Today's Feature

Council Meets Tonight.

Carthage City Council will meet this evening at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall. This meeting has been scheduled for Thursday due to the anticipated absence of a number of Council members during the Missouri Municipal League meeting which was held on Tuesday.

Items on the agenda include the second reading of an ordinance that would establish a penalty structure for contractors working without building permits. This item is forwarded by the City Council Public Works Department with a recommendation to approve. The fee structure would increase penalty fees for each subsequent violation.

Council is also scheduled to hear the second reading of an ordinance that would rezone property at 1226 E. 13th Street to allow for a duplex. A citizen participant spoke against this proposed rezoning at the previous Council meeting, and representatives from the Planning, Zoning and Historic Preservation Commission recommended that the rezoning not be approved.

Items in their first reading include an ordinance that would add a new section to the Carthage code regarding payment of fees, taxes and license charges under protest.

Mornin'

I became aware of a nest of those yellow tailed wasps that like ta build their home under my porch roof. After applyin’ my secret "go away bee" solution to the problem, I carefully (I mean with a long stick) removed the hive from my premises. A few minutes later, as I was sippin’ on some ice tea, I noticed a lone bee. After a little while another, and then a third bee joined in the search. Up and down the porch they flew, always returnin’ to the spot where the hive had been.

I know the incident must have caused lifelong trauma for the trio, thinkin’ that they collectively lost contact with their impeccable homing instincts. The three gathered eventually at a new location a few feet away to begin anew, blissfully ignorant of their fate.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

CLICK and CLACK

TALK CARS

by Tom & Ray Magliozzi

Dear Tom and Ray:

Recently, I heard that turning off the car’s air conditioner and opening the window will increase gas mileage and thus save money. While I’m all for saving money, this idea sounds bogus to me. I say opening the windows would increase the drag, and therefore reduce your gas mileage. Am I right? -- Sam

RAY: You are right, Sam. Using the air conditioner does lower your gas mileage, but not as much as opening the windows does.

TOM: Now, just to be clear, we’re talking about driving at moderate to high speeds here. At those speeds, where aerodynamics play a crucial role in your mileage, but not as much as opening the windows does.

RAY: When they design cars now, and do wind-tunnel testing or modeling, it’s always with the assumption that the windows will be closed, so the sides of the car will be smooth. Otherwise, the airflow around the car is interrupted, and mileage will suffer. That’s why they never let you roll down the windows on those 757s.

TOM: Right. That, the frigid temperatures and the lack of oxygen. Anyway, at lower speeds, it’s more of a toss-up. Imagine if you’re stopped in traffic, or moving at less than 20 miles per hour. Then, aerodynamics is hardly a factor. So, in that case, turning off the AC and opening the windows WOULD save you more fuel.

RAY: Of course, when your stopped in traffic and open the window, there’s no what? Breeze! So it’s not always a good option despite the energy you’d save. Especially if the only breeze you’re getting a whiff of is from the diaper truck in front of you.