Morrow Mill Split Vote.

A presentation by the Carthage Mill & Museum Park Corporation got mixed reactions from members of the City Council at the regular Council meeting in City Hall Tuesday evening. A request for endorsement of the project was approved, but by a split vote of 5-3. Members Bill Putnam and Jim McPheeters were absent.

Council members Ronnie Wells, J.D. Whitledge, and Jim Woestman voted against the endorsement.

Woestman said he thought the idea of turning the one hundred fifty-one acres around the site know as Morrow Mill was a good one, but wanted more information about the organization putting the multi-million dollar project together.

J.D Whitledge was concerned because the proposed free park would not allow access or exit from the river around the dam.

The endorsement did not commit any funds or commitment from the City, but rather will be used to show community support when state and federal grants are sought by the corporation.

The first phase of the park is scheduled to be open in 2004.

NASCAR to the Max

Preseason testing has begun at Daytona International Speedway, home of the Daytona 500, which kicks off the NASCAR Season on February 17. In previous years, these tests were conducted as three series’ of two-day tests, one for each car manufacturer (GM, Pontiac and Dodge). This year the tests are being conducted as two series’ of three-day tests. One series’ is comprised of those who finished in the odd numbers of the season’s final point’s standings, the other being filled with the even number finishing positions. The major drawback to the previous method was that all of the sessions had to have been completed before NASCAR could look at the results and determine if any rules changes needed to be made. It also often lead to accusations among the various makes that the others were "sandbagging", or holding back, in an effort to get favorable rule changes. Using this year’s method, each make will be represented on the track at the same time and the sanctioning body can make changes to the rules and requirements as the tests are being conducted and have the results immediately. After the first day of this year’s first session, which was held Monday, January 7, Rookie Jimmie Johnson holds the top speed. Johnson is driving a car co-owned by last year’s Champion, Jeff Gordon and Gordon’s team owner Rick Hendrick. Johnson’s speed was 183.120, slightly slower than last year’s pole speed of 183.565 by Bill Elliott.

Missourian and World of Outlaws Sprint Car Champion Danny Lasoski has been invited to participate in this year’s International Race of Champions. IROC is a series pitting 12 drivers from different series’ in identically prepared Pontiac Firebirds. Lasoski’s car owner, and NASCAR Superstar, Tony Stewart has also been invited to participate. Though WOO participants are uncommon, former WOO Champion Steve Kinser won an IROC Round at Talladega Superspeedway, a track usually dominated by the NASCAR contingency.

Add NASCAR Rookie-of-the-Year winner Kevin Harvick’s name to the list of NASCAR drivers to compete in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona on February 2 and 3.

Nothin’ like a couple a 50 or 60 degree days in the middle of January to brighten up the spirits some. Course with the relatively mild winter we’ve had, it’s hard ta claim cabin fever.

I’m always interested in the studies they do with folks bein’ deprived of sunlight over a period of time. They say when folks don’t have clocks or the sun to regulate their time, the natural rhythm of sleep and time awake moves into about a 25 hour cycle. Seems odd that we haven’t yet trained our bodies to more closely match the cycle of the sun. Or maybe when our biological clocks were bein’ set, the days were actually longer.

Instead of daylight savin’ time, maybe we should just go with the twenty-five hour day. There’d be less of ‘em ta keep track of but on occasion ya get ta sleep in some.

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:

I have received a battery charger as a gift. It has the following settings on it: 6-volt/6amp; 12-volt/2 amp; 12-volt/6 amp. I have a 1982 Oldsmobile, a ’77 Chevy pickup truck and a Snapper rider mower.

Which of the above settings should be used to charge the batteries on each of these vehicles? - Bob

Tom: Well, for the first two vehicles, the Olds and the Chevy, you should use the 12-volt/6 amp setting. The first number, the voltage, is determined by the battery. And all modern cars use 12-volt electrical systems.

Ray: The second number, amperage, is a measure of how much electricity can flow through the charger’s wires at any given time. And even your highest setting, 6 amps, is not very much.

A 6-amp charger would take all night to transfer enough electricity to charge your car’s battery.

That’s why they call your device a "trickle charger," because the electricity trickles in slowly.

Tom: As for your riding mower, I don’t know for certain what kind of electrical system it has.

Many of them use 12-volt systems, but without knowing the age of the mower, I can’t say for sure.

The voltage should be written right on the battery (or you can always call the company to be sure). And as long as the voltage is set correctly, I think either amperage setting would be OK.