Today's Feature

"The Nerd" at Stone’s Throw.

News release

Stone’s Throw Dinner Theatre of Carthage, MO will be performing "THE NERD" Written by Larry Shue, and produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc. Financial assistance for this production has been provided by Missouri Arts Council, and Schmidt & Associates, PC of Carthage.

Performances will be June 23, 24, 25, 26 and July 1 and 2. Reservations are required and may be made by calling Stone’s Throw Theatre at 417-358-9665. The box office will be open beginning June 13 from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. Reservations may also be obtained by calling Betty Bell at 1417-358-7268 or by e-mailing bbell23@ipa.net.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday the Theatre doors open at 6:00 p.m. with dinner being served at 6:30 p.m. and the performance starting at 7:30 p.m. Sundays the doors open at 12:30 p.m. with dinner at 1:00 p.m. and the performance starting at 2:00 p.m. Admission is $19.50 for adults, $18.50 for seniors over 55 and groups of 10 or more. Youth under 16 are $16.00 and children under 5 are free.

I’ve noticed tents goin’ up gettin’ ready for the sales. ‘Bout time to light ‘em if ya got ‘em, outside City limits.

I always get a little confused in today’s fireworks stands. As a kid we had the small, medium, and large firecrackers and the snake, roman candles, sparklers, and cone fountains. The choice was easy and clear, the biggest firecracker on the shelf.

Then came the bottle rocket and now there are seemingly millions of different types and varieties of fireworks. Again ya have to talk to a kid to find out what they do.

‘Course the same advice of “lay firecracker on the ground, light, and run away” is useless. They might as well put firecrackers in child proof packages for all the good it does. Only kids can open ‘em anyway.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Wood-Floor Care

Q: We recently moved into a home that has a beautiful new wood floor in the living room/kitchen area. Do you have any advice on keeping it that way? -- John T., Woburn, Mass.

A: The first thing to do is to find out how the floors are finished. Most new hardwood floors are treated with a surface finish (like polyurethane) rather than a wax finish. This is pretty easy to find out. Just smudge the surface (in a hidden area) with your finger. If you can’t see the smudge, it’s a surface finish. If you can see it plainly, that’s a wax finish. It’s important to know the difference.

Surface-finish wood floors should never be waxed, for any reason. If the finish looks dull, buff the floor with a clean cloth to restore its luster; if this doesn’t work, the floor should be recoated with the same type of finish.

Wax-finish floors need a bit more care, and high-traffic areas may need a thin coat of wax applied twice a year or more. The finish in lower-traffic areas can be buffed with a soft cloth a few times before recoating is necessary. Use a wax made specifically for wood floors, and use only a thin coat.