Recreation Contract Review.

The City Council Public Service Committee is scheduled to consider and discuss several annual contracts for the use of park facilities during the regular meeting this evening in City Hall at 7 p.m.

Contracts include the Girls Softball, Carthage Little League, Carthage Swim Team and the adult softball program agreements.

The City typically has contracted with these organizations to provide recreation activities with agreements that specify responsibilities for the organization and the level of maintenance provided by the City.

The Committee is also scheduled to discuss an update on the proposed new park maintenance building. Initial bids for the building were rejected by the committee because they exceeded engineer’s estimates. The Engineering Department was asked to modify building specifications in an attempt to lower the cost.

The agenda includes consideration of a collage membership for the Carthage Golf Course.

The Committee meets every first Monday of the month and oversees the Park Department and municipal buildings.

This is my annual fair warning to those who may not realize that the month is February. I do this to save a full year of agony I saw a friend go through a few years back. I think he (it really wasn’t me) has learned his lesson, but others may fall prey to the temptation to procrastinate.

Valentine’s Day (February 14) comes in the middle of the week this year so there is no room for error. A card the day after only adds to the sting.

Put your strategic plan into motion so as to complete whatever goals you set by the end of this week. You do have the weekend as a cushion, but use such contingencies with caution. Be careful out there.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Workman's Loan

The Super Handyman

by Al Carrell & Kelly Carrell

We finally switched to large plastic boxes for storage instead of plain cardboard boxes. The plastic protects our things better and moisture won’t be a problem anymore.

There is one drawback: the cost. They last forever, but the initial cost was too much for us to do too much at one time.

A really good plastic container that isn’t so expensive is a plastic garbage can. They have snap-shut lids and cost about half of what the boxes cost, plus you can fit a lot more stuff in one.

We use the garbage cans for winter or summer clothes, since we usually pack and unpack them all at once.

Shower curtains are still popular, at least for looks. They sometimes do have a problem, though, with allowing water to get around them and out on the bathroom floor.

Shower curtains - or at least the vinyl liners - used to have magnets in the hems so that they would magnetically attach to the tub. But magnets won’t work on the new fiber-glass and acrylic tubs, so manufacturers don’t use the magnets anymore. Velcro, however, works just as well, and you can install it yourself.

You can buy stick-on Velcro strips at hardware stores and home centers. Just apply one piece to the tub and the matching piece to the shower curtain.