Today's Feature

To Review Variance Request.

The Carthage Zoning Board of Adjustment will meet this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall. The board is to discuss a variance request pertaining to the minimum lot size for a proposed subdivision south of Vine Street between Elm St. and Short St., as requested by Tammy Neil.

According to City Code, the minimum lot size is 6,000 square feet. Neil’s request is that the City allow a variance to reduce the minimum lot size to between 3,500 and 4,200 per lot.

The proposed 22 lot subdivision would be named Maplewood Meadows. According to information provided by Neil the subdivision would aim at providing affordable new housing in a depressed area. Restrictions proposed within the area would help prevent deterioration to the neighborhood. The restrictions would be enforceable by the City.

City Staff has reviewed the request and is recommending that the Zoning Board of Adjustment deny the variance, citing that it would not be in the best interest of Carthage citizens.

V.F.W. Post 2590 75th Anniversary.

Carthage V.F.W. Post 2590 will celebrate its 75th anniversary during its regular meeting to be held today, June 11, 2007.

Jesse Jones, Missouri State Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, will be among the dignitaries honoring the Carthage Post.

All members are urged to attend the meeting, which will be followed by a social hour.

The Carthage Post received its charter on June 4th, 1932, with 22 members listed on the charter. Currently the Post has 280 members, the Ladies Auxiliary has 110 members, and the newest branch, the Mens Auxiliary, has 34 members.

The objective of the Veterans of Foreign Wars is to support troops in harms way, to take care of the widows and orphans. Post 2590 supports a national home in Eaton Rapids, Mich., Scholarship programs such as Voice of Democracy and Patriot Pen; V.A. Hospitals and other Social help agencies.

Now an enemy is a pretty strong relationship in most eyes, but it could be more of an incidental type of enemy. For instance, the police are supposed to be the enemy of the bad guys. You wouldn’t want ‘em bein’ friends.

The word "enemy" has gotten a bad rap over the years. Ya can’t be an enemy unless there is a correspondin’ enemy. If one is bad, the other could just as well be good.

The way I see it, havin’ an enemy or two may not always be a bad thing. The main problem bein’, unlike friends, you don’t usually have much say when it comes ta pickin’.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

This Is A Hammer
By Samantha Mazzotta

High Electric Bill? Get an Energy Audit

Q: I read with interest the article about the homeowner with high electric usage. He is using 300 kilowatt-hours more than his neighbor. But what about his total usage? A total energy audit of his home may provide some answers.

The audit should focus particularly on electrical loads -- appliances, motor load, etc. As an energy auditor, state-certified in Maine, I always had a sit-down session with the customer and logged the number of occupants in the house, their age and gender. You would be surprised how much more energy-intensive girls are compared with boys.

If you are going to model the energy use, it must be related to the family’s living habits and comfort levels (air temperature) maintained in the structure. Even in a well-insulated home, cranking the thermostat to 75 degrees in winter or 72 degrees in summer will be reflected in the energy use.

In short, there’s nothing wrong with comparing your energy use with your neighbor’s, but it is not the best approach. Neither is paying an electrician to detect a possible electrical leak (at least, not at this time). Do the energy audit first; then, if you have a problem measuring the audit figures against the amount actually consumed, consider other avenues.

I commend the customer for monitoring his energy use; however, a qualified utility representative should be willing to methodically address the issue. Such occurrences were always a challenge for me as a utility employee for 30 years. I hope the customer’s local utility will respond with the same enthusiasm as my company did in resolving the questions of this concerned customer. -- Roger P., Leesburg, Fla.

A: Thank you, Roger! This is great advice. These days, many utility companies offer do-it-yourself energy audit kits for free. However, most can schedule a representative to come and perform an audit. Even if homeowners don’t notice a big discrepancy in their power bills from one year to the next, a home energy audit can result in big savings.

HOME TIP: Heating accounts for the biggest chunk of a typical utility bill, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. For more information, including how to conduct a do-it-yourself home energy audit, visit its Web site at www.eere.energy.gov/.