Rally for Amendment 4.

Members of the Carthage Water and Electric Plant Board will participate in a Kickoff Rally sponsored by "Yes on 4 Committee" to be held this morning at 9:30 a.m. in Memorial Hall on the second floor.

The purpose of the meeting will be to explain to the news media and interested parties Amendment 4 that will appear on the November general election ballot. The amendment would allow municipal utilities to participate in joint power generation projects while maintaining local municipal control according to the Committee.

Also scheduled to participate in the rally is General Manager of the Missouri Public Utility Alliance and the Missouri Association of Municipal Utilities, Duncan Kincheloe. Kincheloe is currently volunteering his service as Executive Director of the Yes on 4 Committee and will present most of the program. Kincheloe formerly served as a Commissioner of the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC).

Former Missouri Secretary of State Bekki Cook and former PSC Chairman Karl Zobrist say the amendment will help avoid a California-style energy crisis in Missouri.

NASCAR to the Max

Sunday’s running of the MBNA All-American Heroes 400 from Dover, Delaware featured more of the veteran versus the young gun action that has flavored the series all season. This time youth and enthusiasm outran age and experience as 27 year old, Rookie-of-the-Year Candidate, Jimmie Johnson scored his third win of the season by holding off 43 year old Mark Martin by barely a half car length. Johnson was dominating the race when the day’s final caution flag flew on lap 319. All of the lead lap cars pitted with Johnson winning the race off pit road. Martin mounted several charges against Johnson over the final laps but was never able to make a pass. Johnson’s win tied him with Tony Stewart for most wins by a rookie that Stewart set in 1999.

The season point’s standings were further jumbled by poor showings by Sterling Marlin and Jeff Gordon. Martin remained in the lead while Marlin fell from 2nd to 4th with Johnson moving to 2nd and Stewart to 3rd. The top four are separated by only 81 points with Gordon a distant 5th, 190 markers back. With eight races remaining, the championship race looks like it will go down to the wire.

Area residents’ best chance to see live NASCAR Winston Cup action will be this Sunday’s Protection One 400 at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, KS. The track is a 1.5-mile tri-oval with fairly steeped banking in the turns. The drivers are eager to return to the track because of the friendly nature of the fans and the amenities that the track installed for driver comfort. The track is in its second season and has had additional time to cure and should host an exciting race with speeds close to 200 mph at times. Jeff Gordon won the inaugural race last year and knows that if he is to contend for the championship, a good run here is crucial. Look for other young guns Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kevin Harvick to join Gordon among the front-runners of the 43 starters.

Unfortunately, I’m reminded of old sayin’s much too often. Like:

Why is there always time to do somethin’ over and never enough time to do it right the first time?

It’s better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick.

Whether you’re rich or poor, it’s good ta have money.

Two can live as cheap as one, as long as one doesn’t eat.

It’s not the cost of a dinnin’ table that’s bad, it’s the upkeep.

The most critical part of any rain dance is timin’.

It’s better to keep quiet and let folks think you’re a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Click & Clack
TALK CARS

By Amy Anderson

Dear Tom and Ray:

Do "multivalve" engines have real advantages for average motorists? Many years ago, I enjoyed reading Smokey Yunick’s articles in Popular Science. On an article on engines, Smokey said that there is no advantage, to most drivers. He said that multivalve engines have value only at high rpm (i.e., for people who drive very fast). What’s more, gas mileage doesn’t seem to have improved with all of these multivalve engines out there now. What do you think of Smokey’s comments? — Charles

RAY: What a coincidence; Smokey Yunick is what we call my brother every time he lights a cigar.

TOM: In this case, I don’t happen to agree with Smokey. Valves are all about breathing. And the more valves you have — up to a point — the better your engine can breathe. By breathing, we mean getting a fresh charge of gasoline and air into a cylinder and then getting the spent exhaust out of there.

RAY: The easiest way to see this is to draw a circle. That represents the top of a cylinder. Now draw the two largest circles you can fit inside that first circle — those are your two valves, intake and exhaust.

TOM: You can see that there’s a lot of wasted space. Now, if you draw four circles (i.e., valves) inside that first circle, you can fill up a lot more space, open up a lot more of the top of the cylinder and get a lot more stuff in and out. That means you get more power out of each stroke.

RAY: And while it certainly helps most at higher rpm, because that’s when you’re asking the most of your engine, it makes a difference at moderate rpm, too.