Seventy-eight rolls of microfilm containing the 1930 Federal census for the entire state of Missouri were recently received by the Genealogy Friends of the Library (GFOL) in Neosho, Missouri. They were placed with other microfilmed records in the Genealogy Department of the Neosho-Newton County Library, 201 West Spring Street, Neosho.

"We are one of the few organizations in the area to have the 1930 census for the entire state of Missouri," said GFOL president Randy Scott. "It was ordered in December of 2001 and we were quite anxious to receive it," he continued.

Scott advises researchers to consider using maps and other aids to help in locating family members listed in the census, as no indexes are yet available. Scott said otherwise be prepared to spend a lot of time reading microfilm.

The Genealogy Department has several microfilm readers available. A research assistant is usually on duty to help researchers. The Genealogy room is open to the public during regular library hours.

I suppose that when folks purchase those "unlimited" minutes package for their cell phones they figure the more they talk the cheaper it is.

I’ve gotten calls from friends just because they have minutes left at the end of the month just so they can use ‘em up. Don’t want ta waste ‘em so they call me. I’d guess you could put some type of peckin’ order on how early in the month ya get that call from a friend outa nowhere.

Apparently some feel that the best use of a cell phone is durin’ that time spent behind the wheel. From what I’ve seen, most haven’t mastered the task of doin’ both at the same time. The worst is ta pull up behind a cell talker at a stop sign and they can’t decide which way ta turn ‘till they hang up.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing Services

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

Q: The sidewalk and driveway of my home have several cracks in them, probably due to years of weather and ground shifting. Can I patch them, or should I just have both of them replaced? — George J.

A: Depending on the amount of damage, and the cost of replacement, that decision is up to you. Patching up the cracks will mean less paperwork and may be more cost-effective, but elbow grease is still required.

Decide on the materials you’ll need before starting the job. For small cracks (less than one-quarter inch wide) concrete caulk is a quick fix, but doesn’t last long. Vinyl patching compound will provide a long-term solution. Larger cracks require sand-mix concrete combined with a concrete fortifier. For both sizes, purchase a concrete bonding adhesive to secure the patching material in place. You’ll also need several tools to complete the job, including a wire brush, a cold chisel and hand maul, a paintbrush and a hand trowel.

Prepare the surface of the concrete before starting the patch job. Use the wire brush to clear away loose material, making sure no debris is left in the crack. Then, take the chisel and hand maul and open the crack into a backward-angle cut, so that the base of the crack is wider than the top. This will prevent patch material from pushing back out of the opening.

Brush a thin layer of concrete bonding adhesive inside and along the edges. For small cracks, mix vinyl patching compound and trowel it into each crack. Smooth and feather the compound until it’s flush with the driveway surface.

Larger cracks need both sand-mix concrete and a layer of sand to provide a stable bond. Pour sand into the crack until the layer is about one-half inch from the surface. Mix concrete and fortifier and trowel the mixture into the remaining space, smoothing and feathering until it’s even with the surface.