Literacy Awareness Week.

The Family Literacy Council has scheduled a number of activities for this week in recognition of Literacy Awareness Week 2000. The week begins with a volunteer appreciation luncheon today.

Other activities include the 5th Annual Community Spelling BEE on Tuesday at 5:15 in the Carthage High School Auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public.

The sixteenth Annual Meeting of the Family Literacy Council will begin at noon on Wednesday and is open to the public.

The bylaws define the Family Literacy Council general membership as "open to all persons willing to further its purpose and be persons representative of diverse elements of the community. All active tutors, students, and volunteers shall automatically be members."

The meeting agenda includes a recap of activities through 1999, a review of the 1999 and 2000 proposed budget, information on staff changes and an opportunity to vote on proposed changes to the bylaws.

There will also be a free book distribution and Literacy Awareness Dinner Thursday. For ticket information call 358-5926.

For most of us it’s hard to imagine not bein’ able to read a newspaper or our favorite magazine.

The Family Literacy Council has been organized here in Carthage for over a decade and has continually worked to help those who somehow fell between the cracks in the readin’ department. In the last few years they have takin’ on the task of helpin’ folks who learn English as a second language. Not only helpin’ with readin’, but with instruction on basic math skills and day to day tasks of keepin’ a checkbook balanced.

For most of the year they work along without much hype or attention. This week the community has an opportunity to take a look at the efforts and accomplishments of the organization where all volunteers are greatly appreciated.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Workman's Loan

Dear Al & Kelly:

I have been doing some minor renovation work to my bathroom. One of the things I had to replace was the exhaust fan. It still worked, but it was rather loud and didn’t look too good anymore.

I didn’t throw it away, though. I installed it in my shop. It is very handy when I am sanding or painting and need the extra ventilation. It also has a light on it, which always helps in my shop. It’s great, and the new, improved bathroom looks super, too.

Q: I have some rust spots inside my dryer on the sides of the drum. Is there any type of a paint or sealer that I can use to cover these spots that will be able to take the heat and won’t come off my clothes?

A: The first thing you must do is remove the rust from the surface. We would recommend using a chemical rust remover rather than an abrasive, which could scratch the surface even more. Then just touch up the bare spots with an epoxy paint. Check it from time to time to be sure the paint is holding up.

Dear Al: When I have a large painting project, I like to use my power paint sprayer. It saves me a lot of time and does a very nice job.

My only complaint is that I seem to have a problem with paint dripping down onto my arm as I hold the sprayer. I fixed this by tying a bandanna to the neck of the sprayer just under the nozzle. The bandanna can also be washed out or replaced when it gets too messy.