Today's Feature

Budget Beginning.

The fiscal year 2008 budget hearings are slated to begin this evening, Monday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall. The City Council Budget/Ways and Means Committee will begin the budget process by meeting with assorted City department heads and agency directors to discuss budget requests, programs and services. According to the schedule, the meetings will include a question and answer format for discussion.

The schedule is as follows: 6:30, Overview of Fiscal 2008 Budget; 6:45, Over-60 Center; 7:00, Chamber of Commerce; 7:30, Humane Society; 7:45 Library, 8:00 break; 8:15 Convention & Visitors Bureau; 8:30, American Legion Baseball; 8:45 Girls Softball; 9:00 Youth Baseball; 9:15 Adjourn.

The Budget committee will meet two more times within this week; on Wednesday, April 25th and Thursday, April 26th. Both of those meetings will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers.

Through the budget process, the committee will determine City expenditures and revenues for the fiscal year. These meetings are open for the public to attend.

Come ta find out, the friend of the dad coached in the high school I attended. I not only learned a little football, basketball, and track from this fella, I also worked for him doin’ odd jobs durin’ a summer. On top a that, this friend’s mother, Mrs. Jones, was my first grade teacher.

Now I’m guessin’ both myself and the coach are wonderin’ what the conversations are in the friend’s family. As far as I can remember we don’t have any dark secrets ta worry about. Now the guy that replaced this coach my senior year, that’s a whole different story.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

This Is A Hammer
By Samantha Mazzotta

Driveway Oil Stains? Just Dust and Brush

Q: I read your article on removing oil stains from brick pavers. I don’t know if my solution will solve the problem on brick, but I know it works great on concrete.

Simply dust ready-mix dry concrete over the oil spot. Let it set for a few minutes (or even hours), and sweep up with a sturdy broom. Don’t vacuum -- let the bristles do the work and scrub up the excess concrete powder.

My brother was a mechanic, and this is how they cleaned up the shop. At his suggestion I tried this method, and the concrete came back good as new. Just remember to use the ready-mix concrete powder, with no rocks. -- Callie F., Brighton, Tenn.

A: Many thanks for a fantastic suggestion! Ready-mix concrete will absorb oil even if it is an older stain, since the powder can get into the pores easily, and it can be swept away quickly. This might also be a solution for brick -- since the material is also porous -- although the color difference between dry concrete powder and some types of brick might be an issue. Test the powder in an inconspicuous spot before applying to larger stains.

Older oil stains can be extremely difficult to remove completely, so it’s important to check the driveway regularly for fresh drips. Sop them up quickly with an old rag. The remaining stain should be rinsed away before it dries; if it doesn’t dissipate with prompt treatment, let the driveway dry out and try the dry concrete method.

Come to think of it -- with summer on the way and with potential water restrictions in some areas -- using dry concrete powder is a good alternative to pressure-washing driveway spots.

HOME TIP: Newly installed concrete should be treated with a concrete sealer, which provides some protection from stains and water damage.