Today's Feature

Personal Property Lists
Due March First.

Jasper County Assessor, Donald E. Davis, reminds property owners, including businesses, that they must report all personal property owned or held on January 1st to the Assessor’s Office by March 1st, 2008. Those not returning a completed list to the assessor by the deadline may be subject to a penalty; ranging from $10 to $100 depending upon the value of the property. The statutes provide the assessor with almost no discretion to waive the penalties.

Davis said, "Until recently, few penalties were applied and lists were commonly filed late. The law was amended in 1994 to require the penalties, and, whether we like the law or not, compliance has increased dramatically."

In January, the assessor mailed every property owner reflected on the assessor’s records a form upon which the taxable personal property must be reported. If anyone failed to receive a form or lost the form, a new one can be obtained by contacting the assessor’s office at (417) 358-0437 or (417) 625-4355 or Room 207 at the Carthage Courthouse.

Mornin’

I grew up ‘round folks that were always tinkerin’. Tryin’ to make somethin’ that did the job a little better. I suppose you could call ‘em inventors, but none of ‘em would have prob’ly liked that term. Sounds like someone that really doesn’t do anything. Tries ta make up somethin’ just ta sell it.

My uncle built a truck that had tractor tires all the way around. They never thought of racin’ the thing. That’d just tear it up. It was built for function. They were always after function.

I don’t think anyone will ever come up with a more functional piece of equipment than the apple peeler. I don’t know the name of the fella that invented it (for some reason, tinkerin’ seems ta lean more toward the male gender, so I assume it was a fella), but it was a handy piece of work.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

HERE's A TIP
By JoAnn Derson

"If you have a lovely garden, you might want to share it with others. My mother had several prize-winning plants that she took several pieces from and transplanted them into a lovely pot for my daughter. They are all easy-to-care-for plants, and my daughter loves them. She has made these portable gardens for others as well. They are always plants chosen with the recipient in mind -- and are always well-received." -- P.K. in North Carolina

Recipe Substitution: If you need 1 teaspoon of dry mustard, substitute 1 tablespoon of prepared mustard.

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator, and it will keep for weeks.

"I forgot to add the photos to a card I was sending my grandmother. I had already put a stamp on the envelope and had no idea what to do. My neighbor suggested that I put the envelope in the freezer for a few hours and then gently pry it open. It worked. I was able to add the photos and reseal it. Magic." -- S.D. in Florida

"Need a nice smell in a hurry? Try spritzing your light bulb with a little perfume or essential oil. The heat from the light bulb sends the smell out into the room. It’s pretty cool." -- T.C. in Illinois

"Frozen peas make the best quickie ice pack ever. They stay cold without being bulky and conform to just about any shape. You also can make a holder by doubling over a kitchen towel and stitching it up on the ends, leaving one end open. Stick your ice pack inside and apply directly to the skin. We have a bag of frozen peas that we drew a big "X" on, so we know those are the ‘ice pack’ peas!" -- R.M. in Oregon