Today's Feature

Literacy Center Classes.

The Family Literacy Center, 706 Orchard will open classes on September 2 to the Carthage community. Classes for English as a Second Language will be on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. and Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This will be for beginning students who speak no English at all, to levels for the more advanced.

Wednesday mornings English classes will be at 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. for a level 4, this is for people who want to learn more English and would like to go further for a high school graduate diploma (GED).

Wednesday afternoons will be free from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. for children and adults who need help in reading to improve their skills. Also Spanish classes will be offered to children and adults who want to learn to speak the language. Those who are interested in this type of class are encouraged to call 358-5926.

Friday mornings will be computer classes and Citizenship classes for all. Time will be 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. They will begin with keyboarding on to advance with letter writing and excel. Each class will last 4 weeks.

Mornin'

Hopefully the last of the pig tales.

Sounder, that’s what ya call a bunch a pigs. (A herd is also acceptable I guess, but I still think pigs deserve their own particular collective term.)

Some other unusual collective terms were also submitted by a Mail fan. There is a leap of leopards, of course a pride of lions, and a parliament of owls. Polecats gather into a chine and several rabbits become a drove.

Turkey’s aren’t considered a flock, but a rafter, while wolves a pack Eagles don’t flock either, they group in a lofty soundin’ convocation. Then there is the gaggle of geese, a skulk of foxes, and a troop of kangaroos (also sometimes called a mob of kangaroos). By the way, a yoke of oxen is exactly two, so two yoke would be four.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

Gash Mars Kitchen Floor.

Q: We just closed on a house that the previous owner had to sell in a hurry to avoid foreclosure. One thing that came as-is is the kitchen floor; there’s a large gash cut in the vinyl through the center of the kitchen, and the plywood underneath is showing. Should I just glue this down for now? Is it OK to have plywood beneath the vinyl? Thanks -- Hannah L., Tampa, Fla.

A: The plywood you see is part of the underlayment, which is the intermediary between the floor joists and the flooring surface on which you walk (in this case, the vinyl). When building a modern house, sheets of plywood make up the base of the floors. These are usually (but not always) topped with a thin layer of padding, followed by carpet, tile or vinyl sheeting.

Underlayment is quite sturdy and, as long as it is not damaged or wet, can last many years.

A thin cut in vinyl sheeting, as long as the edges still meet, can be quickly reglued so that the cut is not noticeable. If the gash in the vinyl sheeting is jagged or the edges are curling back from the cut, you’ll probably have to patch or replace the sheet.

As you’ve just moved in, now might be a good time to consider replacing the vinyl sheet. You can roll out new sheeting or spring for a different floor covering such as vinyl or ceramic tile. It’s also a prime opportunity to inspect the underlayment and make sure it is dry, firm and undamaged.

HOME TIP: A small gouge or tear in vinyl flooring can be patched quickly with a bit of clear shellac or varnish. To match the floor’s color, mix shavings of matching vinyl from a scrap piece into the varnish and dab the paste on.