July 06, 2008 09:41 pm
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Gas prices cramping your usual summer activities? Don’t fret, because there is plenty to do in and around Carthage this week.
The Ruby Jack Trail, which begins across from Municipal Park and ends at the state line, is completely graded from the Carthage trail head to County Road 200.
The graded section is fine for walking and biking but the remainder is still rough and provides an experience more akin to mountain hiking or biking. A grant request is in progress to help restore the old electric trolley depot at Oronogo — possibly the only streetcar depot still in existence in the area — and open it as a museum, community center and meeting place for those traveling the Ruby Jack Trail.
Volunteers are welcome to help prepare the rest of the trail for grading, as well as to repair damage inflicted by dirt bikes and ATVs. Motorized vehicles are not allowed on the trail. A workday for volunteers is set for Saturday, Aug. 19.
With trails and travel in mind, it’s worth noting that the Route 66 Association of Missouri meets in Carthage on Saturday at the White Rose Winery, Restaurant, Bed & Breakfast, 13001 Journey Road. It may be too late to make reservations for the noon luncheon, but the general meeting will begin after lunch, and new members are welcome.
Also, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, George Washington Carver National Monument near Diamond honors the agricultural giant with the 65th anniversary of Carver Day. Exhibits, guided tours and junior ranger activities are featured along with Kansas City storyteller Tracy Milsap. Musical entertainment includes the Unity Baptist Church Choir, from Joplin, at 10 a.m.; Washington Avenue Baptist Church Choir, from Springfield, at 11 a.m.; and the Joyful Noise Community Choir, from Kansas City, at noon.
Dr. Maurice Tate, professor of African-American Studies at Missouri State University and senior pastor of Washington Avenue Baptist Church, will give the commemorative address at 1 p.m., followed by a panel discussion on the role of faith in Carver’s life. African marimba music closes the celebration. And it’s all free.
“The Magician’s Nephew,” adapted from the Narnia story by C. S. Lewis, is a play especially endearing to children. With funding from the Missouri Arts Council and Schmidt and Associates, Stone’s Throw Dinner Theatre will offer the production July Thursday through Saturday and July 18-20. This Thursday, a kid-friendly meal will be served, and ticket prices have been lowered to $10 for adults and children, with free admission to children under 5. A setting of mythical kingdoms is the background for adventuresome children who learn they must take responsibility for their own actions. Reservations: (417) 358-7268.
Meanwhile, don’t forget all the entertainment and enlightenment that can be found at the Jasper County Youth Fair all week. The sights, sounds and smells of a county fair can create lifetime memories for the entire family.
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