County Budget Adopted.

The Jasper County Commissioners met for a special meeting to adopt the 2004 County Budget Tuesday in the Carthage Courthouse.

The 2004 County Budget was prepared and presented to the Commission for approval by County Auditor Richard Webster. The General Revenue is budgeted at $10,913,182, Assessment is at $884,012 and Highway Funds are set at $5,653,200.

Webster reported that after the bills are paid the County should have an excess of $750,000 in funds to start the Budget for next year.

"I would also like to state," said Webster. "When the final numbers come in will we have operated Jasper County in 2003 on $10 million with a $1.9 million dollar budget and it also appears that we will have operated within the income. And I think that is an accomplishment."

Presiding County Commissioner Chuck Surface commented concerning the $750,000 in carry-over. He stated that if this budget is spent there will be none left over for 2005’s Budget and the County will be short starting-off next year.

Most folks I’ve been talkin’ to are not only gettin’ too old to really enjoy a good New Year’s Eve party, they also just don’t feel like stayin’ up ‘till midnight.

I suppose that’s one reason the big celebration in New York City is such a hit on tv. Those of us in the western part of the country can do our celebratin’ at 11 o’clock or earlier and still feel we’ve ushered in the new year. Those really wantin’ to get to bed early can usually catch the celebratin’ in England earlier in the day.

I don’t remember ever bein’ at a wild New Year’s Eve party, though that one a few years back did result in a pretty hot quarter limit poker game.

Don’t forget there will be free taxi rides anywhere in the City tonight. Take a date, they’ll be impressed.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

• "I keep water in a clear glass bowl for my dog. Well, he has a big sloppy mouth, and his bowl is always getting filthy. I refresh the water every day, but once a week I scrub it clean. I have tried everything, but baking soda is the best cleaner to get the grime off of glass without scratching it. As a bonus, I don’t have to waste as much water rinsing, since it doesn’t leave a chemical smell behind." — Izzy L. in Jacksonville, Fla.

• To remove crayon stains from walls, don’t break out the chemical cleaners. Just use a damp rag sprinkled with a bit of baking soda. The baking soda acts as a light abrasive, and with a little elbow grease, it comes right off.

• Here’s a great idea to avoid the puddle left behind after baths and showers. Try placing two shower curtains side by side, overlapping for one ring. Bathers can enter and exit through the center instead of the ends. And there is plenty of curtain to make sure both ends of the tub are covered.

• A small piece of white bread will clean out a coffee grinder in a flash.

• "This doesn’t sound like a tip, but it really saves me time when I am getting dressed. I installed a full-length mirror on the backside of the door in my closet. All around it I made a border of corkboard (the self-sticking sheets available at office-supply stores). Now I don’t have to go searching for a mirror, and I used the corkboard to hold all my frequently used jewelry. I put the earrings right in the cork and hang necklaces and bracelets from pushpins. I’m thinking of installing hooks for belts and scarves." — Alison E. of Jackson, Tenn.