Building Bid Recommended.

The City Council Public Services Committee voted 4-0 Tuesday afternoon to recommend accepting the low bid of $186,000 from Crossland Construction for a new Street Department Maintenance Building. The recommendation will need the approval of the full Council. The building used by the department for the last 50 years was destroyed by fire last February. The City collected approximately $116,000 from insurance for the building and lost equipment.

The Budget Committee recommended and the Council approved paying for the building over a five year lease. An annual amount of $42,000 was appropriated for the lease. City Administrator Tom Short told the Public Works Committee that he felt the amount would cover the $186,000 cost of a five year lease on the building.

A motion by member Charlie Bastin to reimburse Richard Ferguson for the removal of eight trees was defeated 1-3. Ferguson feels that a storm water ditch built approximately nine years ago next to his property had a role in the trees dying.

The Committee was informed that City Codes Inspector Bud Rogers is retiring.

The big scoop on the Square for the last couple a days is the need for better solid waste management. This is not the old rest room discussion, but one most folks don’t want to step in.

It is common practice for tourists and locals to let their pets avail themselves to the only turf on the square when nature calls.

Those humans who on occasion cross the Courthouse lawn seem to be stumblin’ upon the little treasures that remain.

Although this has not caused a big stink up ta know, there is somethin’ in the air. Although it is typical for us to keep our ear to the ground, but in this case it will probably suffice to sniff out clues to get to the real poop.

This is some crap, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

PRIME TIME WITH KIDS

by Tom & Ray Magliozzi

Dear Tom and Ray:

I have an ’84 Ford Mustang with a V6 engine and 143,000 miles. My problem is that a lot of steam comes out of the tailpipe. Then when I step on the accelerator, water comes out of the tailpipe, and I think it smells like antifreeze. Is this a problem?-Jose.

TOM: Not necessarily, Jose. Water and steam are perfectly normal. Water is a by-product of the combustion process, and when it comes out of the engine, it’s hot, so it comes out as steam.

RAY: And if the tailpipe is cool, some of the steam condenses on its way out and dribbles out as liquid water. So, that’s no problem.

TOM: Losing antifreeze out the tailpipe WOULD be a problem, though. But since smells can be deceiving, you really have to use more than just your nose to make that diagnosis. You have to turn instead to automotive stoichiometry (that’s scientific jargon for seeing if you have any less coolant in the car than you had, say, yesterday).

RAY: If you are losing coolant, and it’s not dripping from anyplace obvious, then you may have a blown head gasket, cracked cylinder head or cracked engine block-which cost $400, $1,200, and $2,000 to fix, respectively-give or take a few hundred bucks.

TOM: But if you’re not losing a lot of coolant, you have the option of simply leaving it alone. On a car with 140,000-plus miles, that’s probably what I’d do. I’d keep an eye on the coolant level to make sure it doesn’t run low and melt the engine. Then I’d just keep driving and start saving for the inevitable repair-or down payment on a ’97.