Today's Feature

Street Closures & Substation Discussed.

The Carthage City Council Public Safety Committee met Monday evening in a regular session.

The committee approved street closures for three upcoming events; Kids Fishing Day at Kellogg Lake on June 14, the Maple Leaf Bike Ride at Kellogg Lake on October 11, and Relay For Life in Central Park on June 6-7. The committee also discussed the closure of Kellogg Lake prior to Kids Fishing Day, noting that the closure date would need to be earlier than that previously approved by Council. Kellogg Lake board member Ed Grundy recommended closing the lake on the 9th to increase the chances of catching fish during Kids Fishing Day, which is scheduled for June 14. The committee agreed and the change, along with the street closure requests, will be presented to full Council at the next regular meeting.

The committee also discussed the Fire Department sub station with Fire Chief John Cooper. Funding for the estimated first payment on the structure has been included in the budget for Fiscal Year 2009, and Cooper primarily spoke to the committee concerning general plans for the layout and operation of the substation. Documentation provided by Cooper shows an overhead map of the .9 acres of City-owned property with a superimposed square denoting the edges of the tract.

The project is estimated to cost $230,000 for site work, the construction of the 50’ x 50’ metal building, interior work and paving inside and outside. The first payment has been estimated at $30,000, though Cooper said it might be lower if depending on interest rates.

Several other locations have been discussed for a substation throughout the years. Cooper said he discovered that this property was owned by the City accidentally when talking with the Public Works Department, and thought it would make a good location.

"This is acreage that you didn’t even know you owned," said Cooper.

The property is located in Myers Park and was previously used for airstrip runoff when the airport was located in Carthage. It allows direct access to the East and West, and Cooper said that the location would increase coverage and decrease response time to the fire district.

City Administrator Tom Short said that previously one entity had been interested in the location, but that the deal had fallen through.

The committee asked Cooper for an estimated cost of operation. Cooper said he did not have any figures yet, but that the electrical use would be low compared to the north Fire Station. Cooper added that the living quarters at the substation could be doubly insulated with an interior structure, which might decrease the cost for heating and air.

Cooper said that he would proceed by talking to the Public Works Department about specifications for the building and infrastructure for the area.

Mornin'
Lots a low cost or free activities comin’ up in the next few weeks. Best part is ya don’t have to drive far to enjoy ‘em.

The annual Relay for Life in the park will be held on the first week-end of June. Always some good entertainment and information for a good cause.

The second week-end of June has the Annual Rodeo, the Carthage Acoustic Music Festival, and the Kid’s Day out at Kellogg lake. All these activities always create a steady flow of people from within the City as well as attractin’ folks from the surroundin’ area.

I suppose the unique thread that ties all these productions together is that they are all not-for-profit. Lots of volunteer hours and funds are put in just for the fun of it.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Here's A Tip
By JoAnn Derson

•"If you use a hair dryer to dry your hair, put a little of your favorite perfume on the back of it, near the air intake, and your hair will take on the scent of the perfume." -- S.H. in Ohio

•Another use for Alka-Seltzer: Got insect bites? D.K. from South Carolina swears by dissolving two tables in a small glass of water and dabbing the solution on minor insect bites.

•"To preserve the life of your cupcake pans, make sure that you put water into any unused cups. I make cupcakes/muffins and I like them larger than the recipe calls for. As a result, I usually only fill two-thirds of the cups. My pans have lasted a long time because I take good care of them."

•Take 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a small glass of water after a meal for no heartburn and no more expensive heartburn medicine. -- F.F. in Colorado

•Here’s a tip from C.S.R. in Florida: Washing your produce takes a lot of water, which you can reuse. Catch it in a dishpan, and use it to water your outdoor plants!

•This is an awesome way to clean silver. Take an aluminum-foil pan -- the disposable kind -- and line it with a piece of aluminum foil; sprinkle in some salt -- I use sea salt, but any kind will do -- then add a dash of dish soap and fill the container with boiling water. Put your silver, including jewelry, into the mix and, voila, it cleans instantly. Of course, you’ll have to turn the larger pieces, so be careful not to burn yourself. -- L.N. in B.C., Canada