Today's Feature

City Banking Services Approved.

City Council approved a motion to accept a contract for banking services through Southwest Missouri Bank for a period of two years at the last Council meeting.

The recommendation came from the Finance/Personnel Committee where there was some debate about the bids. According to Committee Chair Ronnie Wells, UMB submitted their bid too late to be considered. The Committee considered rejecting all bids and beginning the bidding process again. However some committee members felt that this would be unfair to the banks whose bids arrived on time, according to Wells. Other committee members feared that interest rates would raise in the time prior to resubmittal, making all of the bids less desirable. The committee’s official recommendation to Council was the contract with SMB.

Council approved the recommendation of the SMB contract in a 5 to 4 vote. Those in favor were Dave Woods, Claude Newport, Bill Johnson, Jim Woestman and Tom Flanigan. Those against were Ronnie Wells, Mike Harris, Diane Sharits and Bill Welch. Jackie Boyer was not in attendance of the meeting.

Most folks start figurein' that out about the time their kid reaches two. Kids of course have the misconceived idea that their parents understand ever'thing they know.

Questions like "Why do cats meow and dogs bark" humble even the most inteligent of the parent class. I don't udnerstand but I just know it.

'Course on the other side there are things I understand that I'd rather not know. Like how they make hot dogs.

Another acquaintance seems ta understand almost ever'thing, and is possessed with the idea that someone cares. Like Mark Twain said, "It's better to be quiet and have folks think you're an idiot than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin'.

Plumbing Toolkit

Q: You've written a couple of articles on plumbing repairs lately. Are there any tools to keep on hand so an inexperienced do-it-yourselfer doesn't have to make so many runs to the store? -- Jay in Atlanta

A: In addition to a sturdy plunger, which covers a number of small plumbing emergencies, assembling a toolkit specifically for plumbing repairs is a good idea. You'll have common parts and accessories available when you need them, along with an array of tools to make repairs more easily. Here are a few basic items to invest in:

--Plumber's snake (or auger): This goes where plungers can't, snaking deep into pipes to remove stubborn clogs. It's a handheld device with a flexible, coiled wire that is cranked into the pipe until resistance is reached, then cranked back out. Like most tools, what you pay for is what you get, so invest a little more money in this one because you don't want a wire that kinks in the pipe bends.

--Offset screwdrivers: In addition to an array of Phillips- and slotted-head screwdrivers, purchase a set of offset screwdrivers, which allow you to reach screw heads that are set at odd angles.

--Wrench set: Two sizes of pipe wrenches -- a 10-inch and an 18-inch -- are a minimum for your plumbing collection. Include a 10-inch adjustable wrench as well. If you end up doing frequent plumbing repairs, you'll find more wrenches migrating to your toolkit, but this is a good starter set.

--Valve-seating tool: When fixing leaky faucets, this handheld tool is an essential accessory. It removes corrosion from the valve seats of faucets with just a few twists, making a repair job much easier and ensuring that the new seals stay tightly packed.

--Assorted washers, screws and O-rings: Keep several sizes on hand to avoid repeated trips to the hardware store. If you want exact sizes for the plumbing fixtures in your home, find out the model and manufacturer of each sink faucet and purchase these small replacement items for each.

--Assorted sealing material: A package of faucet nut packing should be kept on hand, along with pipe tape (to seal or reseal pipe threads) and the plumber's friend -- petroleum jelly -- a less reliable but inexpensive pipe thread sealant).

--Emergency supplies: To deal with small leaks, keep a roll or two of electrician's tape in your toolbox, along with epoxy putty, various sizes of C-clamps, and rubber sheeting. The electrician's tape can be quickly wrapped around the smallest leaks; rubber sheeting can be cut to size, wrapped around a leaky pipe, and sealed with clamps.