Today's Feature
Followup on Dumpster Request.

The Public Safety Committee met Monday evening in a regular session. Police Chief Dennis Veach reported that he had done further research about a recent request for placement of a dumpster on the sidewalk of 5th street. This item was brought before the committee at the previous meeting by Sue Vandergriff of the Private Events building on the square. Vandergriff said that there was no room for a dumpster elsewhere on the property, as the building reaches from 4th street to the sidewalk, leaving only 69 inches to the street. Chief Veach said he checked all of the ordinances pertaining to blockage of the sidewalk and could not find a legal way to permit an irregular dumpster placement. Vandergriff was not in attendance of the meeting.

Veach also reported that the evidence annex storage unit had been built in the basement of the Police Department. On December 28th City Council approved a bid from Michael’s Barns for $1,000 for the erection of the 8’ by 16’ storage structure for the purpose of housing evidence. The storage unit will not be used to house drugs or money.

One idea that has been at least expressed is the possibility of a fire substation bein’ a part of the new hospital. The plans for the new hospital are bein’ put together and it’s prob’ly a good thing to explore any possible long term savin’s that could be put in place.

The idea of a substation has consumed a lot of type in this publication over the last thirteen years or so. Several locations have been identified and rough plans even drawn out to take fire protection closer to the south side of town. The City currently has property designated for a substation near HH and Highway 71. The problem is payin’ for the thing. The cost of any proposal will no doubt tip the scale.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

By JoAnn Derson

• "To soften food that is stuck on a pan, try soaking it overnight with fabric softener. Just fill the pan with enough water to cover the burned-on food, then lay a dryer sheet of fabric softener in the pan (poke it down so it will stay under the water). The next morning, you should be able to wipe the food right off. You can even use the fabric-softener sheet as a scrubber." — A.S. in Maryland

• "To make your carpets look clean in a hurry, like when you are having company over, just sweep them with your broom." — C.C. in Pennsylvania

• "Ways to avoid spam — that nuisance e-mail that comes in droves to fill your in box: Use a name that has both words and numbers. Keep a separate "free" e-mail address for site logon information and for shopping. Be sure to report spam to your e-mail provider. Boost your spam-filter setting and add everyone you know to your address book or ‘safe’ list." — P.K., via e-mail

• "To keep thread straight when threading needles, I run the end across a cheap glue stick. It works very well, and the glue washes right out of the thread. Or, if you are afraid it will be sticky, you can just clip the end off before you start sewing." — T.E. in Kentucky

• "To make butter easier to spread on bread or toast, we keep a stick in a plastic sandwich baggie. We hold the baggie in our hands just long enough to soften the outside of the stick. Then, we can put a knife down in the bag to get a little of the softened butter to spread. It’s no-mess, and the heat from your hands softens the butter but doesn’t overmelt it, like when you put it in the microwave. You can just reseal the baggie and put it back in the fridge." — N.U. in Florida