Committee member Mike Harris stated that there are four options for the bus.

"We can either publicize charter operation," said Harris, "buy out the Fed, sell it, or just stop using it."

If the bus was used as a charter operation, it would have to be publicized. Running of private operations is not allowed. Also, the City of Carthage will receive no reimbursement from the Government with the bus being used as charter.

If the Fed is bought out, it would cost around $5,800 for the City. The City is in a ten-year approval with the fed and going on the tenth year. Fire Chief John Cooper believes the bus would only appraise for $1,000 or $2,000.

Member Jim Woestman suggested putting the bus for sale on e-bay.

"As a person who spent a lot of time on that bus," said member Diane Sharits. "I sure am sad to see this happen."

There are places I just don’t typically drive.

I try to avoid construction sites for example. Especially if there are used shingles around that might indicate an abundance of roofin’ nails scattered about.

I’m not much for drivin’ over low water bridges when the water more than a couple inches deep. I’ve had water oozin’ in around the doors a couple a times and it makes me uncomfortable.

I don’t much care for drivin’ on grass. Even when an area is marked off for parkin’ or such, I just don’t like the idea of an automobile travelin’ over vegetation, that’s work for a tractor.

I suppose keepin’ folks from drivin’ on the grass at Kellogg Lake has ta be a law, but it’s still hard ta legislate common sense.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

A/C for the Masses

Q: I recently moved into a one-bedroom apartment and, after suffering through a hot June, want the rest of the summer to be pleasant. I’d like to buy a window-unit air conditioner, as it’s relatively cheap (and I can take it with me when I leave). What’s the best unit for cooling an entire apartment? — John T., Quincy, Mass.

A: Window units are a good buy for apartment dwellers in temperate zones, because (as you point out) they are portable and easy to install. Today’s units are also cost-effective — especially those bearing the Energy Star label — and run much more quietly, in general, than their older counterparts.

Window units work most efficiently when they’re selected based on output per square footage of floor space. Whether a single window unit will cool your entire apartment, however, depends largely on the floor plan and the free flow of air through the rooms. For example, you could purchase a 10,000 BTU (British Thermal Unit) "mean machine" intending to cool all, say, 800 square feet of your one-bedroom place. However, if it’s placed in the 300-square-foot bedroom and there’s just a door between it and the rest of the apartment, your bedroom will be icy cold in no time while the rest of the apartment roasts.

The best solution for multiple rooms is two (or more) window units, at the appropriate BTU for the particular rooms they are placed in. This does cost a little more, even if you’re buying smaller units (say, 6,000 rather than 10,000), but may actually be more energy-efficient than having a single unit cranked all the way up. However, if money’s tight and you can only afford one, carefully consider which room you’ll be spending the most time in, as well as how well air flows through each room.

To figure out exactly how much cooling power you need from an air-conditioning unit, take the square-foot measurements of the room you plan to place it in to a retailer and compare brands. For example, a compact A/C unit that puts out 5,000 BTUs will cool about 150 square feet.

As a final note, if you’ve got enough cash and are really interested in portability, look into room air conditioners. These can be wheeled into and out of whatever room you’re in. However, a good room unit costs more than twice as much as a window unit. But the payoff, in terms of convenience, may be worth it.