Today's Feature
New Pool Table.

The Finance Committee reported at the City Council meeting last Tuesday that the Over 60 Center was wanting to acquire a new pool table. The item is in the Center’s budget for improvements. Council approved the low bid of $1,240 from Game Home and Room Supply as recommended by Committee Chair Ron Wells.

Wells further reported that there had been complications with the credit cards issued to the Department Heads of the City. The restrictions placed on the cards had caused several employees to purchase items out of their own pockets while on City business, and file for reimbursement later. Wells made a motion to remove all restrictions from the cards with the exception of cash advances, liquor and firearm sales. Council approved the motion.

Council also approved a motion concerning the hanging of banners around the outside of the roundabout as presented by the Public Works Committee Chair Bill Johnson. Johnson relayed the information given to the Committee by Eagle Scout Seth Putnam about MODOT’s conditions for approval.

As far as maintenance goes, if the banners start lookin’ ratty, take ‘em down. Onea the criteria for makin’ a decision are the ramifications if the decision is wrong. In this case it would take about thirty minutes to eliminate the entire setup.

The only real consideration is the time spent by the Street Department. Knowin’ the Street Commissioner, he’ll "get it done."

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

By Samantha Mazzotta

Fireplace Basics

Q: With relatives coming for the holidays, we plan to have a fire in the hearth during gift-giving. My only worry is that we’ll have trouble keeping the fire going. Do you have any advice? — Cheryl G., Lake City, Fla.

A: Just follow some tried-and-true fire-building basics, and you’ll be able to quickly start a fire that will remain crackling in the hearth for several hours.

To build an excellent fire, keep some principles in mind. Fuel — the type of wood you use — is important. You’ll need a mix of wood, some that burns hot and fast, and some that burns slowly so that the fire lasts. Try alternately stacking pine logs and hardwoods. Fire needs oxygen to burn, so don’t pack the wood tightly together. A good fireplace stack alternates woods and leaves about 1/2 to 2 inches of airspace between the logs.

Additionally, don’t build the fire too high. The wood stack should be no higher than one third the height of your burn box (the inside of the fireplace) and one-half the width and depth. In many of today’s smaller fireplaces, two to four medium-size logs is plenty.

Stack the wood in a pyramid or square shape, using smaller logs, sticks or newspaper twists as spacers between the layers. Add plenty of kindling: dry wood chips and shavings, twisted newspaper (no magazines), small twigs and sticks.

Just before starting the fire, prepare the chimney flue. Open the damper, then carefully light a newspaper twist and, once it’s burning well, hold it up inside the flue for 20-30 seconds. Watch the smoke created by the burning paper; when it starts moving up the flue, the fireplace is ready. What you’ve done is created a slight upward vacuum, ensuring that smoke from the fire will go up the chimney and not into your living room.

That done, it’s time to start the fire! Using long fireplace matches (available at home improvement stores), light the kindling on at least four sides, starting at the back of the wood stack and working forward. The kindling will blaze up for a couple of minutes. As the flames settle, watch the sticks and pine logs closely, and gently blow on them to encourage the red cinders to burn. In five to 10 minutes, a fire should be blazing in the hearth — if not, replace the kindling and try again.