City Wide Garage Sale.

The annual City Wide Garage Sale is scheduled for Saturday May 1st. Those who wish to participate must obtain a sale permit. This permit will not count against the two garage sales each residential property is allowed to hold each year.

The City Wide Residential Clean-up will be Saturday May 8th. This annual event is sponsored by the City of Carthage, under contract with American Disposal Services.

Trash is to be out no sooner than Friday night May 7th, American Disposal is scheduled to start early Saturday morning . Items to be picked up are to be placed in the same area as the regular trash collection location.

Up to four tires per household without the rims and wheels will also be accepted and collected separately.

Rocks, batteries, yard waste, paint, chemicals, hazardous household waste and containers weighing more than 75 pounds will not be accepted.

Appliances such as refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners which use CFCs or HCFCs as a coolant will only be accepted if the compressor is removed from the unit.

 

I panned for gold once upon a time. Well, I bought onea those kits with a pan and an eyedropper for pickin’ out the shinny speckles. Then I dug up some mud out of a stream in the Sierra mountains and washed out the pan a few times.

The water was cold and I wasn’t able to extract anything of value from the mud.

I suppose like most I was figurin’ on discoverin’ some load of nuggets under an rock that had been hidin’ from the real prospectors for the last couple hunderd years.

I’m guessin’ that rock is still out there, but I decided that I’d leave it for someone who wanted to spend some time lookin’.

I’ve since learned that diggin’ gold is hard work and most prospectors were lucky to scratch out a livin’. ‘Course the few big strikes leave us all with the itch.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

Spring Cleaning

Yes, it’s that time of year. Time to open the windows, shake out the rugs and clear away a winter’s worth of dust and cobwebs. No one looks forward to it, but as tiring as a top-to-bottom housecleaning is, there’s also a certain satisfaction in clearing out the old to make way for the new, whether it’s new furniture, paint or just a change in decor.

Cleaning doesn’t just entail a quick sweep of the floor, however. Many items are overlooked in the hustle of converting a home to summer living, and they can make a difference in health and safety, as well as in your energy bills.

• Refrigerator coils: Clean dust and debris from around these coils, located either underneath or on the back of your refrigerator. A vacuum cleaner can do the job easily, as long as the area is not wet. You’ll extend the life of this essential appliance and save money on the electric bill.

• Dryer vent: In addition to cleaning the dryer’s lint filter every few loads, go behind the dryer as well and clear dust, debris and lint from the floor. Pull the flexible vent from its wall attachment and clean away any collected lint inside. The dryer will run more efficiently, and you’ll have resolved a potential fire hazard as well.

• Furnace/air conditioning: Clean both units, using a vacuum to remove dust, and change the filters in both.

• Floor registers: Vacuum dust out of these heating vents and check to make sure their covers are securely attached.

• Fire extinguishers and smoke/carbon monoxide detectors: Make sure extinguishers are fully charged and change the batteries in all detectors. Test each detector to make sure it works.

Outside, inspect the home from top (chimney) to bottom and look for damage left by winter weather. Remove fallen branches and other debris from the roof and clean the gutters so that rainwater flows freely through them. Look underneath the soffits to make sure the house’s air vents are not blocked by leaves or bird nests. Rake debris from the lawn, de-thatch and fertilize for spring growth.

There’s a lot of things to do listed here, and you’ve probably got many more on your own list. Split up the chores among family members and schedule some maintenance items over multiple weekends. Spring cleaning isn’t fun, but in the end you’ll be glad.