about the time and temperature and stick it on a kitchen timer, which sits on top of the toaster oven. These are a big hit every year." — A Cheese-Head in Wisconsin

• According to the AAA, its offices are busiest for maps on Mondays and TripTiks on Thursday and Friday. To avoid the rush, take care of your travel needs on Tuesday or Wednesday.

• The best time to shop for your 4th of July and Christmas tableware is after Valentine’s Day. Red is abundant and very well-priced.

• Don’t forget to clean your washing machine every so often by running it on the highest-temperature cycle empty after adding a gallon of vinegar. This will clean out the hoses and get rid of stuck-on detergents.