Mornin' Mail

The Mornin' Mail is published every weekday except major holidays
Monday, September 19, 2005 Volume XIV, Number 64

Did Ya Know?... The Family Neighborhood Center Office, 706 Orchard, will be closed on Mondays. GED classes will be held as usual. The Center will be open Tue. and Thurs. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Evenings 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Wed. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Fri. 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

Did Ya Know?... Entry forms for the Maple Leaf 2005 Pageants that include Maple Leaf Queen, Little Miss & Mr. Maple Leaf , Junior Miss Maple Leaf & Baby Contest are available at the Carthage Chamber located at 402 S. Garrison, 417-358-2373

Did Ya Know?... The Jasper County Courthouse will have a drop-off box for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Items needed include bottled water, non perishable food items, cleaning and personal hygiene products, etc. Donations will be accepted in the Courthouse.

today's laugh

The computer is a great teaching tool for young people. For example, my home computer has an educational program that enables you to control an entire simulated planet - its ecology, its technology, its weather, etc. My ten-year-old son and his friends use this program a lot and we’ve all learned some important ecological lessons, the main one being: Never, ever put ten-year-old boys in charge of a planet. "Let’s see what happens when you have volcanoes and nuclear war!" - Dave Barry

1905
INTERESTING MELANGE.
A Chronological Record of Events as they have Transpired in the City and County since our last Issue.

Football Talk.

Two Teams Sure and Possibly Three - High School and "Thoroughly Tough."

Football talk is rife and Carthage will be represented on the gridiron this fall by at least two teams. While nothing has been done nor will be done toward organizing a High school team until some time after school begins, yet it is a perfectly safe prediction that a High school team will be out for gore and glory.

Another team is also in prospect. This team is to be carefully selected, the rooters say, and will be known as "Thoroughly Tough." No young man who can’t fight, footrace and fuss will be eligible. Only sluggers of known ability will be admitted. It is the intention in organizing this team to challenge some hereditary football enemies of Carthage.

It is not know what will be done at the college this season, but thus far football is not gaining much favor with the students.

Today's Feature
Special Roads To Begin Paving.

A development has been made in the negotiations between the City and the Special Roads District. According to City Administrator Tom Short the Special Roads District has agreed to begin working on River street and Fir road, two high priority jobs for the City.

In April Mayor Kenneth Johnson and City Administrator Tom Short attended a Special Roads District meeting and were told that if City Council submitted a list of projects the District would consider doing the repairs.

Prior to that meeting the work was a matter of debate. Due to some indefinite statutory language there has been a difference in opinion between the City of Carthage and officials from the District concerning the use of 25 percent of money collected through property tax. The City believed it should be used for Carthage streets in need of repair and the Special Roads District believed it is to be used for roads in their district.

Council submitted the three highest priority projects for the City including River Street, Fir Road and the McGregor Street bridge. The work on the two approved projects is scheduled to begin October 15

Stench Report:
Friday,
09/16/05

Mild odors reported in
the morning

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin
There is one thing that most folks have in common, the dislike of standin’ in lines. They will stand around the coffee pot, stand on a bus, stand in the front windows in the mall all day long, but waitin’ in line just isn’t to be stood for.

‘Course since standin’ in line is such a nuisance, the one thing that might top the aggravation is havin’ someone cut in front of you while you’re waitin’. I witnessed a real sneaky attempt at line cuttin’ over the weekend while waitin’ for a table at a restaurant.

A mom and her kid come in, the kid heads for the restroom, the mom waits in line. After a while I look up and the kid is standin’ next to the table bein’ cleared, wavin’ to his mom. She makes a move but is cut off by a savvy line stander. "Oh, did you want that table?" she asked innocently.

And they ask where kids get the ideas. I thanked this one for savin’ our table for us.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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This Is A Hammer
by Samantha Mazzotta

You Can Paint Over Wallpaper, But ...

Q: Is it possible to paint over wallpaper that is on very well? If so, what is the best procedure? — A reader via e-mail

A: It’s possible, though not advisable. Paint doesn’t always adhere well to the paper, especially if it’s glossy, and very colorful or highly textured paper will often show through the paint. I’m not saying you can’t do it, though!

I painted over rose-striped wallpaper in one of my first apartments, without any preparation, and never had a problem. So, test the paint color of your choice in a corner of the wall, let it dry and see how it looks.

If the wallpaper is not ripped or peeling away, you can paint over it without much trouble. I recommend lightly sanding the entire surface, wiping it clean with a damp cloth, and letting it dry for a day or so. Then, put a coat of sealing primer over the wallpaper. This will keep the paint from soaking into the paper (reducing the amount of paint needed for the job) and prevent old stains, moisture or air from bleeding through. Primer also provides an evenly colored surface to paint on. Once it’s dry, paint away.

What if the wallpaper is ripped or the edges are peeling away? If removing all of it is a pain, patch the ripped area with a spare piece of wallpaper to ensure an even wall surface, and glue the edges back in place. Sand the ripped edges lightly, and if necessary, apply spackling compound over the edges, feathering the compound to create a smooth surface. Missing patches of paper and ripped edges will show up as clear imperfections on your newly painted wall.

The toughest scenario is wallpaper that is more than half removed, albeit in strips, dribs and drabs (because it is stuck so well to the wall that conventional removal is almost impossible). In this case, don’t paint until every method of wallpaper removal has been tried, including steaming the glue away or using chemical solvents. (These tools are available in the wallpaper and paint sections of your home-improvement store.) If there are globs of wallpaper left on the surface, they will be seen through the paint as odd bumps and lumps, no matter how much sanding and priming you do.

HOME TIP: Clean paint from your hands by placing a teaspoon of table sugar into your wet palms and rubbing your hands together; then rinse the sugar and paint away.