While the kids are away While students were enjoying a day off from school activities last Friday, some Hoke County teachers were busy in music and math workshops designed to aid teachers and their students in the upcoming months. On The Front Burner Ellen S. Willis Home Economics Extension METAL CHIMNEYS The Consumer Product Safety Commission is again issuing a special safety alert concerning chimneys used with woodburning stoves and fireplaces. This alert is particularly aimed at consumers who have metal factory-built chimneys, although the Commis sion is aware of house fires associated with both masonry and metal factory-built chimneys. Thousands of house fires each year are associated with metal factory-built chimneys connected to wood and coal burning stoves. Now that the nation has entered the 1983-1984 heating season, the Commission strongly urges you, if you have a stove or fireplace con nected to a metal chimney, to check for any damage that may have occurred in the past heating season. Look for signs of struc tural failure, such as deformation, cracks, or holes. If it is difficult to examine the chimney, a local chimney repairman, chimney "sweep", or dealer can help. Most fires in metal factory built chimneys occur because of im proper installation, use or maintenance. The Commission staff has identified the following common causes: -Improper chimney installation causing ignition of nearby wood framing. -Structural damage to the chimney caused by burning creosote (a black tar-like substance which builds up inside the chimney). -Chimney corrosion resulting in wood framing being exposed to ex cessive temperatures. Buckling and collapsing of the inner liner of the chimney. (This can result from too hot a fire, especially in high-efficiency stoves and in fireplace inserts, or from a creosote fire). Many serious fires also occur in masonry chimneys, usually from improper installation or when the tile inner liner and the surrounding brick or block structure crack and separate. Such cracks may be caus ed by the ignition of creosote. Smoke and heat can then escape and ignite material near the chimney. Even when the heating appliance is properly installed, people with both metal and masonry chimney systems should frequently check the chimney for creosote deposits, soot build-up or physical damage. This involves only a simple visual examination, but it should be done as often as twice a month during heavy use. If you see heavy creosote build-up, suspect a prob lem, or have had a chimney fire, a qualified repairman or chimney "sweep" should perform a com plete safety inspection. They can arrange for any necessary repairs or creosote removal, which must be done before the heating ap pliance is used again. The Commission advises owners of these chimneys to: -Be sure that the chimney and stove pipe were installed correctly in accordance with the manufac turers' recommendations and local building codes. If there is any doubt, a building inspector or fireman can determine whether the system is properly installed. -Have the chimney checked routinely by ? chimney "sweep" at least once a year, and more fre quently if a stove is heavily used (for example, if it's used as a primary heat source for the home). -Always operate your appliance within the manufacturers' recom mended temperature limits. Too low a temperature increases creosote build-up and too high a temperature may lead to a fire. Chimney temperature monitors are available and should be used. If you have had a fire or other safety problem with your chimney, please provide this information to the Commission by calling the Commission's toll-free Hotline 800-638-CPSC. REMOVING SOOT AND STAINS FROM FIREPLACE FACINGS Cold weather turns our thoughts^ to logs cracking in a fireplace. But along with that warmth and beauty comes soot and stains. The nice thing is that soot and stains are relatively easy to remove from fireplace facings. First, you'll need to scrub the fireplace facing with strong soap and water. And you'll probably need to use a stiff brush for brick or rough textured areas. After scrubbing, rinse the facing thoroughly with clear water. If stains and soot still persist, you may need to use a mild acid bleach, such as vinegar or acetic acid. Again, apply the bleach with the stiff brush. And again, be sure to rinse the facing with water after scrubbing. If stains are really stubborn, you may need to scrub them with a hydrochloric and water solution. To prepare it, mix one part hydrochloric acid to ten parts of water. After scrubbing, rinse im mediately with water. There are a couple of cautions. Whenever you use the hydrochloric acid and water solu tion ? use rubber gloves to protect your hands. And never, never use the acid solution on stonework. Serve them baked, broiled, mashed, fried; they are good in so many ways - irish potatoes. Dot Harris shared these two recipes. Stuffed Baked Potatoes 6 medium baking potatoes, baked I /8 teaspoon pepper V* cup milk 3 slices bacon, fried and crumbled 1 teaspoon salt V* cup margarine or butter, 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded American or cheddar cheese Heat oven to 400 ?F. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop potato out of shells into bowl; mash. Add remaining ingredients except cheese. Beat until light and fluffy. Spoon back into shells and place in 13" x 9" pan; top with cheese. Bake at 400 ?F. for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is light golden brown. Yields: 6 servings. Parmeua Potatoes 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour Vi teaspoon salt I large potato, peeled and cut into eighths 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese dash 'of pepper 4 tablespoons butter or margarine melted I tablespoon chopped parsley, op tional Combine flour, cheese, salt and pepper in a bag. Moisten potatoes with water, shaking off excess. Shake a few at a time in the bag, coating well. Pour batter into a 12" x 8" x 2" baking dish. Place potatoes in the dish in a single layer. Bake at 375 ?F. for one hour turning once. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Yields: 4 serv ings. Mrs. Wanda Monroe shared this recipe. Beth Wood had the recipe in Raeford First Baptist Church Recipe Book. Not only did Wanda share the recipe, she shared a ball she had prepared. It is good. Chip Beef Ball 3 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese I Vi teaspoons. accent 1 large jar chipped beef (chipped) 2 or 3 spring onions, chopped 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (Continued on page 7) Library Expands Staff By Elizabeth Burgess Mrs. Betsy McNeill will be join ing the staff at the Hoke County Public Library as of February the thirteenth. Mrs. McNeill joins the library with a strong background in children's services and will be working primarily with the children's programming in the library. We welcome her and are looking forward to a long and pro ductive association. Mrs. Linda Huff's fourth graders from J.W. McLauchlin Elementary School are busy work ing on "Facts Pacs." The library has been working with the students and Mrs. Peggy Gillis, librarian at McLauchlin, with these projects. We hope to have some of these projects on display in the library when they are completed. Mark your calendars for Friday, March the second. Olive Jenkins, harpist from Durham, North Carolina, and Chris Watkins, pianist, organist, and music director for Clairmont Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia, will give a concert in the conference room at the Hoke County Public Library. The concert is planned for 4 p.m. Please plan to be with us. NEW BOOKS AT LIBRARY These new books were received recently by the Hoke County Public Library, a member of the Sandhill Regional Library System. They are available at the public library and bookmobile in Raeford. ADL'LT FACT Abrahamsen, David - "The Mind Of The Accused" Cooper, Henry S.F. - "Imaging Saturn" Crocker, Betty - "Betty Crocker's New American Cooking Everywoman's Legal Guide" Holmes, Marjorie - "To Help You Through The Hurting" Home, Marilyn - "Marilyn Home: My Life" Loftus, Geoffrey R. - "Mind at Play: The Psychology Of Video Games" Manchester, William - "One Brief Shining Moment" Maron, Michael - "Michael Maron's Instant Makeover Magic" Library News Acuff, Roy - "Roy Acuff's Nashville" Anderson, Lindsay - "About John Ford" Meltzer, Milton - "The Terrorists," "Representative American Speeches, 1982-1983" Winston, Stephanie "The Organiz ed Executive" ADULT FICTION Bethancourt, T. Ernesto -"T.H.U.M.B.B." Ford, John M. - "The Dragon Waiting" Heyman, Anita - "Final Grades" O'Connor, Jane - "Just Good Friends" Ramsay, Jay - "Night of the Claw" Slepian, Jan - "The Night Of The Bozos" Willey, Margaret - "The Bigger Book of Lydia" Hawley, Richard A. "The Head master's Papers" Helwig, David - "Jennifer" Higgins, Jack - "Exocet" Penn, John - "Stag Dinner Death" Straub, Peter - Floating Dragon" CHILDREN'S FACT Anderson, Norman D. -"FireworkslPyrotechnics On Display" James, Elizabeth - "How To Write A Great School Report" CHILDREN'S FICTION . DePaola, Tomie - "The Story Of The Three Wise Kings" Gilson, Jamie - "4 B Goes Wild" Kessler, Leonard P. - Old Turtle'sWinter Games" Lear, Edward - "An Edward Lear Alphabet" Thaler, Mike - "It's Me, Hippo!" ? "We Wish You A Merry Christmas: A Traditional Christmas Carol" Wirth, Beverly - "Margie and Me" Wiseman, Bernard - "Christmas With Morris & Boris" Chlad, Dorothy - "Strangers" Keller, Holly - "Ten Sleepy Sheep" Prelutsky, Jack - "It's Halloween Joins Burlington Keith Ashworth joined the Burlington Menswear Dyeing Plant on January 16, as a Management Trainee in the Process Control Area. He Is a native of Florida and is a 1983 graduate of Clemson Universi ty with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Manage ment. He is living in Southern Pines. McDuffie Finishes Control Course Marine Pvt. Leroy McDuffie Jr., son of Leroy and Belty J. McDuffie of Raeford, has com pleted the Basic Supply Stock Con trol Course. The seven-week course was con ducted at the Marine Corps Service Support School at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. The course was designed to prepare students for future assign ment to supply administration and operation duties. Students received instruction on the use of supply publications and catalogs, plus preparation and Til ing of naval correspondence and directives. Their studies centered on the procedures used in the Marine Corps to receive, issue, control and account for govern ment property. Cunningham Finishes Army Basic Training Army Pvt; Aundyey^S. Cunn- _ training at fort Jackson, South ingham, son of L.C. CUftrtingharn ~ Carolina. and Lucille Cagle of 1215 Fuller He is a 1983 graduate of Hoke St., Raeford, has completed basic County High School, Raeford. DRESSES, SUITS ft DRESSY BLOUSES 20% OFF Cato has Spring's newest fashions in dresses, suits, jacket dresses, skirt sets and dressy blouses all at 20% off the regular price! HALF AND LARGE SIZE DRESSES, SUITS AND BLOUSES ALSO ON SALE AT 20% OFF ? For your t hopping convenience, use Cato's very special layaway plan. . .Just $1 deposit will hold your new spring selections. W? fmii . Hok* VHae* 4*1 ByFw/Cole Aw*.