Today's Feature

Committee Approves Ordinance.

The City Council Public Safety Committee met Monday to discuss the ordinance which would restrict parking in front yards. A motion was made to forward the ordinance to City Council with a recommendation of approval from the committee.

The committee reviewed the draft of the ordinance which states;

"No person, whether the owner or lessee of the vehicle, or the owner, occupant or lessee of the residence, shall park or permit to be parked any automobile, truck, camper, trailer, boat or similar vehicle in the front, yard of any residence or any lot or tract of land used primarily for residential purposes, except on a paved driveway as defined in section 21-115 of the code of Carthage."

The ordinance defines the front yard as the open space in the yard between the street and face of the structure. Committee Chair Mike Harris noted appreciation of the simplicity of the ordinance.

An amendment was made to the ordinance to include yard areas between side alleys and house structures as a continuation of the front yard. This amendment was made at the request of Harris. The ordinance also lists corner lots as having two front yards.

A second amendment was requested by Committee member Jackie Boyer to include the presence of a curb cut in the driveway definition. The Public Works committee currently has a permit process for curb cutting to allow access from the street to a driveway.

Violation of the ordinance would be subject to penalty of a fine. Police Chief Dennis Veach said the fine would be a maximum of $500. Veach also showed the committee a pamphlet from Springfield which addresses the issue of parking in yards. Veach said that if the ordinance is passed it might be worthwhile to consider having informational pamphlets printed for Carthage so that citizens could have more information about the parking rules.

Courthouse Clock Status.

The Jasper County Courthouse clock is still in the process of being repaired. According to Western District Commissioner Darius Adams a repairman from Moorehouse viewed the clock workings last Saturday. It was determined that the motor which controls the four sides of the clock had burned out possibly due to a frozen bearing in the East side clock face.

There is not a time frame for the completion of the repairs due to the age of the clock. The motor is estimated to be approximately 50 years old.

Stench Report:
Tuesday,
1/17/06

No Stench Detected

Lot a times it’s just a no-brainer.

The City Council approves a lot a stuff that just has ta be done for the City to function from day to day. There are just a lot a times there will be 10-0 votes.

I would personally, however, get a little nervous if there weren’t split votes from time to time. There is no way for ten folks to agree on ever’thing all the time.

‘Course the appearance of a unanimous decision on a consistent basis has not been a problem as far as I can tell as long as anyone can remember in Carthage.

As a teacher a mine once instructed me, the majority may rule, but nothin’ in the constitution guarantees that the majority is always right. It’s always a good ta have someone question a decision.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

• "My hands get very dry this time of year, so I keep a bottle of lotion and a pair of thin cotton gloves in my desk at work. I can lather up and then put the gloves on while I type or respond to e-mail. It really has helped to hydrate my skin, and it doesn’t really interfere with my tasks." -- B.R. via e-mail

• If you have a small hole in a white wall that needs to be filled pronto, try toothpaste.

• Add a couple of dryer softener sheets to your vacuum’s dust-collection bag to spread a nice smell throughout the house as you vacuum. Used fabric-softener sheets make great dust cloths.

• "When dusting pleated lampshades, use a soft-bristled paintbrush. It is so much quicker to dust this way." -- I.A. in Oregon

• "I was having trouble fitting exercise into my daily routine, so I went to a personal trainer. After giving me the speech about going to the gym and making exercise a priority, she helped me create a routine I can do while cooking breakfast or dinner. I do squats and lunges -- and some yoga poses, too! A little exercise is better than nothing, and it’s easy to do." -- J.L. in Florida

• "I keep my serving dishes stacked in my kitchen, but to avoid scratching, I layer them with pieces of bubble wrap." -- N.L. in Arkansas