Today's Feature

Have Filed for Candidacy.

The final filing date for candidacy for City Council was on January 18. For the first time in over forty years every position was filed for by an incumbent without opposition.

Those that have filed are David Woods, First Ward; Ron Wells, Second Ward; Diane Sharits, Third Ward; Bill Welch, Fourth Ward; and Jim Woestman, Fifth Ward. Tom Flanigan, of the Fifth Ward filed to run for an unexpired one year term. The election will be held April 5 and the last day to register to vote in the election will be March 9.

The filing also closed for the Carthage R-9 School Board Candidacy on January 18. The citizens who have filed are Clay Novinger, Jeff Jones, Dan W. Stanley and the incumbents Tony Diggs, Nate Stokes and Danny Lambeth

The City Council will meet tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall. Items on the agenda include the second reading of an ordinance annexing and zoning property located west of Chapel Road between Elm and West 41st street for a new development.

They say old jokes aren’t old unless the person you tell it to has heard it.

Growin’ up in the midwest jokes I heard were more makin’ fun of city slickers than us "rural" folks. The classic story of the city dude askin’ directions to the nearest town. The country boy couldn’t tell the dude where anything was.

"You don’t know much, do you," said the dude.

"I know I’m not lost," was the reply.

Another dude asked, "Why are you pulling that chain on the ground?"

"Ever try pushin’ one?"

I can’t remember the first time I heard those stories, but I understood the humor at a young age. ‘Course I didn’t know many "slickers" back then. Now I can really appreciate the jab.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Q: My son and his friends were horsing around in the house and, needless to say, one well-placed side kick later we had a broken stair railing. Two of the vertical posts that hold up the railing are cracked in the middle and not quite straight anymore. Can you tell me how to repair these? — John M., Lake Mary, Fla.

A: Broken balusters (those vertical rail posts) are not a rarity in a house with kids, and can be replaced within an afternoon, depending on the availability of replacement balusters. If your house is less than 10 years old and the stair railing isn’t custom-designed, chances are good that stock replacements are available at the local home-improvement store. If not, then replacements can be made by a cabinetmaker.

To get the right replacement, remove the balusters as intact as possible. The easiest way to prevent further damage or splintering is to cut each baluster into two pieces with a reciprocating saw. Then, determine how the balusters are joined to the stair tread and railing. If the base of the balusters rest on a solid part of the tread, then they have a rounded dowel end that is glued in a shallow hole. If the balusters rest on a seam, they are probably secured with a dovetail joint or square tenon.

Round-end balusters can be removed by clamping a pipe wrench around the base of each and twisting them out (protect the stair surface with masking tape). Dovetail-jointed (and similar) balusters must be removed by taking off the surface trim in front and knocking the pin from the groove. Once the top and bottom halves have been removed, scrape away any excess wood glue.

Take the balusters to the home-improvement store to find a match (or have them custom-made, if necessary). Replacements often need to be cut to fit the angle of the stair rail; have a store associate make the cut or, if you have the equipment, measure the angle yourself and make the cut with a miter box to ensure that it is straight.

Test-fit the balusters before gluing them into place. Set the bottom end of each baluster into place and then ease the top end into position. If everything looks good, remove the balusters, glue both ends and secure in place.