George Phelps Boulevard Complete.

The City Council Public Works Committee voted 4-0 Tuesday evening to make the final payment of $12,729.85 to Sprouls Construction for the completion of George Phelps Boulevard in the Myers Park Development. According to Director of Engineering Joe Butler, the amount was negotiated down from a final bill of just over $20,000 submitted by Sprouls.

The project ended up approximately $45,000 over budget, mainly due to additional work requested by the City after the contract was accepted.

The Committee also voted to set the hours of operation for the City Landfill at 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. year round. For the last few seasons, hours have changed for winter and summer. The Committee was told that running later in the evening was drawing more use and some have complained about not being open earlier in the day.

The Committee was informed that the roundabout planned for the intersection of Grand, Fairlawn, and Airport Drive was scheduled to go out for bids December 20 of this year. Completion is scheduled for July 15, 2003.

BLUNT JOINS PRESIDENT TO UNVEIL IRAQ RESOLUTION

news release Washington

Chief Deputy Majority Whip Roy Blunt today joined President Bush and a bipartisan, bicameral coalition of lawmakers to announce an agreement on the Resolution of Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq.

Blunt, who headed a working group on Iraq appointed by President Bush, said, "This is a good resolution that grants the President the authority he needs to protect our national security and does not tie his hands by compelling him to wait on the United Nations.

"I expect a strong, bipartisan vote in both Houses when the resolution comes to the floor of the House and Senate in the coming weeks."

The resolution, which will be considered by the House International Relations Committee this week, authorizes the president to enforce United Nations Security Council resolutions and defend the U.S. with military force if necessary against threats from Iraq. The resolution requires the president to determine that furt her diplomacy initiatives will not adequately protect the U.S. and to make a report to Congress at least every 60 days on the status of efforts to protect the U.S. as authorized by the resolution.

"The President has done an excellent job of making the case against Saddam Hussein to the American people, to the Congress, and to our allies," Blunt said. "He has proved that, not only does Saddam have a stockpile of chemical and biological weapons at his disposal, but he is willing to use them against his own people and neighboring countries.

"As he continues efforts to develop nuclear capabilities, we would do well to remember the last decade of defiance by Saddam."

NASCAR to the Max

Jeff Gordon is already looking forward to the next time the NASCAR series returns to Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, KS. Gordon won Sunday’s Protection One 400 in convincing fashion and can still claim being the only Winston Cup winner at the track. Gordon also won last years’ inaugural event at the facility.

Though the track surface has improved slightly, there was little side-by-side racing action. With the track surface being new last year only one racing groove, or lane, developed. The drivers hoped that another racing season would widen the groove but most drivers stated that at best it was a groove and a half. Several drivers commented they could run side-by-side if both drivers were willing to give the other a little room and not bump and bang around but those courtesies are uncommon in racing.

The race was slowed 11 times for 51 laps with the last caution period on lap 263 of 267 bringing out a red flag to stop the race. The red flag period allowed the safety crews to clean the track and allow the race to be completed under racing rather than caution conditions.

Good finishes by Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart coupled with poor showings by Mark Martin and Sterling Marlin further jumbled the point’s standings. Johnson, a rookie, now commands the lead in the championship chase and is the first rookie to ever lead the standings this late in the season. Martin trails by only 11 points with the top six being separated by only 137 points.

This Sunday’s race will take place at the 2.66-mile high-banked super speedway in Talladega, Alabama. Though it is the longest track on the schedule, speeds are kept below 190 mph in the interest of fan and driver safety. Restrictor plates are placed below the carburetors to restrict airflow into the engine thereby slowing the cars.

One of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. drivers, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. or Michael Waltrip, has won 5 of the last 7 restrictor plate races and will likely be among the frontrunners of the 43 starters.

I find myself on occasion wonderin’ what happened to that piece of memorabilia I once had. Most are of no real significance, but from time to time I wish I knew where they ended up.

A couple a cap pistols I had as a kid were protected for a while, but I now have no idea where they disappeared.

A Tonka truck and the family favorite "lung tester" were stolen and a guitar I was particularly fond of. An album I loaned to a friend I never saw again. A guitar amplifier last time I heard was in Chicago. A stereo system moved with a family I tried to help out. A drill I forgot to pack from a job site.

I usually think of these things individually, but I’m startin’ to figure I’ve lost more stuff than I remember havin’. I guess as long as I can remember, the mind remains.

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’m hoping you can help us out. With baby No. 4 in the oven, I’ve suddenly become aware that the family station wagon is a dying breed, and almost no car manufacturers are making bench front seats anymore. What happened? Will we be forced into a mammoth, gas-guzzling SUV or van because of a moment’s indiscretion? What is the smallest, greenest and safest option for folks who crave just one more seat than the five that Detroit allows us? Why is it that all cars big enough to seat four little cuties get 7 miles per gallon and have stinky safety records? We live in Hawaii, where gas is atrociously expensive and parking spaces were designed for VW Beetles (the old ones). I would love to have your advice! — Anna

RAY: Yeah, this is a problem, isn’t it, Anna?

TOM: The "family station wagon" was effectively replaced by the SUV in the 1990’s. Men didn’t think it was cool to drive their families around in station wagons. But the car makers discovered that if you raised them up a little higher, put big, fat tires on them and slapped 4x4 decals on the back, men would fall all over themselves to drive them.

RAY: So what’s left for those of us who don’t want to drive SUVs? Well, there are still a few traditional station wagons out there that can seat seven, with an optional rear-facing third seat for kids. There’s the Ford Taurus (aka Mercury Sable), the Volvo V70 and the Mercedes E320 wagon.

TOM: Keep in mind, though, that this third seat is not for kids who get carsick easily, and we can’t vouch for their safety in rear-end crashes. Plus the third seat is designed for tiny people.