Six Minutes of Fame.



Executive Director of Carthage Convention and Visitors Bureau Teresa Gilliam presented to the Council what she referred to as a great opportunity during the City Council Meeting Tuesday evening.

Associate Producer of the national television series Discover America Jeff Gallagher contacted Gilliam with the opportunity of featuring Carthage in their 2004 series. Each episode of Discover America is 30 minutes long featuring four locations for an approximate six minute segment for each location.

The cost to underwrite the project is $20,000. The Convention and Visitors Bureau will raise $10,000 through fund-raising and support from local business, organizations, and tourist entities. Gilliam requested at the meeting that the other $10,000 come out of the Lodging Tax Account. The Lodging Tax Account is currently at $21,000 according to City Administrator Tom Short.

According to Gilliam the City of Carthage would receive air time on national television, hours of professionally filmed raw footage of Carthage, public relations and promotional campaigns conducted by TLN (Teaching Learning Network) and nonexclusive reproduction rights of the story.

The Council discussed the proposal and were all in agreement that the project would be beneficial for Carthage. A final reading is scheduled for February 25th at the next Council meeting.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau is also asking for support from the Council in making this a city wide effort to showcase the history, tourism and progressive growth of industry in Carthage.

Some say that a name has a lotta influence on how a person is perceived. I know of several teenagers who have announced they are changin’ their name to better suit their perception of themselves.

My daughter decided to start usin’ her first, rather than her middle she was known by, name after high school. ‘Course no one in the family ever changed what they referred to her as, and eventually she went back to acceptin’ the tradition.

Another kid I knew actually legally changed his name. He now will not respond to any other name.

I suppose the sayin’ about a rose by any other name is still a rose. But the same can be said for the thistle.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

Q: I have a wall-mounted electric heater in the bathroom of my 1950s-era house, which I only run during cold spells when I want to enter a nice warm bathroom in the morning. However, during the last cold snap, I noticed a burning smell coming from the heater. I turned it off right away. Can I repair the unit safely, or should it be replaced? — Joe P., Ocala, Fla.

A: With an antiquated electric heater, several possibilities for the burning smell exist, and all of them spell a hazard. You were smart to shut off the unit. Deteriorating insulation around the wires, a faulty limit control, or even dust collecting behind the heater could be the cause.

Wall-mounted heaters are installed in parts of a home that don’t have central heat running to them. In some Florida houses, the bathroom unit is the only heater in use throughout the winter; supplemental heat is provided by portable heating units.

The unit is placed in a metal wall can that is mounted between two interior wall studs. This makes it somewhat easy to remove for maintenance or replacement. So, to find out the cause of that burning smell, collect this equipment: standard and Phillips screwdrivers, needle-nose pliers, a circuit tester and a multi-tester, an old toothbrush (for cleaning) and a spare cloth.

Shut off power to the heater at the main circuit box. Remove the control knob and the mounting screws and slide the heating unit out of the wall can, lifting the top out first. Use the circuit tester to make sure power to the unit is completely off before proceeding. The wires and surfaces behind the heating unit are probably coated with years’ worth of dust. Clean them with the dry toothbrush and cloth, and wipe down the wall can, too.

At the top of the unit are one or two limit controls — thin pieces of metal attached to conductive assemblies. Disconnect the limit controls from their wiring one at a time, and set the multi-tester to test for continuity. If the tester doesn’t indicate continuity, the faulty limit control(s) must be replaced.

Frayed insulation around either the unit or the household wiring is another dangerous possibility. If the heater’s wiring is badly deteriorated, you can consider rewiring it; however, replacing the entire unit may be cheaper and faster. If the household wiring (the wiring bundle running into the wall can) has deteriorated, consult an electrician, as the problem could extend beyond the wall heater.