Today's Feature

Street Closure for Acoustic Festival.

The Public Safety Committee met Monday evening and approved a street closure request for the Carthage Acoustic Festival Saturday June 11. Festival organizer H.J. Johnson was in attendance and spoke to the committee. Johnson requested the closure of the inside lane of the East side of the square from 5 p.m. on Friday, June 10, till midnight on Saturday. Johnson told the committee the reason for closing only the inside lane was to encourage traffic on the historic square so that all businesses could benefit from the event.

The Fourth Annual Carthage Acoustic Festival is slated for June 11 beginning at 10 a.m. with an open stage running until 1 p.m. Featured entertainers include Lost Creek Bluegrass, Union Ridge, Harrol Family, Johnson Family, Just in Tyme, Bluegrass Flyers, On The Edge, Brightwater Junction and No Apparent Reason. Featured entertainers are scheduled between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The event is sponsored by the Powers Museum with funding assistance from the Helen S. Boylan Foundation. Other considerations are provided by the City of Carthage and the Jasper County Commission.

That old pair a roller skates that ya thought might actually be used at some point in your life suddenly becomes a startin’ place for a heap of junk. I continue with that tennis racket that needs restringin’.

If you’re really on a roll, you’ll find a trunk or two that will barely hold together under the load of your other "treasures" long enough to get to the curb.

The worst thing is if ya find what you’re lookin’ for too early in the day. Now ya got a big mess and no need to continue. At least you can still brag ‘bout how smart ya are not to throw anything out.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

• "For tangle-free twine: Nail a funnel to the wall. Put a ball of twine in the top, threading the end down the funnel tube." — T.B. of Arkansas

• "I don’t have a garbage disposal, so to keep my trash from smelling I put food scraps in a large, sealable plastic container and store it in my fridge. I just pitch the food in the trash before I put it out on the street. Also, I spritz the outside of the bag with an ammonia and water mixture to keep the animals away from it." — A.L. in Illinois

• Basil is said to repel bugs. Make it do double duty by planting a few small pots and sticking them in your kitchen window.

• Here are a few ideas for keeping your car smelling and looking its best: Keep a sheet of fabric softener or a small bowl of orange peels under the seat; remove food wrappers or drink cups daily; fill the ashtray with baking soda or cat litter; drive with the windows down once in a while to let it air out.

• "Stay on top of kids’ photo albums by making a regular date to add photos to your album or scrapbook. I have a roll of film processed every other month, and when I get the pictures I put them in the albums immediately. I do it more often if we go on vacation or to an event." — W.P. in North Carolina

• Crack eggs on the counter for a cleaner break. When you break an egg on the side of the bowl, you are more likely to get small pieces of shell that can infiltrate the white or break the yolk.