Full House at City Hall.

Approximately 100 people left standing room only in the City Council Chambers for last night’s regular meeting in City Hall.

Although the group seemed heavily weighted against the proposed airport property condemnation, a good portion of the spectators were there in opposition to the adoption of the new International Property Maintenance Code/2000.

Several land owners of the property targeted by the proposed condemnation ordinance spoke to the Council and echoed their unwillingness to sell at the offered price.

Most of those opposing the condemnation left the meeting before the bill was brought to the floor in first reading. Council member Lujene Clark, who previously had voted in favor of proceeding with condemnation, raised questions about the appraisal process and the offer made to one of the land owners. On a motion by member H.J. Johnson, the Council voted to make the appraisals open to the public. The average appraisal of the land was approximately $2,000 per acre, not surprising to most, the same amount rumored throughout the coffee shops for the last few weeks.

The vote on the ordinance for condemnation won’t take place until next Council meetin’. The questions raised by those opposing the buildin’ code prompted the Council to postpone the related ordinances for a month for more study.

Those interested in the tiger paw project, paintin’ permanent paws down Grand and Chestnut, made up a few of the crowd last night. That proposal failed by 2-8. The temporary white wash was heavily supported by all as an alternative show of community support for school activities. Efforts to raise the level of grass allowed back to 12 inches instead of the proposed new restriction of 8 inches failed 3-7. If ya don’t have background on these issues, I’ll try to fill ya in later, it’s gettin’ late.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing Services

PRIME TIME WITH KIDS

by Donna Erickson

Spending time with grandparents is not only fun for our children, but the intergenerational contact offers a sense of continuity and belonging beyond the immediate family. Think for a moment of times spent with your own grandparents and the happiness, wisdom and life skills you gained.

Learning to tie a fishing lure or to knead Swedish sweetbread laced with hand-crushed cardamom seed, writing a poem for the first time, playing Scrabble and memorizing obscure words no one else knows, these are the lessons and memories grandparents provide.

Whether grandparents live next door or miles away, here are some fun ideas to create traditions and build the grandchild-grandparent bond.

• Make a point of talking frequently about your child’s grandparents. Telling about an adventure when Mom was young and drove the car for the first time with Grandpa creates vivid images for children.

• Include grandparents on weekend trips or summer vacation plans when the schedule and accommodations are suitable. Relaxed days at the seashore or by a lake provide opportunities for a grandparent to spend time alone with each grandchild. It could be as simple as playing a board game, taking a walk to collect and classify colorful fall leaves or going into town to see a movie together.

• Send grandparents artwork, photos, copies of special school assignments, jokes and riddles in the mail. If your family and the grandparents have home offices with fax machines and computers, stay in touch using modern technology.