Did Ya Know... Brownie Troop 6726 will be accepting cash donations on Sat., May 17, from 11:30 - 12:30 in front of the Carthage Deli for the Fargo, ND area flood victims. All donations will be turned over to the Red Cross.
Did Ya Know... The Peace Star Chapter of the ABWA will meet this evening at 6:30 p.m. at the Blue and Gray.
Did Ya Know... The Carthage Shrine will have a 3 Man Scramble Golf Tournament on May 31. It is open to the public. Call Bill Dodson at 358-2428 or 358-4065 for more information.
Whatever other problems poor Adam may have faced, he at least never had to listen to Eve complain about other women having finer clothes than she.
Aging Golfer to Doctor: "Doc, ya gotta help me live to be 120 years old."
Doctor to Aging Golfer: "Why do you have to live to be 120?"
Aging Golfer to Doctor: "I want to shoot my age!"
My lawn is perfect. Each blade of grass is three feet high!
You get experience by being inexperienced.
INTERESTING MELANGE.
A Chronological Record of Events as they have Transpired in the City and County since our last Issue.
Invented a Voting Machine.
M. Mehan and J. B. Loyd, of this city, have invented a voting machine which they believe will be a complete success. Each has been working separately until today when they got together and compared notes. They found their principles very similar and will build their machine using the best ideas of both. The work of building a working model will begin at once and as soon as finished will be placed on exhibition. The machine will be operated by means of keys and from the description is a very ingenious device.
It will require an action of the legislature to legalize the use of the machine in elections.
A. Kibler brought in a box of fine strawberries. They were almost as large as apples. He also brought in samples of peas of his own raising. He will market about four bushels of them tomorrow. This is very early for home grown peas.
Mornin',
I asked the Mayor ‘bout the statement in the local evenin’ paper concernin’ the combinin’ of the City Administrator and the Economic Development Director into one job. It sounded like he was promotin’ the idea when I read it.
He said the question was posed and his response was that he was not in the position to make that decision, and the idea had not be discussed at the Search Committee meetin’s. He also says that nothin’ has been ruled out at this time.
The idea has been tossed about by some as a money savin’ idea, and would no doubt garner some support.
From what I’m hearin’, the Search Committee is a little surprised and pleased with the quantity and quality of the applications they have received for the City Administrator’s position up ta this point.
The discussion would put the position of Economic Development Director McKnight in somewhat of a curious light, kinda standin’ in his own shadow.
This is some fact, but mostly, Just Jake Talkin’.
A silence fell in the Council Chambers as the lighted vote board showed a 5-5 tie on the question of whether the City should hire a staff engineer or continue a contractual agreement with Tri-State Engineering for their services.
“It’s a tie,” someone in the crowd whispered.
The Mayor, according to procedure, broke the tie voting to continue with the contractual agreement. The vote followed a two year quest by Council member Jackie Boyer to convince the Council that the City needed a staff engineer.
The Council then quickly voted to assign the position of Assistant to the Engineer as that of Department Head.
After some clarification by City Attorney David Dally, the Mayor requested the appointment of Joe Butler to the position. Both actions passed the Council with a vote of 8-2, with Boyer and Clark opposing.
A motion to seek a staff engineer by Boyer had been approved by the Council late last winter, but was reconsidered at the following meeting and the issue was moved back to the Public Works Committee for further study. The Committee oversees the activities of the Engineering Department and the Street Department. Committee Chairman Bill Fortune moved for the reconsideration at that time.
The discussion at last Tuesday’s Council meeting drew comments from most of the Council members. Boyer again moved that the City seek applicants for a staff engineer. A second was made by Lujene Clark.
Council member Charlie Bastin questioned the Mayor.
“Your Honor, as an engineer yourself,” Bastin prodded, “are you aware of any problems that we’ve ever had with the present system Tri-State and Steve Lett?”
The Mayor said he was not aware of any engineering problems.
“I think the problem we need to address,” said Mayor Riley, “is that there is a concern about having a so-called head, a department head. If I understand her position, that’s really what she’s after.”
Bastin also questioned CW&EP Business Manager Marge Housh. CW&EP also contracts with Tri-State for engineering services.
Housh said that they support the current arrangement and have no complaints about Tri-State.
Council member Nolan Henry said he couldn’t go along with a staff engineer.
“I resent, the past month or two, the allegations against our Engineering Department,” said Henry, “just to gain the point to get another engineer in here. Carthage has been fortunate to have the people we’ve got and I think we ought to keep it. I think we ought to kill this motion and get on with running the City’s business.”
Lujene Clark said she disagreed with ninety-nine percent of what Henry said.
“This is not change just for the sake of change,” said Clark. “As we have said with other agencies and departments we are looking at, we need someone who is accountable. Who must answer to the Council and the Mayor. This is not person specific. It is policy for that department. I urge you to strongly support this.”
After the series of votes, Bill Fortune requested that the Mayor assign the task of preparing a job description for the position of Engineering Department Head. The Mayor gave the assignment to the Finance/Personnel Committee, of which Clark is Chair.
Joe Butler was hired over two years ago with the idea that he would step into Harold Neely’s position when Neely retired according to statements by several Council members.
Neely will retire at the end of June with forty-six years of service to the City. Neely was never officially assigned the title of Department Head.
Mayor Don Riley assigned Interim City Administrator Max McKnight the task of preparing, with the cooperation of the Budget/Ways and Means Committee, a five year plan for the City at last Tuesday’s regular Council meeting. He said he would like to see the plan completed within six months.
Riley said the plan should include primarily infrastructure type programs.
“I think that as mayors come and go,” Riley told the Council, “and councils come and go, the City needs to demonstrate to the community that we do have a plan that in effect, is an active plan, rather than a reactive plan.
“I think it’s important to the citizens of this community to be aware of some of the things that this Council feels need to be done.”
Several representatives of the various youth sports associations spoke to the Council during Citizen’s Participation at Tuesday’s Council meeting.
Little League, girls softball, and the Carthage Soccer League represent over 1,000 youth, according to their statements, that use the facilities at Fair Acres Sports Complex.
They requested that the Council carefully consider the consequences of any funding cuts proposed for the facility.
by Tom & Ray Magliozzi
Sponsored by Metcalf Auto Supply
Dear Tom and Ray: My car is a '93 Volvo 960. When I first turn on the air conditioner, it gives off an odor which makes me think the car is harboring well-used cat-litter box. The odor ("stink" is more descriptive) goes away after several minutes, only to return each time I turn on the air conditioner. I've tried air-freshener sprays, but they just introduce a new dimension to the problem. I'd love to take care of this problem before next summer. Any ideas? - Edgar
TOM: Well, my guess is you've got yourself a little mold-spore farm there, Edgar. Congratulations.
RAY: There's a part of the air conditioner called the evaporator, which removes the moisture from the air (i.e., "conditions" it). That moisture is then supposed to drain out through a hole in the bottom of the evaporator housing. That's why you often see water dripping out from underneath cars in the summertime.
TOM: My guess is that you don't see much water dripping out of the bottom of your car, Edgar, because your drain hole is all plugged up. That's preventing water from escaping, and creating the perfect breeding ground for mold spores; a dark place with standing water.
RAY: You need to have somebody clear out the evaporator drain for you. It's an easy job and is usually done with compressed air. Then you'd be wise to spray something in the vents to kill the remaining mold spores. There are automotive products specifically designed for this purpose, but consumer products like Lysol seem to work just as well.
TOM: And if that doesn't work, Edgar, then I'd start asking around to see if any of your neighbor's cats HAVE misplaced their litter box.