$100 Separates Asphalt Bill.

The City Council Public Works Committee voted Tuesday afternoon to accept the bid from Blevins Asphalt for the City’s six paving projects for the upcoming year.

City Street Superintendent Tom Shelley told the Committee that after calculating the bids, Blevins was lower than APAC by approximately $100. APAC has won the annual bid for the last two years, and Blevins had been awarded the contract for several years previous.

Shelley said that both companies had been good to work with and provided a quality product. Shelley provides the Council with a five year plan for repaving streets and the City contracts for the larger projects. Street Department crews maintain streets and pave where it is not practical to contract the work out.

Blevins bid $23.95 per ton of applied asphalt and 75 cents a gallon for oil. APAC bid $23.94 per ton and 84 cents for oil. Shelley calculated the total amount of work, about 3,500 tons of asphalt and 1,591 gallons of oil, and Blevins came in low. The bids were slightly lower than last year and are within the expected budget of about $85,000.

Only a couple a weeks ta make up your mind.

There’s a decision to be made by those voters in the First, Third, and Fourth Wards to decide who will represent them for the next couple years on City Council. Wards Two and Five have candidates but unopposed.

There are also two seats on the School Board that are to be decided. Several candidates to choose from there.

Then there’s a couple a tax questions. The school bond issue is givin’ folks some issues to ponder ‘bout the future of the school system.

The other City issue is the question of uppin’ the lodgin’ tax for overnight stays in motels, money to be used for promotin’ tourism. Best get to decidin’.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Click & Clack
TALK CARS

by Tom & Ray Magliozzi

Dear Tom and Ray:

My owner’s manual says I should use only "regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher." However, I live in Colorado and use 85 octane. The engine does not ping or knock at any time. Since the price of 87 octane gas here is about 10 cents more per gallon, do I have to spend the extra money for it? I own a 1995 Buick Regal with a 3800 V6 under the hood.-Bob

RAY: Well, first of all, I’m glad you have a 3800 V6 under the hood, Bob. Because if it was anywhere other than under the hood, this question would be a much greater challenge for us.

TOM: You’re the exception to the octane rule, Bob. For those of you who are not regular readers we always say to use the manufacturer’s recommendation for octane. No more, no less.

RAY: Lower octane can cause pinging and overheating, which can damage the engine. And higher-than-required octane is simply a waste of money.

TOM: An octane rating tells you how high the ignition point of the gasoline is. If the ignition point is to low, the fuel can begin to burn to early in the cylinders and cause pinging. By using higher octane gas, you raise the ignition point and eliminate that early burning.

RAY: And the manufacturer determines what octane you need based on the compression ratio of the engine.

Generally speaking, the higher the engine’s compression, the higher the octane you need.

TOM: And that allows you, Bob, to use lower-than-recommended octane in the altitude of Colorado. Up where you live, the air pressure is lower. That means the air pressure in the cylinders is lower too.