Today's Feature

Bluebird License Plate Selected.

News release

After public meetings and 258,084 votes cast via the Internet, a majority selected a license plate featuring the state bird and state flower as Missouri’s new standard plate. Fifty-six percent (145,121) of the votes cast gave a thumbs-up to a plate showing a bluebird sitting on a hawthorn branch, with "Show Me State" printed down the right side. The new plate will assist law enforcement statewide by reducing tab theft and improving plate visibility. Internet voting opened February 9, and closed at midnight March 5.

The other two plate selections received significantly fewer votes. The plate showing reflecting text of "Missouri" with a sun replacing the "o" received 22.8 percent (58,949), while another option showing a ribbon through the "Missouri" text received 54,014 votes (20.9 percent).

"This was truly a fun experience," said Missouri Department of Revenue Director Trish Vincent. "It was wonderful to be a part of the advisory committee that designed the plates, and for the first time, through technology, to let Missourians have the final say through an Internet vote."

In 2004, state legislators passed into law a required plate redesign. Senate Bill 1233 authorized the License Plate Advisory Committee to develop designs for a new standard Missouri license plate. The committee is made up of the superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the director of Revenue, the House and Senate Transportation Committee chairpersons, and the commissioner of Missouri Vocational Enterprises, which by law must produce Missouri’s license plates. The approval designs meet the needs of the Highway Patrol and allow for some features that will dramatically increase law enforcement’s ability to recognize expired plates.

Health Department Receives Grant.

News release

The March of Dimes Ozark Chapter Grant has awarded a grant for $6,815.00 to Jasper County Health Department to support their high risk prenatal case management program that is aimed at underserved maternal and child health needs here in Jasper County. This program will provide prenatal vitamin supplements to women of childbearing age that present for a pregnancy test and will also provide education on smoking cessation to pregnant women. Folic Acid has been shown to reduce the incidence of neural tube birth defects by 70% in infants that may have otherwise been born with diseases such as Spina Bifida. Smoking is known to contribute to premature births, low birth-weight infants, and is thought to increase the incidence of SID’s (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

This grant is one of many that the March of Dimes awards in pursuit of its mission to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

"We will use the March of Dimes grant as seed money to meet our objective of providing pregnant women and women of childbearing age with folic acid supplements," said Sheila Smith Pemberton, RN, Prenatal Case Manager for the Jasper County Health Department. "We are grateful to those volunteers who support the March of Dimes by participating in events like WalkAmerica and who donate in other ways. That participation and those donations make this grant possible," she said.

Jasper County Health Department is a non-profit agency that provides many services to the community, including prenatal case management to high-risk pregnant women who reside within the county.

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Website at nacersano.org. March of Dimes Missouri Chapter is headquartered in St. Louis, with division offices in Cape Girardeau, Jefferson city, Springfield, and St. Joseph. Its website is marchofdimes.com/Missouri. For further information contact Tony Moehr administrator at the Jasper County Health Department, 417-358-3111.

‘Course no matter what stage of a particular project you’re in, I suppose your always in the state of "finishin’ up."

I saw on onea those fix-it up shows where a kitchen remodel took five months. I don’t care who ya are, that’s a long time to be cookin’ food in a microwave with sawdust in it.

Had another friend who was about a year and a few months into buildin’ a new house. Not bein’ the handy type, he had contracted all the work. He ran into another friend who had been workin’ weekends and evenin’s with his dad to build a home. They got it done in a little over six months. Suppose they were just faster in finishin’ up.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Natural Nutrition
By Mari An Willis

What about yarrow? This atringent herb has shown up as a decorative plant in many flower gardens lately. You can now see it in paprika, yellow, red, and the natural white. It has been used to stop bleeding since the Trojan war when Achilles used it on his soldiers. that is where the generic name Achillea is derived. In Culpeper’s journals it is noted for use in swelling and wounds. It appeared in the US Pharmacopeia during the 19th century. In the 1950’s an alkaloid was found to promote blood clotting and stimulate new cell growth: thus, it promotes healing of cuts, wounds and burns by protecting against infection.

My favourite use of yarrow is in the winter for colds, flu and fevers. In an infusion (tea), it certainly displays its’ bitter properties, but that is why it works so well. The fever tea is combined with a little honey and cayenne pepper. I have had people tell me drinking it when you see the first chicken pox pop out or measles will decrease the length and severity of the skin eruptions. Although bitter, chewing the leaves may help a toothache. Forget where I read it, but I also read that you can use it as a hair rinse to stop hair loss.

artCentral
Art Notes from Hyde House
By Sally Armstrong, Director of artCentral

Here we go again! A new show with more wonderful paintings by TWO fabulous artists opens at artCentral and Hyde House this Friday the 9th!

As promised, in the Main Gallery is the show entitled "A COLOR EXPLOSION!: My Adventures With Pastels" by Sarcoxie artist Mary Lou Reed, a group of very well priced pastel paintings that are definitely NOT "pastel". Mary Lou’s florals, landscapes and people are all very vividly depicted in texture and strong color--- definitely not what some might think of "sweet, old-fashioned pastel drawings". All crisply matted in white and framed mainly in mat-black frames, these works are ready to be appreciated. Mary Lou told me when we last talked that she began studying art seriously in 1951 at Maryhurst College in Oswego, Oregon, just outside of Portland. He teacher for painting was Sister Miriam Clare. Later, in 1974, she returned to the study of art after marrying and having her children. It was at the Maude Kerns Art Center in Eugene, Oregon that her instructor in traditional painting, Anne McCosh, noticed her particular technique and asked under whom had she studied? Mary Lou answered and Anne noted that the nun had been one of her own father’s students at the University of Oregon many years before!

We still have room in Mary Lou’s Pastel Workshop on Saturday and hopefully Sunday to continue as the class decides, so call me at 417 358 4404 and sign up for what looks to be a very fun class on Saturday.

My surprise is the incredible show that we are pleased to have been offered in the "eleventh hour" by Joplin painter Frank Young, in the Member Gallery. Frank attended one of our shows late last year and introduced himself as a new resident of Joplin, and a "plein-air" painter. This simply means an artist who prefers to paint on site in the outdoors in order to take advantage of the true light and conditions at the time of the execution of the work. Later, at a second show, Frank again re-introduced himself and asked about artCentral and the possibility of showing his work here. Early last week I viewed for the first time the magnificent oil paintings he has done since moving to Joplin, and you will be treated to a sampling of 12 of the smaller works and 2 larger pieces if you come to this show. This show is entitled "SMALL TOWN" and the subject of each of these paintings, oil on masonite board, is just that--- scenes from a small town. This includes streets and houses, downtowns and rural settings, all beautifully depicted in beautiful light and shade. I hope to feature Frank later next year in a larger show in the Main Gallery, but could not pass up the opportunity to introduce Carthage and the area to this fine painter and his work. More on Frank and his background next week. I hope to see many of you in the gallery at the Opening on Friday or in the days following to view what I think is one of our best offerings yet!