Today's Feature

Public Services Renews Contracts.

Carthage Public Services Committee met Monday evening and approved contracts with the girls’ youth softball team, the little league, the Carthage Driller Baseball team, the adult softball team and the adult soccer league. One change was made to the little league contract enabling the program to start earlier in the year.

The committee also reviewed bids for golf carts. The committee approved a bid from Yamaha for 52 new gas-powered carts for the price of $99,916.00. Parks Director Alan Bull led a discussion concerning the advantages of gas-powered carts over the electric carts currently used by the Municipal golf course. According to Bull the resale value of gas carts at the end of the lease period is greater than that of electric carts. The initial cost of gas carts is also greater than electric. Yamaha’s bid for electric carts which was not approved was $90,916.00. Other gas powered cart bids that were not approved were from Clear Creek for $123,214.40 and EZ-GO for $95,730.00. Though EZ-GO had the lowest bid, Bull said that the Yamaha cart outperformed the EZ-GO in a performance test on the course.

‘Course bein’ able only ta see what seems like fifteen or twenty feet in front of ya makes ya wanna just see if it can get any better. Flip up those bright lights. Then ya find out the commercial is right, it don’t get any better than this. Runnin’ with low beams on is the only way, unless ya need that jolt of blindin’ white to wake ya up.

There are advantages. Fortunately I was one of only a handful of idiots on the road that evenin’, so I didn’t have ta worry much about traffic. At least I didn’t see many cars. I’m prob’ly better off not knowin’.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

• Run out of moisturizer? Don’t fret; you may have a natural alternative in the kitchen or garden. Olive oil mixed with a drop of your favorite scent works beautifully for dry skin, while aloe is especially soothing for normal to oily skin.

• Crisco is a fantastic make-up remover.

• Ways to get better gas mileage: Drive 55 mph or under, and on the highway, use cruise control to keep your speed steady; if you anticipate a wait, cut the engine; less weight requires less energy to move, so remove excess baggage; and finally, drive less — plan your trips for efficiency. Thanks to George H. of Decatur, Ill., for these wonderful suggestions.

• Storing plastic wrap in the refrigerator will keep it from sticking, says Susan T. of New Smyrna Beach, Fla.

• Having difficulty determining the size of a "serving" of meat? Experts recommend a 3-ounce serving — roughly the size of a deck of cards or half a hamburger bun. You can also use the palm of your hand as a guide.

• Use this quick fix for oily hair. Rub a small amount of cornstarch into the oily areas of your hair. The cornstarch will soak up the dirt and oil; you just brush it out.

• Your refrigerator and freezer can use a lot of energy. Help them work more efficiently by dusting the coils at least once a year, replacing any worn or torn door seals and maintaining a good temperature. Here’s a great way to check your fridge’s temperature (sent in by Marge F. of New Hampshire): Put a thermometer in a glass of water and check it after 24 hours. Keep the fridge temperature between 37 and 40 degrees F.