"The City of Carthage Department of Engineering is going to miss him greatly," said Codes Inspector Lynn Shelly.

Secretary Dana Carver said she hoped their new boss is as great to work for as Butler. Auto Cadd Technician Mike Nixon said that Butler will be impossible to replace.

Butler has accepted a job in Webb City as the Assistant City Administrator.

"I’m not trying to climb up the success ladder," Butler said. "I just saw this as an opportunity to better myself. Plus it’s close to home."

"I hate to see him go," said City Administrator Tom Short, "but he has to do what’s right for him."

Joe has been the Carthage Director of Engineering since June of 1994.

"Through the years we have had many ups and downs as any city does," said Butler. " The good times were seeing all the completed projects that turned out so nicely. We have accomplished a lot."

Butler expressed his appreciation to everyone for their help the past 9 years.

"Carthage is full of people willing to better the town," Butler commented. "I appreciate everyone who took the effort to fix the sidewalks and bring buildings up to code. I’d also like to thank the Mayor, Council and City Hall for supporting me."

Butler’s mother was there, she bragged that he is a great son and she was proud of him. Harold and Shirley Thieman said the city doesn’t know what they lost.

I see where the local evenin’ paper is encouragin’ anyone wantin’ to protest a war to stay at home. Set a good example of a peaceful life and leave the work of war to the government they say in an editorial the other night. And who know, they say, the protest itself may turn into an act of violence.

Now I’m not tryin’ to influence anyone to think one way or the other about the possibilities of war, but what I do object to is someone tellin’ me I’m not supposed ta speak out for somethin’ I believe in.

If someone wants ta carry a sign around that expresses their feelin’s I say go for it. I notice there have been several gatherin’s of folks who support military action. It just seems odd that a newspaper would discourage freedom of expression, even if they disagree with the message.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

Unclogging a Garbage Disposal

Q: While grinding up some leftover food last night, the garbage disposal slowed and then stopped. I turned off the switch and let the motor cool down, but it hasn’t started up again. What’s wrong with it? — Gladys L., Bethesda, Md.

A: Sounds like the disposal is clogged, or possibly broken. Since a broken disposal will require professional help, let’s try to unclog it first and see if that resolves the problem.

The disposal is turned off at the wall switch, but to be completely safe, turn off the circuit that leads to the disposal switch. Then, use a pair of tongs or other gripping device — NEVER your hand — to reach into the disposal chamber and try to grip the food debris that may be clogging the blades. Remove as much as you can with the tongs.

Next, look under the sink at the bottom of the disposal unit. There may be a small hole in the center of the unit bottom. You may also see a red reset button somewhere on the unit. If the hole is present, get a quarter-inch Allen wrench — one of those small hexagonal tools with a 90-degree bend near the top, which are provided with many assemble-it-yourself bicycles and metal futons. Most disposals with the center hole — which is a manual control for turning the blades — come with this wrench, but it probably got lost, didn’t it? If you don’t have any tool like it, home-improvement stores carry Allen wrenches. Just ask for the size you need.

Insert one end of the wrench in the hole and try to turn it in either direction. Work the wrench back and forth to loosen the blades, until you can spin the wrench all the way around. Remove the wrench (tape it somewhere near the disposal so you can locate it next time) and press the reset button. Turn on the circuit, then go back to the sink, run cold water and turn on the disposal to make sure it works.

If no center hole is present underneath the disposal, you can loosen the blades directly by placing the end of a broom handle into the main chamber (from the top) and working it back and forth until the blades turn easily. If the unit doesn’t have a reset button, it should automatically reset itself once repairs are done.

Clearing the clog should be all it takes to restore your disposal. But if these steps don’t work, contact a professional who can take more advanced steps to get things spinning again.