Today's Feature

Red Oak II Art Show.

Art mediums of all kinds will be displayed at Red Oak II, located just North of Old Route 66 (Now Hwy. 96) East of Carthage on Kafir Road, between County Roads 120 and 130 on Saturday, October 20, 2007. This is the seventh year of the fine art festival sponsored by Art in the HeARTland, Inc., and will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. There is no admission fee and visitors may purchase original art works, books and prints.

This is a wonderful opportunity to discover Red Oak II which is Lowell Davis’ recreation and restoration of an early 20th century Missouri town. The renowned artists, craftsmen and authors included in the festival are: Lowell Davis, Bob Tommey, Sean Shuster, April Davis, Joe Prater, Jeanette Westbay, Jerry Ellis, Anabelle Seeyle-Fuhr, Theresa Rankin, Doug Hall, Richard A Thompson, Linda Simpson, Sheryl Hubbs, Kevin Meyers, Kevin Guinn, Jack and Lee Ann Sours, Jason Vickers, Joe Leiter, Hector Garciano, Becky Golubski, Kim Graham, Lois Frickenschmidt, and more. Some of the artists will be performing demonstrations during the day.

The event is also supported by Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority from Missouri Southern State university and the residents of Red Oak II.

Music performances by Joe Leiter, Jack and Lee Ann Sours, with sound by Sharon Tatum and Randy Tucker will occur throughout the event. Carriage rides by the Giddyup Carriage Company will be available. Beverages will be offered by Jim’s Bar of Carthage.

The festival will offer a unique opportunity for a "somewhere in time experience" in the perfect October setting of Red Oak II and a bonfire will end the day. Along the way to or from the event travelers might also wish to visit the White Rose Bed and Breakfast Restaurant and Winery which is located nearby on County Road 13- and Journey Road.

For more information contact Carol Klinginsmith at 417-388-1519.

Maple Leaf Events

Monday, October 15

• ‘Laughter Is the Best Medicine’ featuring comedienne Marian Kelly will be hosted by McCune-Brooks Hospital at 7:00 p.m. in the Carthage High School Auditorium (714 South Main). The event costs $7 per person/$12 per couple. For reservations or for more information call 417-359-2452 or 417-359-5432

Tuesday, October 16

• Maple Leaf Mixer will be hosted by TC’s Liquor Locker & Smoke Shack from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. The event is free to the public and will be held in TC’s Liquor Locker & Smoke Shack (321 East Airport). For more information call 358-3455

Wednesday, October 17

• A Maple Leaf Gospel Sing will hosted by the Carthage Ministerial Alliance in the Carthage High School Auditorium (714 South Main) beginning at 7:00 p.m. A Love Offering will be collected. For more information call 417-358-8896

Thursday, October 18

• MaZoo’s Liquor Wine & Beverage Tasting will be hosted by MaZoo’s Liquor from 5:00 pm. -8:00 p.m. The event is FREE to the public and will be held in MaZoo’s Liquor (2506 South Grand Avenue). For more information call 417-237-0415

• The Three Minutes of Fame Lip-Sync Competition will be sponsored by Grundy’s Body & Frame Shop at 7:00 p.m. The event is FREE to the public and will be held in the Carthage High School Auditorium (714 South Main). Youth and Adult Divisions, $100 First Place/$50 Second Place in each division. Registration forms are available at: Grundy’s Body & Frame Shop (140 North Main) and The Carthage Chamber Office (402 South Garrison). For more information call 417-358-2373

Read the Mornin’ Mail for more upcoming Maple Leaf events throughout the week.

The 41st Annual Maple Leaf Parade, sponsored by Leggett & Platt, Inc. & Southwest Missouri Bank, will be held Saturday, October 20th at 9:00 a.m. starting on the Historic Carthage Square.

But it’s at least a sign that the summer worries are about over. You know, the lawn mower, dandelions, bugs, allergies, tomato plants, and all those projects you put off last fall and promised yourself you’d get done this summer.

Now you’ve got more important things to worry about. Just gettin’ through all the advertisements for rakes and weather strip and caulkin’ guns and heat tape and antifreeze should be enough to keep you busy well into November, when you can begin to worry about antifreeze, snow shovels, jumper cables, furnace filters, daylight savings, cold medicine... there’s always somethin’.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

This Is A Hammer
By Samantha Mazzotta

Tape, String or Putty Redux

Q: Your advice about using string, putty and tape in plumbing is a little off the mark. Those three products are quite different, and are not interchangeable at all.

You use tape (or pipe dope) to seal joints made between male threads and female threads, such as pipe (with male threads) threaded into a fitting (with female threads.)

You use string for packing. This goes around the stem of a faucet; it does NOT go on threads. It gets compressed as you tighten the packing nut, thereby making a seal against the stem itself.

Putty is primarily for sealing the rim of drains, and secondarily for setting fixtures such as faucets and toilets. It does NOT go on threads. -- Nick F., via e-mail

A: Thanks for the clarification, Nick!

Q: In your recent column, you wrote that fruit flies can be found in unclean drains. After much experience with the little-known fly-in-the-drain syndrome, I can tell you that fruit flies are NOT in your drain -- it’s the sewer fly or drain fly.

We had a problem when we first moved into our pre-Civil War house with no basement. There was a leak in the sewer pipe, which was leaking into the dirt crawl space. ... In the spring when there is more rain, sewer flies came into our downstairs bathroom in droves.

Our insect man knew exactly what they were; however, he took a sample and sent some flies to the Rutgers University insect department for positive identification. Once the pipe was fixed and bleach poured on the affected area, we didn’t have any more flies.

Here is a link to a Web site concerning drain/sewer flies: http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/drainflies.htm.

-- Nancy G., Princeton, N.J.

A: Many thanks, Nancy, especially for the informative link.

HOME TIP: A slip-on pencil eraser placed over the tip of a caulking gun will keep the tip from drying out and getting clogged between uses.