Today's Feature

Proposed Land Purchase Discussed.

Carthage Economic Development Director John Bode spoke to the City Council Tuesday during their regular meeting concerning the upcoming vote on a half-cent sales tax increase. The revenue from the tax, estimated at $800,000 a year for ten years, would be used to purchase property and infrastructure in a three phase plan to complete a 600 acre industrial park and a 100 acre professional park.

Bode spoke of an agreement between the City and Precious Moments for property that will be brought before the council at their next meeting. Any agreements would be contingent upon the voter approval of the tax increase.

According to City Administrator Tom Short, the first phase of the development would be for approximately 325 acres and development of infrastructure. The land cost would be about $3.6 million with $600,000 for development of the property. The total financing would come out to around $5.2 million. Revenue bonds would be used to finance the first phase, but Short said they would not be tax exempt, and increase the interest rate by over one percent.

Mornin'

It’s gettin’ ta be porch sittin’ weather. Not too cool but not warm enough ta let the bugs get a foothold. The problem is sittin’ on the porch ya always see those things ya didn’t get done in the yard last summer. The temptation is ta get up and go do it.

Fightin’ such temptations is a lot easier sittin’ in front of the tv. Ya don’t see that little spot ya missed paintin’ up in the corner, or that one last piece a trim that ya never quite nailed down. Up ta now we’re just talkin’ ‘bout things actually on the porch. Out in the yard there is always that stubborn elm that keeps tryin’ to sprout up ever’ spring. Seems like most of my porch sittin’ sessions end up with me tinkerin’ with this or that. At least this time a year, the sun goes down soon enough ta keep those big projects on the back burner.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Dear Tom and Ray:

I was driving my 2007 forester to work the other day when the check engine light came on (it has about 15,000 miles on it). I brought it in to thedealer, and they checked it out. The computer said it was code P1443, Evaporation Control Solenoid Malfunction. They cleaned a spider web out of the charcoal canister hose. Does this sound right, or am I getting hosed? (It was covered by the warranty - but I am suspicious that something else might actually be wrong with the vehicle and will reappear after the warranty runs out). What do you think? - Mary

TOM: Believe it orn not, Mary, this is said to be a pretty common problem. We’ve never seen it in our shop, but we’ve read about it. I guess gasoline is the Chanel No. 5 of the arachnid world.

RAY: We’ve seen a number of service bulletins over the years alerting us to the dreaded spider-web-in-the-fuel-line problem. In your cse, there probably was a bunch of webby stuff in the fresh-air intake line to the evaporative emissions canister. That was preventing the fuel tank from breathing properly (fresh air has to enter the gas tank to fill up the space left by the used gasoline; otherwise, the tank will slowly implode). That set off your check engine light.

TOM; So I don’t think the dealer is hiding anything, or trying to cover up some other problem. I’d guess that he told you exactly what was wrong, and he fixed it.