Council Member Eligibility.

Council bill 03-27 was presented to the Council Tuesday evening at the bimonthly City Council meeting for a first reading. The bill is a proposed repealing of ordinance 03-22 passed April 8, 2003. Ordinance 03-22 was passed with emergency language to change Ward boundaries back as they previously existed before the 2000 census. The change was made because it was believed that a person running for Council had to live in the Ward they represented and Mike Harris was unaware that due to the boundary changes he no longer lived in Ward one.

During later research it was discovered that there is no requirement that a person has to live in the Ward they represent. According to the Home Rule Charter of the City of Carthage the only qualifications needed to run for Council are a person must be 21, they must have lived in Carthage for a year, they must be a United States citizen and they must be a qualified voter.

The Mornin’ Mail contacted the county to see if their were any state laws that would clarify the City Code, an official at the county election office said they had no jurisdiction over Carthage policy.

NASCAR to the Max

The NASCAR series was idle this past weekend in observance of Easter. The next break the teams will receive will be on May 11 in observance of Mother’s Day.

The break, though merely by coincidence, comes at the end of the first quarter of the season. The first nine of the season’s 36 races have seen a different winner at each race. Ricky Craven is the only driver to win this season that didn’t also win last season.

The series’ has raced at a variety of tracks including the two longest, Daytona (FL) and Talladega (AL) at 2.5 and 2.66-miles respectively, and the two shortest, Bristol (TN) and Martinsville (VA) at .533 and .526 respectively. They have also raced at the series fastest track, Atlanta, where straightaway speeds reach 200 mph.

Fans were also treated to the closest finish since NASCAR began recording times electronically when Ricky Craven edged out Kurt Busch by .002 seconds at Darlington (SC) Raceway.

As the team’s wind through the next quarter of the season, a variety of tracks will challenge them including the 2.5-mile triangular Pocono (PA) Raceway, the 1.95-mile 11-turn road course in Sonoma, CA and the season’s second visit to Daytona International Speedway. The shortest track the series will visit in the next nine races is the .750-mile Richmond (VA) International Raceway.

The series point’s championship is also shaping up as a hotly contested race. Current point’s leader Matt Kenseth only has a 51 point lead on second place Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and a 139 point lead on four-time champ Jeff Gordon. The entire top-ten are only separated by 275 points. Though last year’s champ Tony Stewart has not carded a win this season he does hold down seventh place in the point’s race.

This week’s race will take place at the 2-mile, relatively flat California Speedway just outside Los Angeles. Last year’s winner Jimmie Johnson will look to pace the 43 starters and return to the winner’s circle and will likely be challenged by teammate Jeff Gordon who would like to be the season’s first repeat winner.

It’s always fun ta look at the possibilities.

The City Charter and Code not only doesn’t require a Council member to live in the ward they represent, there’s nothin’ to say ya can’t file for office in more than one ward. Now I’m not supposin’ that anyone is foolish enough ta file in all five wards and pick of the ones they win, but all it would take, from what I’m seein’, is twenty-five signatures of qualified voters of the City as a whole. Nothin’ I’m seein’ says ya have ta use a different’ twenty five for each ward.

As it turns out, Council member Mike Harris was qualified to file in the First Ward even though he lives fifty-some fee outa the ward. He was qualified to file, and was duly elected by the voters of the First Ward. Another first for the City.

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 know we aren’t supposed to let our vehicles sit outside on frigid mornings, motor on, idling to "warm up" while we quaff another cup of Earl Grey. I’ve heard you mention that before. What I can’t remember is why. When I quoted this rule to a co-worker, she sniffed "But that’s counter-intuitive." Can you tell me why it’s bad? — Cathy

TOM: Well, these days it’s only bad because it’s wasteful.

RAY: It used to be bad for the car. Twenty years ago, when most cars had carburetors, fuel would pour into the cylinders on a cold start. And left to run in cold-start mode for 15 or 20 minutes, all that excess gasoline would dilute the oil, which will shorten the life of your engine—not to mention your catalytic converter.

TOM: Fortunately, all newer cars are fuel-injected now, and fuel delivery is monitored by computer. So gasoline will no longer just pour into the cylinders, because the computer determines the precise amount of fuel to send in through the injectors. So, you will not do any harm to your car these days by warming it up — even for a long time.

RAY: It is, however, still completely unnecessary to let your car sit and warm up. Engines warm up fastest when they’re driven. So, as long as the engine starts and keeps running when you put it in gear, you’re good to go. Just drive it gently for the first few minutes (don’t jump right on the highway and go 65), and you’ll warm it up gently and efficiently.

TOM: By letting it run, you’re just wasting gasoline and polluting the neighborhood.