Today's Feature

To Discuss Name Changes.

The City Council Public Services committee will meet this evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Kellogg Lake Pavilion on East 96 Highway.

Items on the agenda include the continued discussion of two proposed name changes. At the previous meeting the committee heard from McCune-Brooks Hospital CEO Bob Copeland and Hospital Board President Don LeFerle concerning the name of the street that runs in front of the site where the new McCune-Brooks Hospital will be located. The street is currently named Garrison Avenue, though it is not connected to the Garrison Avenue that runs through the rest of Carthage. Copeland requested that the street be re-named "Dr. W. Russell Smith Drive." It was also requested that the name of the hospital be changed to "McCune-Brooks Regional Hospital."

The committee was favorable to the proposed changes and recommended a 30 day comment period to allow for public input. This meeting will mark the completion of the 30 day comment period.

Other items on the agenda include the discussion of a proposal from the Kellogg Lake Committee and the discussion of fireworks bids for the City’s Fourth of July celebration.

The Public Services committee has been meeting in various City parks and recreation venues for several months as part of an ongoing evaluation of the parks system. In case of inclement weather tonight’s meeting will be held at the Carthage Parks office in Municipal Park.

Somea the students had a real problem with it. The basic problem was that most ‘em wanted an answer they could memorize and spit back out. Every day they’d be askin’ the same questions, the teacher would be givin’ the same answer. "Figure it out. Convince me." The basic theory of teachin’ kids how to think, not what to think.

The class was a classic example of what the prof was tryin’ ta get across. Ya can’t memorize all the answers. You’ve got to, at some point, start makin’ some sense of it on your own.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

This Is A Hammer
By Samantha Mazzotta

Ridding Yard of Fire Ants

Q: Each spring and summer I have to deal with thousands of tiny red fire ants swarming around my yard and even coming up out of cracks in the driveway. A neighbor recommended that I find the main nest, pour gasoline on it and set it on fire, and that this is the only way to kill them. Is he right, or is there another way to get rid of these pests? I would really like to have my yard back. -- Tammy C., Lake City, Fla.

A: Anyone who has ever inadvertently stood on or near a fire ant nest knows how painful those tiny bites can be! Fighting fire with fire has been a popular solution to the Southeast’s fire ant invasion for quite a few decades now. But it’s dangerous and not something I would recommend. Once the nest has been eliminated, the fire ant population may be reduced for a short period, but these small pests -- first reaching the southern U.S. sometime in the 1920s -- will be back.

However, new products are on the market now that can have a longer-term impact on the fire ants currently residing in your yard. Visit the pest-control section of your home-improvement store and ask for granule-type ant baits specifically formulated for fire ants. These baits don’t kill instantly. Instead, worker ants pick up the granules and carry them back to the main nest, where the queen resides. The chemicals in the bait are metabolic inhibitors -- meaning the ants that consume it will no longer thrive on other foods and eventually die.

A couple of important notes on chemical baits: These do have some environmental impact, so use only the amount recommended on the package, and avoid using the bait during periods of heavy rain -- since it will wash away from the intended target and into lakes or streams. Also, for the most effective treatment, coordinate the bait application with surrounding neighbors so that several yards are treated at once, further reducing the risk of re-infestation.

HOME TIP: Fire ants grab a person’s skin between their mandibles to anchor themselves prior to stinging. At the first prickly sensation of an ant on one’s leg, quickly sweep the area with an open hand to remove the ant and avoid the painful sting, then look around and move away from visible anthills.