The Carthage Water and Electric Plant will soon be raising their rates for Electric, Water, and Wastewater.

Increases will be 15% for electric and 5% for water and wastewater. The rate increase will be effective for all customer classes.

Several council members expressed their opinion that the increase in rates poses a problem for many people.

"I have concern about the affect on our citizens, including me," said Council member Mike Harris at last week’s council meeting.

The Council voted unanimously to approve the increase as requested by the CW&EP Board.

The raise is due to energy and power costs according to CW&EP General Manager Bob Williams.

The CW&EP Budget anticipates capital improvements including electric substation improvements and a new water well.

The rates being increased will still be in the midrange of the scale as compared with surrounding cities.

Jinks (or Jinx ?), ya owe me a coke.

I don’t know how many times that phrase was repeated durin’ my childhood, but I can’t remember ever bein’ treated to a cool soft drink as a result. For some reason this phrase was primarily used as an excuse to punch your buddy’s arm five or six times. Each punch was supposed to add to the number of cola’s you would get.

I don’t know where this stuff comes from. I prob’ly learned the trick from my older brother, but he didn’t have any siblings to teach him. The power of peer education I suppose. It’s amazin’ what kids learn from other kids. Not so amazin’ that they learn it I suppose, but more that they seem to retain it more than they do traditional type learnin’.

Who da thunk it?

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

Summer Chores

Q: Are there any "must-do" home improvement or maintenance tasks that you recommend during the summer months? — Jason P., Kansas City, Mo.

A: Unlike spring and fall, there aren’t as many tasks that must be done every summer. However, if you have a fireplace, it is absolutely essential that you inspect the firebox and chimney, and have it professionally cleaned.

During the colder months, a residue called creosote builds up inside the flue and chimney. This lumpy, black gunk — a byproduct created by burning the resins in firewood — is a fire hazard, as it can ignite when the buildup gets thick enough. Creosote deposits also contribute to inefficient burning, so a fire won’t heat the room as effectively and smoke may not completely exit via the chimney.

Inspect the chimney yourself first, so that you have a good idea where potential problem spots lie. Open the damper and use a flashlight to look at the lower part of the chimney and the flue. If it’s grimy, have a professional chimney sweep do a complete inspection.

What should a chimney sweep look for? He or she will start with the "flashlight inspection," as well as check that all parts of the fireplace are working properly, including the damper, ash traps and ventilators, and that the firebox is intact. The sweep will do a top-to-bottom chimney inspection, not just for creosote deposits but for other blockages like dislodged mortar or birds’ nests. The chimney stack will also get a look, to make sure waterproof flashing is secure and that no damage to the exterior portion of the chimney has occurred.

Why, one might ask, is a chimney sweep a better choice than inspecting the entire chimney yourself? For one thing, they have specialized equipment for the task: Many use small cameras to check the entire chimney, and they can quickly clean the fireplace and chimney while minimizing the mess all that soot and ash can create. A once-a-year cleaning may be well worth the expense.

HOME TIP

Summer is a great time to lay in firewood for the coming cold months. Prices may be lower, and the wood will have three months to season before the weather changes.