Harris Files for Mayor.

Council member Mike Harris was the first to file as candidate for mayor yesterday morning. The filing period for mayor and six available seats on the Council will last until January 19, 2010. The filing is for the general election that is to be held April 6.

As of yesterday afternoon, T.J. Teed of the 2nd Ward had also filed for a second term.

Other seats that are up for election include 1st Ward Claude Newport, 3rd Ward John Studebaker, 4th Ward Larry Ross, and 5th Ward Brent Greninger. The seat held by Harris was appointed after being vacated earlier in the year and will be available for a one year term. All regular Council seats are for a two year term.

The mayor serves for a four year term. Present Mayor Jim Woestman has said he will not seek a second term.

Candidates for the mayor position must be at least 30 years and lived in the City for at least two years.

Council candidates must be 21 or older and lived in the city for at least one year.

Candidates must gather twenty-five valid signatures or $25 to file.

There are some thing that in all likelihood the youngsters of today will never experience. One of ‘em is probl’y the thrill of bein’ towed behind a car on a sled. As dangerous as it sounds to me at the present time, as a kid this ritual was practiced at my house.

To increase the all out fun, instead of a single sled bein’ hooked to the long length of rope, my brother and I convinced the folks to let us run tandem. Two ropes tied to the bumper and the fun really begins. As speed was kept to a "safe and prudent" level, goin’ around corners and bumpin’ each other off was common. By draggin’ a toe on one side or the other the sled would dart in the direction of the drag. Draggin’ booth feet was the breakin’ system. We, of course, never had Nintendo.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

• Go Green Tip: Here’s a little-practiced fact in the life of today’s fashion: Many clothing items can be repaired. Do it right away, though, so the item can go back into the usable clothing circulation. The longer it sits, the greater the odds of it being replaced instead, making the original, repairable item just another piece of clutter.

• "Use the clothes-detergent cap (to measure detergent), then wash it in the very same load. The cap will stay nice and clean -- no liquid soap everywhere." -- Mrs. B., via e-mail

• "If you have a noisy bed after you purchased a new mattress and box springs (it never was noisy before), it might be your bed rails. Cover them with carpet. We nailed ours on all over, which was easy, and the noise stopped. Our box spring apparently was not made very well at the bottom. This really works." -- C.F. in Indiana

• "Save the zippered plastic bags that bedding and curtains come in to store or organize items. My young children often need a clean change of clothes when we are on the go. I pack complete extra outfits (including underwear and socks) for them in the small bags. They work perfectly. The bags are sturdy and reusable for years. I keep these packages tucked away in the car or in their school backpacks, and I send one to the sitter. I also keep one in the car filled with socks for those summer days when they are wearing sandals and we decide to go to an indoor play place." -- A.S., via e-mail

• If you receive a set of scented soaps for the holidays, you can get a longer use out of them as drawer scents before you use them as soap. Tuck each one into a cloth wrapper and stick it in a drawer. When the scent starts to wear out, use the soap.