Today's Feature

Committee Approved Horse Parking.

The Public Safety Committee during Monday’s regular meeting approved the allotment of a parking place at the Northwest corner of the Carthage Square for the purpose of parking a horse and carriage. The designation of the parking place was requested by Darrell McClanahan of Giddyup Carriage Company.

McClanahan told the committee that he intended to begin offering carriage rides downtown, and asked for a parking place where he could hitch a horse and have space for a mounted box containing water and a trash receptacle. The committee discussed various locations and decided that the northwest corner of the square would be ideal. The parking place in question has been designated for bus use, but committee members agreed that it is rarely used for that purpose.

A motion was unanimously approved by the committee to allow parking for the horse and carriage in that spot. If a bus does arrive, McClanahan agreed to move the horse and carriage temporarily to allow for parking. The committee also referred McClanahan to the Public Works Committee to request the placement of a hitch near the street.

Our readers also seem to have a keen sense of humor and a high tolerance for grammatical errors.

Make no mistake, we work hard at gettin’ you the kind of information you wanna know about. It keeps up hoppin’ most ever’ day just ta keep up with it. But we are especially grateful that you haave put up with us for the past sixteen years and we never want to take our readers for granted.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Here's A Tip
By JoAnn Derson

• "I have four brothers and sisters, and Thanksgiving is always a huge affair. We rotate homes for hosting, but we each take responsibility for food. A few weeks before the holiday, we hold a ‘food lottery,’ which decides impartially who gets to bring what: side dishes, desserts, etc. This way, we don’t get stuck in ruts, like always having a certain person do desserts. It’s very nice, and the surprise factor makes it exciting. The host family is always responsible for the bird." -- K.M in Massachusetts

• Give yourself a break if you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your place this year: Prep the table days beforehand. Put out plates, silverware and even fill and place special salt and pepper shakers or other seasonal items. Throw a lightweight tablecloth over the whole thing, and you’ll be ready on the big day!

• "Great gravy is only a plastic bag away! This is my great tip for separating the fat from pan drippings to make gravy. I take a quart-size plastic bag and set it in a glass measuring cup. Pour the pan drippings through a strainer, right into the bag. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes, and the fat will separate to the top. Seal the bag, and snip a small hole in a bottom corner and drain the liquid into a saucepan to make gravy. It’s that easy." -- T.C. in Idaho

• "My neighbors and I have a great plan for catching early-bird deals at after-Thanksgiving sales. We scout out several shopping centers and split up the stores. Each person takes a store and the group’s wish list for the specials. We get there early and have a representative at each store right off the bat. You might be surprised by how quickly these doorbuster deals disappear. After we get those deals taken care of, we plan the rest of the shopping together." -- C.D. in Louisiana

• Quick substitutions: For 1 teaspoon of allspice, substitute 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves.

TURKEY ROASTING TIPS

Roast the turkey until temperature reaches 170 degrees F in the breast and 180 degrees F in the thigh. Cooking times are for planning purposes only -- always use a meat thermometer to determine doneness.

Approximate Timetable for Roasting a Turkey

(at 325 degrees F):

Unstuffed Turkey

8 to 12 pounds....................2 3/4 to 3 hours

12 to 14 pounds..................3 to 3 3/4 hours

14 to 18 pounds............3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours

18 to 20 pounds............4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours

20 to 24 pounds..................4 1/2 to 5 hours

24 to 30 pounds..................5 to 5 1/4 hours

Stuffed Turkey

8 to 12 pounds....................3 to 3 1/2 hours

12 to 14 pounds..................3 1/2 to 4 hours

14 to 18 pounds..................4 to 4 1/4 hours

18 to 20 pounds............4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours

20 to 24 pounds............4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours

24 to 30 pounds............5 1/4 to 6 1/4 hours

Source: National Turkey Federation