Main Street On The Move.


A group of approximately 40 people attended the Carthage Ambassador Program kick-off luncheon in the Woodshed yesterday afternoon. Main Street Carthage is sponsoring the program that is funded through a grant from the Steadley Memorial Trust.

Main Street Director Carol Green asked those attending to commit a minimum of four hours a month to spreading the word that Carthage is a tourist friendly community.

Green says that with the help of energetic volunteers, downtown Carthage can develop into a seven day a week attraction for shoppers and tourists. She told the group that the Square cannot survive without the tourist trade and with volunteers’ help within two years there will be a waiting list for business locations on the Square.

Green sees the Square full of specialty shops catering to regional customers. She says that will generate sales tax, keep shops open, and enhance property values.

In additions to retailers, volunteers should include various professions represented on the Square. Bankers, lawyers, insurance agents, and property owners all have a stake in this project says Green.

Note for Note

sponsored by Main Street Mercantile

Plainsfolk is a band with a traditional Irish and American flare. The group first came together about some years ago by a chance meeting during a crafts show. All members are self-taught and play a variety of instruments such as: fiddle, harmonica, guitar, concertina, bodhram (Irish frame drum), pennywhistle (tin whistle), and bones.

Jack and Lee Ann Sours are from Dudenville, a small farming community near Golden City, Missouri. Steve and Linda Widders live in Springfield, Missouri near the James River. Both couples have traveled to Ireland where they had the opportunity to play traditional Irish tunes with local musicians that grew up playing jigs, reels, and hornpipes.

Plainsfolk has enjoyed performing at local festivals, weddings, private parties, restaurants, and Main Street Mercantile.

Coody’s Bluff is a group that performs an eclectic acoustic mix of folk, country, and bluegrass. Members of the group include Just Jake (guitar), Gloria Johnson (mandolin), Jim Wilson (lead guitar), Mike Tolbert (fiddle) and Tim Simon (bass).

NASCAR to the Max

With the running of the New Hampshire 300 from Loudon, NH last Friday the 36 race NASCAR schedule has now come to a close. The race was originally scheduled for September 16 but was rescheduled due to the September 11 terrorist attacks. The prospect of bad weather in New England had many teams and fans clamoring for the race to either be transferred to a warmer climate or canceled altogether. Ultimately, those worries were unfounded as race time temperatures were near 50 degrees. The temperatures were cool enough for teams to be concerned over the grip that their tires would have on the track. Most drivers used extreme caution with a new set of tires, allowing them to warm up and acquire maximum grip before testing their limits. The race was slowed by 7 caution periods for 50 laps, which was not quite the crash fest that many anticipated.

The most notable wreck of the day occurred on lap 285 of the 300-lap race when second place Robby Gordon bumped race leader Jeff Gordon as the two approached slower lapped traffic. Jeff and Robby are unrelated. The contact caused Jeff to loose control of his car and eventually tangle with Mike Wallace. When Jeff regained control, he retaliated by rear-ending Robby. The most damage was to Jeff’s chance of winning. He was penalized one lap which relegated him to a 15th place finish. Robby went on to win the race over a quickly closing Sterling Marlin. The win was Robby’s first in NASCAR competition. Robby’s win also helped extend the record of different winners in a season when he became the 19th different winner. Terry Labonte continued a less stellar streak when he became the only driver to start every race during the season and not lead a lap.

In the season points standings, Marlin moved up to third and Ricky Rudd dropped to fourth. Rudd had been in second with two races remaining but poor finishes lead to his drop to third last week and fourth this week. Tony Stewart finished in second overall. Jeff Gordon became only the third driver to win four or more championships.

There is a reassurance in the seasonal changes. Knowledge gained from experience of former winter weather is sometimes forgotten unfortunately. But, lessons will be repeated for those who don’t take advantage of past experience.

I turned on my wipers yesterday mornin’ to clear the light snow from the windshield. They hung for a moment, then swiped across the glass. The lesson was obvious. Part of my wiper blade stayed attached to the ice as the wiper ripped a chunk of the rubber. I’ve seen that before, I though to myself as I mumbled a few words of wisdom I’d learned in other similar experiences.

You might not teach an old dog new tricks, but ya gotta keep tryin’.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing Services

Click & Clack
TALK CARS

by Tom & Ray Magliozzi

Dear Tom and Ray:

My car is a ’93 Volvo 960. When I first turn on the air conditioner, it gives off an odor which makes me think the car is harboring a well-used cat-litter box. This odor ("stink" is more descriptive) goes away after several minutes, only to return each time I turn on the air conditioner.

I’ve tried air-freshener sprays, but they just introduce a new dimension to the problem.

I’d love to take care of this problem before next summer. Any ideas? -Edgar

TOM: Well, my guess is you’ve got yourself a little mold-spore farm there, Edgar. Congratulations.

RAY: There’s a part of the air conditioner called the evaporator, which removes the moisture from the air (i.e., "conditions" it). That moisture is then supposed to drain out through a hole in the bottom of the evaporator housing. That’s why you often see water dripping out from underneath cars in the summertime.

TOM: My guess is that you don’t see much water dripping out of the bottom of your car, Edgar, because your drain hole is all plugged up. That’s preventing water from escaping, and creating the perfect breeding ground for mold spores; a dark place with standing water.

RAY: You need to have somebody clear out the evaporator drain for you. It’s an easy job and is usually done with compressed air.

Then you’d be wise to spray something in the vents to kill the remaining mold spores. There are automotive products specifically designed for this purpose, but consumer products like Lysol seem to work just as well.