Mornin' Mail

The Mornin' Mail is published every weekday except major holidays
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 Volume XVIII, Number 107

Did Ya Know?...There will be a Taco Salad Dinner fund raiser for the Carthage Humane Society, Monday, Nov. 23 at SMB from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m.

Did Ya Know?..."Paws for Books" R.E.A.D. dogs, Emmit and Truman will be at the Carthage Public Library from 3 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, Nov 18.

today's laugh

Two guys are driving through Texas when they get pulled over by a state trooper. The trooper walks up and taps on the window with his nightstick.

The driver rolls down the window, and the trooper smacks him in the head with the stick. The driver says, "Why’d you do that?" The trooper says, "You’re in Texas, son. When I pull you over, you’ll have your license ready." Driver says, "I’m sorry, officer, I’m not from around here."

The trooper runs a check on the guy’s license, and he’s clean. He gives the guy his license back and walks around to the passenger side and taps on the window. The passenger rolls his window down, and the trooper smacks him with the nightstick.

The passenger says, "What’d you do that for?" The cop says, "Just making your wishes come true." The passenger says, "Huh?" The cop says, "I know that two miles down the road you’re gonna say, ‘I wish that guy would’ve tried that crap with me!’"

1909
INTERESTING MELANGE.
A Chronological Record of Events as they have Transpired in the City and County since our last Issue.

Invited to a Confederate Reunion.

Justice Wm. McCune, who was a member of the 114th Illinois Volunteer Infantry during the wars of the rebellion, has recently been invited to a confederate reunion at Tupelo, Miss., which occurs there tomorrow.

This is a reunion of that portion of the confederate army which took part in the battles of Brice’s Crossroads and Harrisonburg, both in the neighborhood of Tupelo, Miss. The invitation came about through an inquiry which Mr. McCune had occasion to make concerning a building at Brice’s Crossroads, which was used as a hospital after the battle for both the union and confederate wounded, among the former being Mr. McCune himself who reports that, although the confederates were masters of the field, he was well treated, the women of that locality flocking in and treating all alike with their kind attentions.

Today's Feature

The Meter Ticks for Two Hour Parking.

The City Council Public Safety Committee voted Monday evening to recommend to the Council that a two month moratorium on the two hour parking restriction in the downtown area be put in place. Committee member Wayne Campbell made the motion and specifically included that there would be no exceptions granted.

Businessman H.J. Johnson had earlier told the Committee that he wanted to begin the process of requesting a 30 minute parking restriction at 330 Lyon in front of Carthage Printing Services. Johnson has spoke to the Committee and the Council on several occasions concerning the fact that only two parking spaces are available in front of the print shop. He says he fears that if the two hour restrictions are lifted, the business will suffer if area employees or apartment dwellers park in front of the shop. Johnson is also the proprietor of this paper.

Committee members Brent Grenninger and John Studebaker voted with Campbell. Committee Chair Bill Welch favored the trial removal of restrictions, but said he voted against the motion because he felt there should be some exceptions.

Council members T.J. Teed and Diane Sharits attended the meeting and both expressed the opinion that were not in favor of lifting the two hour restrictions.

Carthage Police Chief Greg Dagnan told the Committee that he had been surprised at the number of businesses on and around the square that felt the two hour restriction was not needed. He said he proposed the trial elimination of the restriction as a test to see if it is really a service the Police Department should provide. The Chief requested that the motion include language so the trial period would stop at the end of two months and require Council action to continue.

The recommendation will now be forwarded to the full Council. City Administrator Tom Short feels that because the recommendation would alter an existing ordinance, the Council will need to put in place another ordinance for the trial period. It is unlikely that the ordinance could be drawn up in time for next Tuesday’s regular Council meeting. The Council has two meetings scheduled in December that would allow for the required two readings of the new ordinance before the end of the year.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

Durin’ the discussion at the Public Safety Committee there were some interestin’ rough statistics brought up.

The number of "repeat offenders" gettin’ parkin’ tickets was not exactly known, but it was estimated to be "at least half." The number of complaints about gettin’ a ticket was "relatively few".

The number of tickets written was more precise. Around 700 a month for the last few months. Now ya take half (I suspect it’s actually more) and that makes 350 tickets to people who are knowingly tryin’ to beat the system. If ya figure the repeaters are gettin’ an average of three tickets a month, that means over a hunderd folks are out there ever’day shufflin’ their cars around to avoid a one block walk from free parkin’ and then drive to the Y to get their exercise.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.