Today's Feature

Back to School Supply Drive.

The Carthage Salvation Army will hold a school supply drive during "Sodalicious Moments" at the Precious Moments Park from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 15, 2006. All proceeds from the event go to the Carthage Salvation Army to purchase school supplies.

The Salvation Army will have two school supply distribution dates this year. "Our distribution date will be August 11^th," said Major William Everling. "However, we will continue to pack supplies through the 16^th of August and on the 17th we will deliver all of the supplies that we receive from the Precious Moments donations to the Carthage school system and ask that the teachers identify students that could use these supplies."

At the event ice cream floats may be purchased for $1.50. Guests may win valuable prizes throughout the event. Tickets will be given both for every ice cream float purchased and for every school supply donation.

Donation items needed are 40 backpacks and supplies to fill the packs such as; paper, pencils, pens, erasers and scissors.

Stench Report:
Friday,
8/11/06

No Stench Detected on Carthage Square

This has prompted me sittin’ still several feet from the stop sign on occasion. As I experiment with this tactic, I’m findin’ that most other drivers have not accepted my definition of bein’ first at the intersection, and still get into you go, no I go, no.....confusion. I suppose this will be a lifelong source of observation.

Maybe autos should be equipped with some type of signal light on the front of the vehicle. A green light and a red light so approaching cars have some idea of your intention. ‘Course with the red light on, folks still wouldn’t know if I was comin’ or goin’.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Crooked Door Needs Repair

Q: The antique door to our bathroom is solid oak. Unfortunately, it’s no longer closing straight -- the door latch is lower than the hardware on the frame. It’s also scraping the floor when it’s opened and closed. How can we repair this? -- Cliff B., West Hartford, Conn.

A: Fixing this problem can be as simple as adjusting the hinge pins of the door, or as complex as resetting them (which isn’t too complex; it’s just a two-person job).

Sticking, dragging doors, or doors that won’t close completely, can have a number of causes. In newer houses, a door’s hinges might have been placed incorrectly, or the mortise of the door might not be deep enough (or too deep). Checking the depth of the mortise is simple: run a finger along the hinge leaf that’s set into the door. If the leaf isn’t flush with the wood, the trouble may lie there. The new wood may have swollen slightly, as well.

Because you’re in an older home, the door probably opened and shut for years with no problem, meaning the hinges are (or were) set just fine. However, the door frames of aging homes typically settle as time passes, and the frame could be slightly warped. The hinges may also have worked loose.

The first (and easiest) fix is to check all the hinges -- tap them down into place if necessary -- and tighten the screws holding the hinges to the door. If a screw won’t tighten down, remove it, insert a wooden toothpick into the hole, and reinsert the screw.

If the door still sags, try putting a shim between the bottom hinge and the door. Remove the door completely from its hinges (this is where that second person comes in handy). Then, unscrew the bottom hinge leaf from the door. Using the leaf (the flat part) as a template, cut a piece of noncompressible cardboard, particle board or sheet brass (available in various precut sizes at the hardware store) to match. Punch out screw holes in the same area as on the leaf. Lay the shim against the door first, then fasten the hinge leaf to it. Rehang the door and check the fit. Conversely, if the door latch were higher than it should be, you would place a shim in the top hinge.

Now, what if the latch lines up but the door still scrapes or sticks? Try covering the sticking edge with chalk, and open and close the door. Mark spots on the door edge where the chalk has rubbed away. Lightly sticking doors can be repaired by sanding the contact points. Don’t sand too much, or the door won’t fit tightly.