Today's Feature

Budget Refinement Continues.

The Budget Ways and Means Committee will meet this evening at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall to continue the process of reviewing and revising the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget.

The committee completed its initial pass of budget cuts in the last week on April. City Administrator Tom Short said that during that session approximately $2.3 million had been cut from the budget. Short added that $2.2 million was the lowest amount that could be cut to balance the budget.

The committee is still awaiting final numbers from Kaatz & Associates concerning the City salary study. The cost of implementing the recommended changes is expected today, prior to the meeting. The committee has also not allowed for any cost of living adjustments in the rough budget, and these items will be discussed at tonight’s meeting.

No Quorum.

The Public Works Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday this week was cancelled due to lack of a quorum. Items on the agenda will be discussed at the next regularly scheduled committee meeting on May 20th.

Mornin'
I was just acceptin’ the fact that folks would be rude while drivin’ as they talked on their cell phone. Sittin’ parked at an intersection, not lookin’ as they pull out of parkin’ spaces, creepin’ through stop signs, when it struck me that they now do the same sort a thing as they’re walkin’ on the sidewalk.

The phones ya stick in your ear makes it even worse. People walkin’ outa the grocery store, carryin’ a bag of groceries and talkin’ and laughin’ to what appears to be themselves.

The ones that sneak up behind ya and get a call are the worst.

"Hey, how ya doin’" I hear ‘em say.

I turn to respond and they let out a big belly laugh at some response from the phone, not even aware of my presence. Ain’t fair.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Click & Clack Talk Cars
By Tom & Ray Magliozzi

Dear Tom and Ray:

I was reading a book about cars in which the author stated: "Stop-and-go rush-hour traffic is a prime candidate for spawning high automatic-transmission temperatures. Placing the transmission in Neutral during long stops will help dissipate some of that internal heat, because the clutches and other components aren’t generating the necessary friction to keep the car at the ready. This helps considerably in cooling the unit" Please offer your second opinion regarding this driving practice. If you agree, comment on what you would consider a "long stop." I interpret it to mean stops of the duration that normally occur at intersections when the light is red.---- Michael

RAY: Michael, the author is correct that putting an automatic transmission in Neutral will help keep the transmission a little cooler. But the question is, at what cost?

TOM: Every time you move the transmission between Neutral and Drive, you torque, or "twist," the entire drivetrain. That means one thing slams into the nest, which slams into the next, and on down the line. Every time these drivetrain components get slammed together, they get a little closed to wearing out or breaking. In our opinion, that kind of wear and tear is more harmful than normal stop-and-go transmission temperatures---for which the transmission was designed.

RAY: Now, if you really are stopped for a long time---and I don’t consider a traffic light a "long stop"---then you should put the car in Park and turn off the ignition. I would consider a "long stop" a minimum of three or four minutes.

TOM: I know there’s less and less for us tinkerers to do in our cars these days. We’re reduced to just putting it in Drive and stepping on the gas. It’s boring!

RAY: But resist the urge to monkey with the automatic transmission, Michael. If you’re really antsy, try dusting the dashboard.