The Public Safety Committee voted Monday evening to recommend the clarification of the ordinance requiring 300 feet between retail alcoholic beverage outlets and churches, schools, and hospitals. The Committee also voted to eliminate any reference to parks and playgrounds that are currently also covered in the ordinance.

The recommendation will be to use the center of the threshold of the main entrance of each building as the reference point. The 300 foot distance will be measured by the most direct walking route.

The City Council rejected a proposal earlier in the year to use property lines as the point of reference.

The Committee also deferred to Police Chief Dennis Veach’s judgment in dealing with weeds growing around the parking lot just south of the Police Station.

Veach said the weeds had been cleaned out just a month ago and were now back.

"We paid three hundred bucks for it," Veach told the Committee, "and they did a good job. (Now) it’s overrun. It’s awful.

"I strongly encourage someone to make the decision, if it’s not a tree, kill it."

Seems like the older I get, the less I know. At least I think I know less.

I’d give anything to be half as smart as I thought I was when I was twenty. What I’m afraid of is that I’m only ‘bout half as smart as I think I am now.

Prob’ly the worst thing about gettin’ some a that mature experience under your belt is ya start realizing just how much ya really don’t know about a lotta things.

So ta my way a thinkin’, the more ya know the dumber ya feel.

‘Course you can always go outa your way ta find onea those smart twenty-something’s that know it all. Usually after a while ya start ta feel a little better just knowin’ that in another ten or fifteen years, they won’t be as smart you think they are now.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Workman's Loan

PRIME TIME WITH KIDS

by Donna Erickson

My three kids are at it again, arguing about whose turn it is to tackle household chores. But when it’s time to dole out a few privileges, such as sitting in the front seat of the car or picking an evening television show, they don’t miss a beat. Suddenly it’s everyone’s turn. Sound familiar?

So far, this chore/privilege board I came up with a couple of months ago is a winner at our house. It’s not an incentive system like most charts; rather, it’s a simple way to keep track of who’s who in the job and privilege categories of family life.

For a sturdy chore board, we use the following:

• 1 piece of white foam board, cut in an 18-inch-wide by 9-inch-long rectangle (available at art and discount stores)

• 6 adhesive-backed plastic hooks in bright colors

• 6 metal rings (available at stationery stores)

• several plain index cards, cut in 1-inch by 5-inch strips with a hole punched at the top of each strip (one strip for each child for each chore and privilege). If you have, say, two children and six categories, you will need 12 strips.

• 4 one-inch magnet strips

• Markers and ruler

Before you make the board, discuss chores and privileges for a typical week, such as "set dinner table," "vacuum stairs," "choose Saturday bike route," etc.

Use a black marker to print the six categories across the top of the board. Draw vertical lines down the board to separate them. Under each category, attach a hook. Glue magnets to the back of the board.

Print names on each strip. You may want to color-code each name. For example, all of Scott’s strips would be printed in blue.

On each ring, attach strips for each child in the family. On each hook, hang a ring with strips. The name appearing on top of each ring is responsible for the task-privilege in the category. For example, if Jennifer’s name is on top under "water the plants," it’s her turn. When she completes the job, she flips her name over the ring and the next child’s name appears.