Council Meet Tuesday.

The City Council is scheduled to meet for its regular bimonthly meeting tomorrow evening at 7:30 in City Hall.

The agenda includes second reading of Council bill 02-72 that would amend the FY2003 budget and appropriate up to $7,000 from Lodging Tax funds for the Main Street Carthage "Capture Carthage" advertising campaign.

Also scheduled for second reading is Council bill 02-73 which would annex property lying adjacent and southeast of the intersection of Chapel Road and HH Highway.

The Council is scheduled to hear a presentation by the New Beginnings Development of Springfield, Missouri and a request for endorsement of a proposed affordable housing development of 36 single family homes.

The Council will have the opportunity to vote on a resolution that would endorse the Missouri Constitutional Amendment Number 4 which would authorize joint Municipal Utility projects subject to local rather than state regulation. Members of the Carthage Water and Electric Plant Board have spoken in favor of the amendment.

I can’t pass a nail layin’ on the street without stoppin’ to pick it up and get it outa traffic. The habit comes from watchin’ my dad over the years. It was somethin’ ya did.

"Somebody will end up with that in a tire," he might say.

I’m sure he also had selfish reasons for doin’ his good turn. I also learned how to change a tire by watchin’ Dad. Usually a nail that had not been retrieved in time.

I suppose there are those who have never made the connection between a lonely nail or screw layin’ in the road and any consequences. Or they just figure luck will keep that particular nail from becomin’ a thorn in their side.

I suppose ‘tween my dad and uncles, my brother and me, we’ve put a pretty good dent in the flat fixin’ business, but I know of at least a couple little pricks we missed.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing Services

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

Q: How can I get hard-water stains and spots off of the glass doors in my shower? I’ve tried cleaning them with bleach, but it hasn’t worked. — Mercedes K., via e-mail

A: Bleach doesn’t really do the trick because hard-water stains are a type of mineral buildup, rather than just a discoloration. Scrubbers and abrasive pads also won’t work, because they can scratch the glass badly. Try these methods of cleaning mineral buildup, starting with the simplest remedy: vinegar. Use plain white vinegar, cut half-and-half with water, and apply it to the door with a soft cloth or sponge. Let the vinegar-water solution sit for about 10 minutes, then wipe the door down and rinse it. If the mineral buildup is still visible, use a stronger concentration of vinegar to water (3 parts vinegar to 1 part water) and repeat the process.

A much stronger solution is a bubbly paste that can increase the speed at which the mineral deposit is dissolved. It’s very strong, though, so test this solution in a tiny corner of the door to make sure it won’t mar the glass.

Put one tablespoon of cream of tartar into a small cup. Then, pour one teaspoon of white vinegar over it. The mixture will immediately start bubbling. Use an old, soft toothbrush to mix the ingredients further, then apply the foaming paste to the water stains with the toothbrush, scrubbing gently in small circles. (For the record, baking soda and vinegar also produce a foamy reaction, but baking soda is slightly more abrasive than cream of tartar.) Let the mixture sit on the door for about 10 minutes, then wipe away and rinse. This may sound like bragging, but I keep a gallon of vinegar beneath the bathroom sink. It’s very effective at cleaning mineral buildup around the sink and tub faucets, as well as inside the toilet tank (I use a half-and-half water solution and let it soak for an hour, then drain, wipe the tank and rinse).

Before I left the apartment scene, I moved into a place that had tub and shower controls so covered with mineral deposits that I thought they were galvanized iron. I soaked several rags in vinegar and wrapped them around the faucet and controls, then put plastic wrap around the rags and secured them in place with rubber bands. I removed the shower head and placed it in a bowl of half-and-half solution. I waited an hour, then unwrapped the faucet. The mineral deposits fell away from the metal or were wiped away with no scrubbing, revealing gleaming stainless steel hardware.