Annual County Auction.

The annual Jasper County Auction is scheduled for Friday, June 4th at 9 a.m. at the Highway Department, 125 North River.

Eastern District Jasper County Commissioner Jim Honey stated that the items for the auction are Jasper County and City of Carthage surplus.

"There will be a little bit of everything," said Honey.

Western District Commissioner Anna Ruth Crampton reported at last Thursday’s meeting that six Jasper County surplus properties will be auctioned.

"Signs have been posted for the surplus properties," said Crampton. "There are several, but I’m only certain of six. There will be a list available soon."

Honey stated that he believes most of the properties are in the Joplin area.

Carthage City Administrator Tom Short explained to the Mornin Mail that they participate in the County auction each year.

"We consolidate each year," said Short. "It works out pretty good for us. It saves us from having to go out and hire someone and do our own."

I suppose they still make ‘em, but I didn’t have one a those fold up plastic rain covers the other day when the rain opened up. Those little packages that are small enough ta carry in your pocket always seem ta be stored with the umbrella at the other end of the line. Even the idea of havin’ two umbrellas, one at work and one at home, doesn’t seem ta work for me. They somehow always end up together along with the rubber boots and the raincoat.

I saw a couple a umbrellas sittin’ by the doorway of the buildin’ I was trapped in for near an hour. They were mighty temptin’, but a good dose of cold rain is fittin’ punishment for thoughts of borrowin’ someone else’s forethought.

As a kid I used ta love ta get out in the rain durin’ the summer. Some still argue I had more sense then than now.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

Q: Recently, I put up a couple of shelves in the bathroom to store extra towels and supplies. However, one of them is now "drooping" slightly, and the screws seem to be pulling out of the walls. How do I fix this? — Charlene I., Gadsden, Ala.

A: What’s happened to your shelves is that the screws are not properly anchored for the amount of weight they’re carrying. Even though a few towels don’t seem like much, the drywall (or plaster, in older homes) really can’t support additional weight. After all, drywall’s main purpose is to cover up the actual home and wall supports (i.e., studs).

You’ve probably been told that when hanging fairly lightweight items such as pictures, to avoid putting screws into the studs. However, in the case of shelving or heavy objects, these supports can be used to bear additional weight. To further minimize stress on the wall, an object’s weight should be distributed if possible. How is this accomplished?

In the case of shelves, a set that includes long vertical runners (called "standards") is optimal, because the standards distribute the weight of the shelves and their contents along their length. This is better than gambling on one or two bolts holding everything in place.

Sketch out a design of the type of shelves you’d like to place in the bathroom, and measure the wall space available. Then determine the number of standards, brackets and shelves needed to fill the space. (A shelf must be supported with standards and brackets every 24 inches.) Purchase the amount and style of shelves desired, and paint or stain them before installing, if needed.

Locate the studs within the wall and mark them in pencil (studs are typically 16 inches apart). Then, set the leftmost standard against the leftmost stud to be used. Make sure it is right-side up (set a bracket into it to check) and use a level to ensure it is placed absolutely straight. Then, mark screw locations and pre-drill holes into the stud before securing the standard. Repeat this for each standard used. Placing the standards correctly is the most important part of this type of shelving. If they’re not straight or not secured properly, the shelves will lean or sag.

Once complete, place the brackets evenly and set the shelves atop them. Remember that these types of shelves aren’t as stable as built-in shelving, so always load items onto them from the middle and work outward.