The Carthage Street Department spread approximately 90 tons of cinders on City streets between Thursday and Saturday last week. The action was a result of the wet snow that covered the community and quickly became packed. The Department called on approximately 90 hours of overtime from employees.

This was the first application of cinders for the year. City Street Commissioner Tom Shelley says that by the end of last January nearly 900 tons of cinder had been spread.

The City Fire and Police Departments were called for several minor fender benders but there were no serious injury accidents during the snowy period.

Police Chief John Cooper reports that a Carthage emergency crew of two was dispatched to assist in the removal of the driver of a tanker that overturned near Jasper, but otherwise it was a relatively quiet weekend.

The Carthage Warter and Electric Plant responded to a water main break on Centennial Thursday afternoon, but had no major power outages or water problems during the sudden drop in temperature.

I’m not near the football fanatic that some I’m acquainted with are, but I do typically follow the games leadin’ to the superbowl. ‘Course with St. Louis in the game it created a tad more interest than usual for those in this area. As it turns out, it was prob’ly one a the better Superbowls in recent history. A nail biter down to the last play.

I was a little disappointed in the commercials for the event. Typically they have been the reason a lotta folks tune in, this year they were pretty flat. A couple of ‘em (herdin’ cats?) just didn’t seem ta make a lotta sense. I sat through it a second time just ta find what I was missin.’ Nothin’.

I suppose for the football fans it was a pretty good event. The commercial watchers coulda done better watchin’ MTV.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage
Printing
Service

PRIME TIME WITH KIDS
by Donna Erickson

"THROWAWAY" PUZZLE

If you are looking for a project to capture the interest of both your preschool and school-age children, try this puzzle-making project. It’s easy, fun and the best part is that your kids are recycling cereal boxes, old calendars and magazines and turning them into a charming puzzle.

When it’s all made, the youngest in the family will like to handle and guess the figures on the chunky puzzle blocks, while your 8-year-old will no doubt be challenged to put the pieces together. Here’s how to make the puzzle.

Collect nine empty same-size single-portion cereal boxes or gelatin boxes and glue the open ends shut. (For a more challenging puzzle use 12 boxes.) Line up the boxes in even rows to make a square or rectangle. Measure the length and width.

Look through magazines for a favorite picture the same dimensions as your combined boxes. Measure and cut the picture in rectangles the size of each box. When we made our puzzle, we used a colorful picture of a lion from an old calendar. Even the calendar grid on the back side made it easy for my son to do the cutting.

For other ideas, use a painting or drawing your child creates, print his/her name in big letters across a sheet of paper, or photocopy and enlarge your child’s photograph! Glue the cut-out pieces from the picture or drawing on one side of each box. For a double-sided puzzle, turn the boxes over and glue on pieces of another picture.

To play with the puzzle, mix up all the boxes and try to put them together to make the completed picture. It’s not as easy as it first appears!