Bus, Taxi Services Discussed.

The Public Safety Committee met Monday night in regular session at the Carthage Fire Department.

A request for an established bus route for locals, especially senior citizens, by former City Council Member Donna Harlan, was considered. The consensus of the Committee was that the existing City supported taxi service should be able to serve senior citizens more effectively. However, the option of extending taxi operational hours will be reviewed and reported to the Committee. No action was taken.

The possibility of reducing the regular route schedule of the bus was proposed by Committee member H.J. Johnson. Fire Chief John Cooper, who is charged with the oversight of the bus, will report back to the Committee on options to better utilize the vehicle.

Cooper told the Committee that the bus does cover expenses when it is used by groups for chartered tours. The possibility of a mix of local chartered services and a limited route schedule will be explored.

City Administrator Tom Short said that the State grant for the bus would not be jeopardized with a reduced schedule.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

I haven’t taken a look exactly what the benefits of a County Charter would be. If it’s like the rules for the City Charter we passed a few years ago, it would allow the County to do anything not forbidden by state law. Before the Charter was passed, City was allowed only to do what was spelled out by the State.

On the one hand ya get a list sayin’ what ya can do, on the other ya just get a list sayin’ what ya can’t. In the case of Carthage Charter, it allowed a lot more flexibility in how the City would operate and the ordinances that could be modified or put on the books. In general I’d have ta guess that most favor more local control. The trick is ta get a Charter put together that folks can live with and one they will vote to support. The process will take a year or so, should provide some healthy discussion.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing Services

PRIME TIME WITH KIDS

by Donna Erickson

Any abecedarians in your family?

My neighbor called to tell me the spelling dictionary on her computer somehow came up with the wonderful word "abecedarian," defined as "one learning the rudiments of something, such as the alphabet." She couldn’t resist sharing the BIG word with her 5-year-old daughter, Helen, who proudly passed it on to her classroom teacher. Now the schoolchildren chant on cue, "We are abecedarians!"

Why not be abecedarians with your family as you discover the sensory delights of spring? You can document spring first from A to Z when you make a "Spring ABC Book" together.

On each of 26 large index cards, write a letter of the alphabet. For beginners, start with a few letters, such as those in your child’s name. Punch a hole in the corner of each card and attach them together on a metal ring or tie them loosely with ribbon.

LOOK in the woods, in a park or on your block for signs of the spring season.

At home, talk about each discovery. For example, if you saw a butterfly, say the word together. Tell your child butterfly starts with "B." Then find the "B" card and invite your child to make a drawing of a butterfly. Your child may prefer cutting out pictures of butterflies in magazines and gluing them on the card or attaching stickers.

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