Today's Feature

Christmas Parade.

The 36th Annual Carthage Christmas Parade, hosted by the Carthage Technical Center’s SkillsUSA Chapter will be held this evening, Monday, December 1 at 7:00 p.m. The theme for this year’s parade is "Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree."

The parade will follow its identical route of years past. The route will originate at the corner of Chestnut and Main (in front of the First Christian Church), proceed north on Main, circle the Historic Carthage Square, and then direct south on Grant street to end at Chestnut and Grant.

Trophies will be awarded to first place winners in each category immediately following the parade on the steps of First Christian Church. Bands will be divided into sub-groups based upon their size/numbers and trophies will be awarded accordingly. Trophies will also be awarded for Mayor’s Choice, Director’s Choice, Best Interpretation of Theme, and Best Use of Lights.

SkillsUSA is a youth organization, made up of high school students who are enrolled in classes at the Carthage Technical Center. These classes cover a wide range of interests such as Electronics, Health Services, Computer Maintenance, Carpentry, Drafting, Auto Mechanics, and Precision Machining. The 2007-2008 year was very successful for the Carthage Chapter. The organization is 100 members strong and participated in several activities throughout the year. Last year the Carthage SkillsUSA took the largest group ever to participate in state competitions with nine individuals qualifying for nationals. The main community service project of the Carthage SkillsUSA chapter is the Carthage Christmas Parade. SkillsUSA has been part of the Carthage Christmas Parade since its beginning. The SkillsUSA creed is "We believe in the dignity of work and the American way of life."

Mornin'
Well, it’s officially Christmas season. I know there is a lot of concern ‘bout Christmas bein’ too commercialized. And it prob’ly is, but I don’t let that bother me too much. It’s always the customer that ultimately dictates what sells and what doesn’t. The main thing is for each individual to make the holiday represent what they feel is its true meanin’.

Sure, Christmas is a major religious holiday. But religion as I understand it goes way beyond the confines of he church walls. It is a spirit of giving and forgiving. That is the spirit of Christmas. So, if we seem to stretch the season a little, it only means we are tryin’ to keep that spirit alive a little longer.

‘Course, with credit cards, most of us keep it alive all year long.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Open Door Policy

Q: I read somewhere that when getting a home ready for sale, a person should balance any doors that won’t stay open. How does one balance the doors? When I contacted a handyman and asked if he would give me a price to balance three doors, he didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. Please help. -- Edna and Jim, via e-mail

A: "Balance" probably means shimming up the doors so that they hang straight on their hinges, allowing them to open and close freely. But that doesn’t guarantee that the door won’t swing shut on its own. Houses sometimes settle onto their foundations at a very slight angle, just enough that doors opposite that angle will slowly swing shut on their own.

A balanced door is a nice touch, but personally, as a home buyer, a door that swings shut by itself is not one of the "big things" I would look for. I would be more interested in how well-cared for the interior and exterior look, and if the house is right for my needs, because I can fix a poorly hung door anytime.

If you must have balanced doors, though, you can adjust their angle by a few degrees using shims. A shim is just a thin piece of wood or cardboard inserted behind one or both hinge plates in the doorframe. The difference in thickness repositions the hinge angle just slightly to either lift or lower one corner of the door.

To match the angle of the door to the angle of the house, use a level (a straight measuring tool with bubble indicators, ideally). Mark the bubble’s balance point on both the wall next to the doorframe, and on the hinge end of the door itself.

Using a helper, unscrew the hinge plates from the frame and insert a shim (same size as the hinge) in either the top or bottom inset, depending on whether the door’s angle needs to go up or down. Screw the plates back on and check the level again.

Balancing a door to match the angle of the house this way will take several attempts, which is why I’m not sure it’s worth the time spent. But if it’s worth it to you, that’s what is important.

HOME TIP: To remove paint or grime from door hinges or window handles, remove the parts and place in an old saucepan filled with four tablespoons of baking soda to one quart water. Heat until the water reaches a simmer, then turn off and let the hardware soak for 20 minutes. Remove and scrub with a soft brush.