The Mornin' Mail is published every weekday except major holidays
Friday, February 5, 1998 Volume VII, Number 164

did ya know?

Did Ya Know?. . .Boy Scout Troop 9 will hold a Chili Dinner on Sunday, Feb. 7 from noon to 3 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 7th and Main Carthage. $3 for adults, $2 for children. Baked potato, chili, hotdogs, desert and drink are included. For more information contact Roberta Crihfield at 358-5321.

 

Did Ya Know?. . .The Victorymen Quartet will be ministering at the Union Fellowship Church on Sunday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. The church is located 3 miles west of Wal-Mart on Fir Road (HH Highway) then 1/4 mile south on CR 170. The Pastor is Elvis Castor (417) 358-9174.

today's laugh

Why did you have the policeman put eighty miles an hour on the ticket when he arrested you for driving sixty miles an hour?

I want to get a better price for the car when I sell it.

 

What was the name of the hotel we stopped at in Detroit?

Wait, I'll look through my towels.

 

What was that animal that ran by?

That was a gnu.

Where did you ever see a gnu - in a zoo?

No, in a crossword puzzle.

1899
INTERESTING MELANGE.
A Chronological Record of Events as they have Transpired in the City and County since our last Issue.

NOT WELL RECEIVED.

The Raise in Rates for Lighting - The Mayor's Electric Rate Increased.

The raise in rates for the use of gas and electric lights is quite the general topic of conversation about town now. Nearly everybody seems to have been touched in one way or another. Mayor Harrington reports another raise in his lighting rates, this time effecting the electric lights, the price of which have been advanced one hundred per cent. Last month he paid something over eleven dollars for light for hotel dining room at supper only- the morning electric current having been discontinued some time ago, which necessitated proving other means of lighting the room in the morning. The former meter rate was ten cents per kilowatt, which would make his expense for supper lights $22 per month. The Mayor has discontinued his electric lights and said, last night, there would be no more indandescent lamps burning in his hotel until the current was generated from a plant owned by the city.

The raise in rates has been quite general and is received with much complaint and dissatisfaction. A number of the patrons of the company have discontinued using both kinds of light and more contemplate providing other means of lighting or running there places of business on "moon light schedule" until the city's plant is ready for business.

  Today's Feature

71A Agreement to be Altered.

Darrell Gross, a representative of the 71A Partnership, appeared before the Public Works Committee Tuesday afternoon to request an alteration in the contract which the Partnership has with the City.

The City entered into an agreement with the Partnership last summer which allows the Partnership to be reimbursed for infrastructure improvements to the land they are developing in the area of HH Highway and Alternate 71. The Partnership would be reimbursed for actual costs of the improvements not to exceed $900,000 from sales tax generated by the development.

Under the agreement, the City will reimburse the Partnership 50% of the City’s portion of the sales taxes generated by the development minus the previous year’s taxes of any business which relocates from another part of the City to the development. Payments will be made quarterly after the improvements have been completed and accepted by the City. Payments will last for 15 years or until the expenses incurred by the Partnership have been met.

Gross’s request concerned the timetable for completing improvements in the development, specifically roads, but the request would not affect the overall nature of the agreement. He asked that the Partnership be allowed to put in only a base rock road initially and to asphalt in stages as buildings along the roads are completed.

Gross said it has come to the Partnership’s attention that "if we go ahead and put the roads in, the asphalt, curbs and everything else, and we have any major construction we’re going to be wearing the roads down and then delivering the system to City with a lot of wear and tear."

Gross stressed that under his proposal the Partnership would put the base rock road in and still be obligated to asphalt, curb and gutter the roads to the City’s standard, but they could asphalt and finish the roads incrementally and keep construction traffic off the completed roads.

"I see this as perhaps a good business deal for everybody," said Gross. "We save interest costs to the City because the interest clock starts ticking when it’s built even though there may not be money to pay, so we save that. Save the wear and tear on the streets, and the base and the road will probably be better prepared after using it for a while."

"The City is not obligated to take anything from them until it is all done," Gross emphasized. "We don’t want to change that concept at all. The City would not be accepting a road until it was all done."

"The Department doesn’t have a problem with the proposal, but we do need to make a couple of things clear," said City Engineering Department Head Joe Butler.

Butler stressed that in any circumstances where the City is paying a developer under an agreement such as the Partnership’s or other incentives no payments would be made until the streets are asphalted, utilities are in and the streets are curbed and guttered along both sides. He also made clear that no business in the development located on a base rock road would be issued a certificate of occupancy. The road to the business would have to be asphalted before the business could operate. Currently the Partnership has a contract with a major fast food company.

"It’ll be all or none," Gross stressed. "They may be accruing the possibility of getting paid, but unless they deliver the whole package in accordance to City specs they would never draw a penny. That way I think the City is protected, and everybody saves money."

"As long as there’s no change in the reimbursement, I don’t know why anyone would have any big objection if this makes sense for both parties like it sounds," said Committee Chair Bill Fortune.

Fortune asked Economic Development Director Max McKnight to draft new language to amend the agreement with the Partnership and then come back to the Committee for approval & request for a Council bill.

Parking Lot Sale Possible.

Members of the Public Works Committee voted to recommend to the full Council that the City consider selling the parking lot east of the post office to the post office.

Committee Chair Bill Fortune said this possibility was raised a year or two ago but had died while the post office was pursing permission to consider such a transaction. City Engineering Department Head Joe Butler reported that post office officials had recently spoken to the Mayor about their continued interest in the lot.

The lot in question consists of 32 public parking spaces and was developed by the City at a cost of probably $40,000 to 50,000 according to Butler. Butler is not aware of any current asking price, the Mayor just asked that the possibility of selling be run through Committee for feedback.

Lujene Clark, former Council member and current Council candidate, spoke to the Committee saying when the question of selling arose the first time they estimated the cost to the City of developing the parking lot to be about $55,000 and that on average 15 spaces a day in the lot were used by postal employees. Clark said since then the lot south of the police department has opened and spaces have been made available in the lot on Lyon behind the old police department, more than replacing the 32 spaces in the lot by the post office.

"Basically, in previous discussion the Committee was in favor of proceeding with it," said Fortune. "One, we didn’t really see that we needed it, and two it seemed a good idea to help the post office out and maybe keep them downtown."

 


 

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

I noticed that they are sellin' pre-cooked bacon at the stores now. The idea almost matches the absurdity of "artificial" margarine. The package sells for about the same as a twelve ounce regular bacon pack but only weighs two and a half ounces. That seemed like a real rip off until I noticed that the number of strips in the pre-cooked pack was the same as the uncooked. Ya get about the same and they cook it for ya.

The real hoot was readin' the directions on how to heat up the stuff. They gave direction for microwave, oven and skillet warmin'. All three were basically the same, put it in and heat it up. Pretty much like ya do with regular bacon.

I suppose the little extra ya pay would be worth it if you were back packin' or just wanted to save space in the ice box. I never cease to be amazed at time savin' devices.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin'.

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Oak Street health & herb

Weekly Column

Natural Nutrition.

by Mari An Willis

Just in case you can't wait for some fresh fish, Alaskan Fisherman has come to Carthage. This is a very unique organization of family members fishing for salmon, halibut and shrimp who are responsible for the quality of their product from fishing to packaging to distributing. They are extremely conscientious people who are proud of their clean waters and traditional fishing methods.

Most people are aware of the benefits of the omega oils in the diet. Salmon oil is an omega oil. Salmon is also a very rich product in that a little goes a long way. Alaskan Fisherman halibut is super.


Poached Alaska Salmon

with Cucumber Sauce.

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 1 small onion, sliced

• 2 sprigs parsley

• 5 peppercorns

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 4 (4-6 oz) Alaska salmon steaks

 

In a qt. microwave dish combine all except salmon. Mix well cook 3-5 min. Place salmon in seperate dish and pour wine mixture over. Cover with vented plastic wrap on med-high microwave for 5-6 min or until fish is flaky. Serve hot or cold.

 

Cucumber Sauce: 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1/3 cup finely chopped cucumber, 1 tbsp minced onion and 1/4 tsp. each salt, basil. Mix well. Serve with salmon.


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