Today's Feature

Budget Hearings Begin.

The Carthage City Council Budget/Ways and Means Committee met Monday evening to begin the budget hearings for the 2007 fiscal year. The schedule contained a list of City agencies who would present their budget requests before Council.

Agencies presenting budget requests included; The Over-60 Center, Chamber of Commerce, Humane Society, Convention and Visitors Bureau, American Legion Baseball, Girls Softball, Youth Baseball, Victorian Carthage and the Literacy Council.

City Administrator Tom Short gave an overview of the budget prior to the presentations. Short said that the current expenditure request amounts exceed the available revenue, and through the process of the budget hearings the expenditures will be cut to meet the revenue.

Carthage Youth Softball Board President Vince Triplett, after presenting budget requests, spoke to the committee concerning the ownership and responsibility of a scoreboard that was donated to the team. The scoreboard had been damaged by lightning and was repaired quickly for a tournament. Triplett asked who would be responsible for repairs if a similar situation should arise in the future. The committee said the matter would require further investigation to determine who owns and bears responsibility for repairs of donated property at the ball park.

Triplett also asked what committee should be contacted about the possibility of erecting playground equipment at the Fair Acres Complex where the teams meet. The committee advised Triplett that the Public Services committee handled matters of that nature. City Administrator Tom Short said that the committee would have to organize it with other tentative plans for the area, including a possible skate park.

Committee member Ronnie Wells interjected that the skate park was still in the planning phase.

"That’s still on the drawing board, right?" asked Wells.

Chamber of Commerce Director Max McKnight presented budget requests to the committee, and spoke about the new enhanced enterprise zone project which offers benefits for newer expanding businesses.

Committee member Mike Harris expressed concerns to McKnight about businesses and residences on the Northern side of Carthage. McKnight said that coordinating events and projects for Carthage usually requires a balance between the Southern and Northern sides of town.

Convention and Visitor Bureau (CVB) Director Aimee Smith spoke with the committee about this year’s projects. Smith told of several publications that will contain Carthage advertisements this year. Committee member Ronnie Wells recommended that the CVB look into using billboards along the major highways to advertise Carthage.

"They can go by without realizing it," said Wells of travelers driving past Carthage.

It was suggested that the CVB look into billboard advertisement cost figures.

Council member Claude Newport asked Smith for an update on the "wayfinding signage" program. Smith said that the CVB is still working on the program which would place location markers and maps around Carthage for tourists. According to Smith, the initial cost for materials was higher than expected, but the CVB is still researching the project.

Stench Report:
Tuesday,
4/25/06

No Stink Reported

I don’t know how long shoe laces are supposed ta last. Ya don’t get a manual settin’ out a maintenance schedule for shoes like ya do an automobile. I pretty much replace ‘em when they break. I learned how to adjust for a broken lace as a kid. The lack of a full lace seldom leaves ya sittin’ on the side of the road waitin’ for the toe truck.

I took a small step toward organizin’ my affairs the other day, replaced a set of laces ‘fore they broke. And I did replace the set, not just the typical one lace that was ready for a blow out. I’m still debating whether to keep the one "good" lace for a back up. If I keep the shoes longer than a second set of laces, however, I doubt I’ll be concerned about the appearance of a short string.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’

• "A used dryer sheet can be used to collect sawdust bits from projects you are working on in the shop. Also, my wife uses them for dusting around the house. They have worked well for us in both instances." -- C.L. in Arkansas

• "If you are painting with a brush from a can, try this cool trick: Take a thick, large rubber band and wrap it around the can so that it is strung across the open top, like a guitar string. You can dip your brush in the paint and then drag it across the rubber band to get off any excess. It’s totally disposable and saves you from dripping all over the place." -- P.L. in California

• If you are a camper, you will love this tip. Stick a dryer sheet in your sleeping bag before storing it. It will keep it smelling fresh, and it repels some bugs. When you are ready to go camping, keep it there or replace it with a new one.

• Wash your car with pantyhose. The fabric is abrasive enough to get muck off your car, but nonabrasive enough to not scratch the paint.

• "A great trick to stop drips from a Popsicle is to stick a coffee filter on the end of the stick." -- J.W. in Florida

• "To clean up old, rusty tools, give them a soak in vinegar and lightly scrub away the rust. I bought a set of hand tools at a yard sale for peanuts and did this. They look great now!" -- S.D. in Pennsylvania