Recycling Hours of Operation.

The Public Works Committee agenda for this afternoon’s meeting at 5:15 in City Hall includes a discussion about the possibility of extending hours of operation for the City recycling facility.

The facility is currently open Wednesday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. till 4:30 p.m. Committee Chair Bill Fortune has reported to the Committee that he has had several requests for the hours to be extended to accommodate working individuals who can’t make it to the facility on Saturdays. The possibility of having the recycling facility open later on at least one day a week has been proposed.

Also to be considered by the Committee is a request by Leggett and Platt to rename Locust Street to Leggett Way. The two block long street runs by the former Flex-O-Lators plant. The company is moving other operations to the location and says since it will be changing its address on some printed material, this would be an opportune time to change the street name if possible.

The Public Works Committee meets each 1st and 3rd Tuesday and works with the Engineering and Street Departments.

Tree Seedling Distribution.

The Jasper County Outreach and Extension Center now has Missouri Department of Conservation order forms for seedling trees and shrubs. The George O. White State Forest Nursery near Licking, MO, offers Missouri residents a variety of seedlings for wildlife habitat, food and cover; reforestation; windbreaks and erosion control. This application lists the species that are available and the price. It also outlines the ordering procedure.

In addition to individual species choices, several bundles of mixed species, designed for special purpose plantings, may be purchased.

Theses include a wildlife cover bundle; a conservation bundle; two naturescaping bundles; and a forest legacy bundle in celebration of 100 years of forestry with trees that have the potential to live 100 years or more.

It is important to place orders as soon as possible because reservations for trees are made on a "first-come, first-serve" basis. The time you place your order-not the delivery date-determines your priority for reserving trees. A few species may not be available this year. So, to be sure of getting the species desired, order now. Trees will be delivered by purchaser’s choice of one or two methods:

1) Shipment by commercial carrier.

2) Purchaser may pick up trees at the George O. White Nursery near Licking, MO.

Persons planning to make large plantings may wish to request free advice from the Missouri Department of Conservation Forester or Wildlife Services Biologist for their area. These individuals may be contacted through the Missouri Department of Conservation District Office, Neosho or by writing directly to State Forester, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102.

University of Missouri Guide Sheets: G5008 "How to Plant Forest Trees", G5006 "Before You Order Your Tree Seedlings", G5900 "Planting Tree Windbreaks in Missouri" and G5009 "Mechanical Tree Planting" are among those available at the University Outreach and Extension Center in each county.

For additional information, please contact the Jasper County Outreach and Extension Center located in the Courthouse Basement, Carthage MO or call 417-358-2158.

Commentary

Martin "Bubs" Hohulin

State Representative, District 126

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday. We really do have a lot to be thankful for, not the least of which is the country that we live in. As I have said in many of my speeches, we don’t have a perfect system of government, but we have the best in the world.

We are now only 4 weeks away from the start of the 2000 session. That in itself sounds kind of odd to say. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me be a part of the first Legislative Session of the new millenium. Oh, I know there is an ongoing argument as to which year is actually the first one, but this is the first one that will have a 2 in front of it.

As I have talked with folks around the district, everyone wants to know what will be the big issues this year. With the elections coming up in Nov. of 2000, it looks to be a pretty quiet Session. The Governor is concentrating on running for the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives is running for Secretary of State, the chairwoman of the Rules Committee is running for Lt. Governor, and the list goes on. All in all, it is shaping up to be a pretty quiet Session as everyone is eyeing their next election. Of course, as soon as I say that, all sorts of excitement will break loose.

I have been looking over the list of legislation that has been filed, and most of it looks pretty tame this year. In the coming weeks I will be previewing some of it and the chances it may or may not have of passage.

As far as what I will be pushing, most of what I will do will be through the amendment process. As I have mentioned before, members of the minority party are rarely allowed to advance legislation other than through amendments to other bills. Most of what I will be doing isn’t exactly earthshaking, but is important to those it will affect. Some items that have been brought to my attention is the lack of enforcement on truancy, the inequities our truckers have in relation to surrounding states and the need for more choices in local phone service, specifically, the lack of adequate service in the Alltel and GTE service areas.

A bigger issue that comes up every year is health care coverage. The main thing that needs to be addressed in this area is reform in our court system. Much of our health care dollars are going to pay for legal fees and jury awards in malpractice suits, not medicine and medical procedures.

Unfortunately, everytime we try to address this, we are defeated by most of the lawyer’s groups. I emphasize most, because there are some great attorneys and attorney groups that recognize the problem and are trying to help, but we are still on the short end of this issue. We will however, keep trying.

As usual, I can be reached at House Post Office, State Capitol, Jefferson City, MO 65101, or 1-800-878-7126, or mhohulin@services.state.mo.us for your questions, comments, or advice.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

Saw a couple a trees down due to the thunderstorm over the weekend. I’m not aware of any major damage, but I’d bet a few basements were dusted off durin’ the threat.

I happened to be in Oklahoma a couple a weeks ago when they had some tornado warnin’s out. I said somethin’ about it lookin’ like the rain had stopped to the waitress at the truck stop.

She didn’t think it was over, she said, then added:

"If ya don’t like the weather, wait five minutes, it’ll change."

I guess I musta looked like some outa this region tourist. She acted like I had never heard that old sayin’ before. I suppose ever’one wants ta think their local lore is unique. I always thought my dad made that sayin’ up.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

McCune Brooks Hospital

Health Notes

STAYING QUIT FOR THE HOLIDAYS: The stretch between Christmas and New Year’s Day can be the most difficult period for you if you’re an ex smoker. This is especially true if you quit the habit relatively recently.

There are all the holiday pressures that used to give you an excuse to take a so-called relaxing puff. There are parties and get togethers where someone is bound to light up and send temptation coiling around your nose. But you don’t have to give in. The American Cancer Society has several tips that can help you stay quit.

First, take things one day at a time. Each morning, wake up with a positive attitude and promise you won’t smoke that day.

Second, picture success. Think about stressful situations you might have and imagine dealing with them without lighting up.

Third, take a breather. Relaxation exercises help relieve urges to smoke. Take a deep breath, hold it a second, then release it very slowly. (Remember, urges to smoke are temporary.)

Work out. Exercise, such as swimming, running, and racket sports help relieve tension and your urge to smoke. (P.S. Exercising before eating a typical holiday meal will help you metabolize those calories more efficiently.)