Budget Considerations.

The City Council Budget/Ways and Means Committee faces a full agenda for tonight’s regular monthly meeting in City Hall. This will be the first meeting under the leadership of newly appointed Chair Art Dunaway.

Included on the agenda is discussion and consideration of a request from Main Street Carthage for a budget reallocation.

The Committee will also discuss the financing of the new Fire Department pumper. The budget allocated $200,000 for the purchase of two trucks, but bids for the vehicles came in at nearly double the estimated amount. A council bill that would authorize the purchase of one pumper/tanker is on the City Council agenda for Tuesday’s regular meeting.

The discussion of possible use of Lodging Tax Funds to pay for new city limits signs comes to the committee from the Public Works Committee.

Also on the agenda is the consideration and discussion concerning a possible budget amendment for Capital Improvements for airport relocation. City Hall was closed Friday so no details were available.

If ya haven’t located your ice scraper yet, I suppose there is no hope.

I spent a quick minute or two lookin’ for a pair a gloves the other mornin’. I know where my long johns are, but haven’t bowed to the temptation as of yet.

I’m hopin’ to get a little of that 60 degree weather back for a week or two ‘fore winter really sets in. I’m not quite finished with the pre-winter chores I assigned myself last spring. Just a couple more decent days and I’ll be satisfied.

The folks at CW&EP are prob’ly feelin’ pretty good ‘bout havin’ the bulk of the Christmas decorations up ‘fore the weather turned. Climbin’ up those poles in wet forty degree weather can’t be much fun. They were makin’ hay while the sun was shinin.’

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Workman's Loan

The Super Handyman

by Al Carrell and Kelly Carrell

Q: How can we strengthen a cracked rafter? There is no sag yet, but I’d like to be sure a problem doesn’t occur. - L. W.

A: We’d use "sister rafters" to give the cracked piece a new lease on life. Cut a pair of boards to be the same width and thickness as the rafter. They should be long enough to extend beyond the cracked area by at least a foot. Sandwich the damaged rafter between the two boards. Be sure to use nails long enough to go through the rafter and the first sister. Clinch the nails before installing the other board.

Dear Al: I recently discovered that if you hold a flashlight up close to a dark wall made of plasterboard, you can see the small bumps where the nails or screws are located along the studs. I’ve tried to locate studs for different repairs around the house with a variety of methods; this one works best. It won’t work on all walls, but it sure does work on most of mine. Knowing where those studs are really makes hanging shelves and other things a lot easier. - D. W.

Super Hint - To keep paint can spray nozzles from clogging, fill a small container with solvent. Drop the nozzles into the solvent for a few minutes. The nozzles will be ready when you need them. If you keep a few extra nozzles, you’ll have one ready if yours should clog while you are using it.