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THURSDAY. OCTOBER 17. 2013 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 9A
Ward off rot, carve a better pumpkin
with these ripe tips
ExtremePumpkins.com has several suggestions for getting the most out of your Jack-O-
Lantern.
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff writer
areinhardt@pickensprogressonline.com
It’s sad - the pumpkin that
rots too soon and makes your
scary vampire face look more
like a toothless, smiling grandpa
by Halloween.
Or the poorly cut top that
doesn’t quite fit back on prop
erly.
Prematurely rotted pumpkins
and bad carving jobs happen to
all of us, but it doesn’t have to
be this way.
Tom Nardone of Ex-
tremePumpkins.com has spent
years mastering all things
pumpkin - from carving to
preservation to pyrotechnic
pumpkins - and his eerie obses
sion with All Hallow’s Eve
most beloved orange orb has
landed him on the Conan
O ’Brian Show, Regis and
Kathie Lee and others.
Here are Nardone’s top
pumpkin tips, which can be
found on
ExtremePumpkins.com along
with a virtual clearing house of
free videos, carving patterns,
and more.
•Preserve your pumpkin
longer - Nardone performed a
study of 15 suggested methods
for pumpkin preservation, and
he found that the best way to
keep your Jack-O-Lantem in
tip-top shape longer is to spray
it (all cut surfaces, inside and
under the lid) using bathroom
cleaner with bleach. He says
this keeps the bugs, mold and
animals away and will increase
your pumpkin’s life by 100 per
cent for just one spraying.
• Choose the right pumpkin -
Nardone prefers taller pumpkins
over wide pumpkins because he
says they look more like the
shape of a face - and he says the
bigger and uglier the better be
cause they look more interest
ing.
•Thinking outside the top -
Nardone says you don’t have to
take off the top of the pumpkin
like most people do. He says
you can remove the bottom or
the back, too — take off the
bottom if you want the top to
look untouched and take of the
back if you want the entire top,
bottom and front for your de
sign.
•Cutting the plug - This is the
hardest part, Nardone says. Be
cause the top of the pumpkin is
woody and tough you need a
strong blade. He uses a drywall
saw. No drywall saw? (which he
says are inexpensive) he says
use a filet knife. Cut out a cone
shape with a notch so the top
will fit back on easily. Visit his
website for a video tutorial.
• Cleaning out the pumpkin -
Nardone uses an ice cream
scoop. To stay clean while
cleaning, start by scraping
around the sides starting from
the hole to the bottom - then
dump it all into the trash.
•The face - Use a dry erase
marker so you can erase and
avoid “an accidental layer of
guy-liner,” he says.
•Use power tools - Try using a
jigsaw to remove eyes and
mouth, and a rotary tool to
carve skin. For large areas Nar
done uses and angle grinder for
skin or for shaping the pump
kin.
•Look for props - Twizzlers
for dreadlocks; wood chips for
teeth; taffy for tongues; home
insulation for brains - these are
some of the many varieties of
props Nardone finds at grocery,
craft of home improvement
stores.
Our Lady Of The Mountains
4th Annual
Fall
"^Festival
October 26 10-6
October 27 9:30-4
Arts & Crafts
CFF Food & Bake ^gle
Sunday 12 - 4
Lots of Fun Games & $1 Bingo
Admission: 2 canned food items per person for Food Drive
On the corner of Refuge Rd. at Waleska Highway 108
^^^^90tM/Valeskc^Hw^08^as|oei^^(U4^^^_
September 12 - November 30, 2013
All presenting blood and platelet donors will be entered to win one of
three $1,000 gift cards to use toward looking and feeling your best!
Jasper Community Drive
WE VOLUNTEER AND DONATE
TO CHEROKEE SCHOOLS
AND ORGANIZATIONS.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT
NEIGHBORS DO.
Northside Hospital-Cherokee has given more than 10,000 volunteer hours
and donated millions to Cherokee schools and charitable organizations.
Because Cherokee County is not only the location of our hospital, it is our
home. Most of our physicians and staff live right here. Our children go to
school with yours and we shop at the local grocery stores with you. Since
becoming part of the community in 1997, Northside Hospital-Cherokee is
committed to keeping this county great. Because, after all, it's our home, too.
Northside Hospital
Cherokee
Cherokee's community hospital.
Northside.com
Amicalola EMC - Camp Road - Community Room
Friday, October 18th
11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
This Drive may provide life saving Blood Products for 195 Patients!
Did you know that 1 Hour of your time may save the lives of 3 Patients? Someone
needs blood every two seconds. Fewer Donors gift around the Holiday periods;
can you lift the mission and encourage donations?
Thank You for Gifting Life with the American Red Cross!
You may make an appointment to donate on-line at www.rcdcrossblood.org and search this
drive by city: Jasper. You may also make an appointment by contacting 1-800-RED-CROSS
or Sharon Little at (706) 692-7257. Please contact 1 -800-RED-CROSS for an appointment or
with any questions regarding eligibility. Walk-ins arc welcome! Appointments are encouraged.
PLEASE BRING PHOTO ID
Before you donate: Drink extra caffeine-free fluids such as water or juice. Eat a good meal or
snacks. Get plenty of sleep the night before. No intense exercise or heavy lifting after giving blood.
American Red Cross
To schedule an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org
or call 1-800-RED CROSS today.
The candidates are coming
Do you know who they are?
By Nancy Davis
Even though the Ga. Supreme
Court is trying to decide the dates
for filing for offices, candidates
are not waiting to get the money
down before announcing they are
running.
On Saturday, Oct. 26, at Chat
tahoochee Technical College in
Jasper, all candidates who have
announced intentions for the dif
ferent offices are being invited to
come to the Candidate Indoor
Fair. These folks have all been
invited to attend. Some have ac
cepted, some are sending repre
sentatives and some have not
bothered to answer at this time.
All these candidates have an
nounced for the U.S. Senatorial
seat being vacated by Saxby
Chambliss. Both Republican and
Democrat candidates will have a
table to display any materials
they have and give you can op
portunity to meet and speak with
them (or their representatives) to
allow you to make your choices
for the office.
Needless to say, with three
Democrats and six Republicans
vying for the seat, it will be quite
a fight. So come see the gang and
be sure to note who actually is
here and who declined. In fair
ness to all, the actual replies (or
non-replies) will be noted if a
candidate does not appear or
send a representative.
Oct. 26, Chattahoochee Tech
nical College, Jasper; 2-4 p.m.,
the Candidate Indoor Fair. For
more information, contact Penny
a t
pickenscountyteaparty@gmail.c
om. Look forward to seeing you
all so that you can be informed,
educated and motivated to get in
volved in the decision for the
2014 elections. If you don’t vote
- don’t complain!
8th graders have excellent learning
experience at Career Day
Both JMS and PCMS 8th graders listening to the introduction for Career Day.
By Richard Hauenstein
On Friday, Sept. 27, Pickens
High School Principal Eddie Mc
Donald, staff and Beta Club pro
vided an excellent learning
experience for both PCMS and
JMS 8th graders.
While one class took a tom of
the school led by the Beta Club,
the students from the other mid
dle school attended presentations
by: Mrs. Lorrie Shaw, senior
loan officer at Community Bank
of Pickens County; Fire Marshall
Curtis Clark and Chip Rice;
pharmacist Bob Anderson;
Parish Lowrie of State Farm In
surance; Stacey Godfrey of the
Pickens Progress', Pickens
County Sheriff’s office; and
Sloan Elrod and Steve Root of
the EMS.
The students rotated from sta
tion to station every 8 1/2 min
utes. The PC Youth Enrichment
Program founder W. Richard
Hauenstein selected the presen
ters; Lynn Bums coordinated the
event; and Walmart provided the
lunch for the presenters. The at
tendees were honored by a visit
from Dr. Lula Mae Perry, super
intendent of schools.
The purpose of the annual ex
perience is to acquaint rising
freshmen with multiple career
options while introducing them
to the high school environment
and the school facilities.
NOTICE OF PICKENS COUNTY FY 2014 BUDGET WORKSHOPS
Work sessions are scheduled with the Pickens County Board of Commissioners, Elected Officials, Judicial
Offices and Department Heads for discussion of the proposed FY 2014 Budgets.
These work sessions will be held on the following days:
Monday, October 21, 2013 - 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013 - 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
A complete schedule of meeting dates and times is posted on the Pickens County website, and at the
Pickens County Administration building, 1266 East Church Street, Jasper, GA 30143.