By Del McGriffith | Grass-care correspondent

In a recent development, a Bass Lake resident told The Beacon this week he fired up his lawn mower for the first time this spring, and it “went off without a hitch.”

Joe “Thatch” Torrance, 42, of 307 Curdzenweigh Way, said he had been worried his 2011 walk-behind “might not make it through the winter.” He was relieved when the mower started on the second pull.

“I put in fresh gas, checked the oil and — bam!” Torrance said. “Worked like a charm.”

With the testing process complete, Torrance said he’ll conduct his first official yard-cutting sometime in the next month or so.