Council Agenda Tomorrow.

The City Council is scheduled to meet tomorrow evening in City Hall at 7:30 p.m. for their regular meeting. The agenda includes the second reading and scheduled vote several Council Bills including the following.

C. B. 10-45 an Ordinance authorizing the Mayor to enter into a Lease Agreement with Dennis Detert and Carolyn Detert for the City of Carthage to lease the Carthage Golf Center until December 31,2011, in the amount of $4,800.00 per year (Public Services Committee).

C. B. 10-46 an Ordinance authorizing the Mayor to enter into a Lease Agreement with Pam Wallace in the amount of $3,600.00 for continued use of the pavilion in Municipal Park as a skating rink for a one-year lease term (Public Services Committee).

C. B. 10-47 an Ordinance authorizing the Mayor to execute a Lease Purchase Agreement with UMB Bank for financing of fifty (50) golf carts (Public Services Committee). The Lease Purchase amount would be $82,175.00 to be paid over a four year period at three percent interest.

I’ve been seein’ several versions of an email that is reminiscent of the "good ol’ days." Baby boomers seem ta be lookin’ back at what they consider a simpler time.

Seems most view the nostalgic time as a pleasant one. ‘Course we all heard stories growin’ up by parents and grandparents ‘bout how it used ta be. The difference is their stories were tempered by a couple a world wars and the great depression. The boomers were sheltered from a good portion of such experience.

Overall the parents of boomers musta done a fair job of raisin’ their kids. They seem ta have a good share of fond memories. Hopefully the second generation boomers find a few good memories ta hang on to also.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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Weekly Columns

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

Preventing Icy Slips and Falls

Q: This is my first winter living in the Midwest, and so far it’s been a doozy. My question is not so much how to deal with the snow, but the ice that forms on my walkways and driveways the day after shoveling. It’s super-thin and very slick. -- Miami to Michigan Transplant

A: That thin, slick ice tends to form after a sunny winter day in which some of the snow piled around the edges of the walk melts a bit, water runs back onto the concrete, and then refreezes after sundown. It’s a common annoyance and hazard in the snowy regions in winter, and you have to check for icy patches daily on walkways, the driveway and in many municipalities, the sidewalk in front of your house.

Homeowners deal with slippery walkways in a couple of ways. In areas that get significant snowfall, many people will shovel the walk but leave a couple inches of snow, providing traction for a few days until the snow packs down. In areas that don’t get as much snowfall, completely shoveling the walkway clear works better in the long run.

In both cases, you need to keep a bucket (or more) of sand-salt mixture within easy reach, as well as a bag of ice-melt crystals. The sand-salt mixture can be quickly deployed and provides traction on both packed-down snow and ice. Spread this on the walkways and your home’s entryway in the evening before any snowmelt freezes down.

Ice melt is a chemical compound (actually, there are different ice-melt products with different compounds) that slightly heats ice and snow, just enough for it to melt away. Sodium chloride (salt) is one type of ice melt; however, there are other effective ice-melt products that have less impact on the environment.

And that’s an important consideration in using sand-salt mixture and ice melt: use just the amount you need to keep the walkways clear of ice and with improved traction. Follow the application instructions for the ice melt you’re using so that you don’t overapply it.

HOME TIP: Sand, salt and ice-melting compounds, if tracked into the house, can scratch or damage many types of floors. During the winter, place a sturdy track mat inside the entryway.