"We don’t have any overall direction for the parks system" said Budget Committee Chair Jackie Boyer. "There are a lot of issues that the park board. (Public Service Committee) says that they are taking care of that would not have necessary generated a sales tax or need for a sales tax increase."

For now the purposed library bond issue is on hold according to Boyer. "We are waiting for a formal request from them for some participation in a build tax," stated Boyer. She felt the council would not "deny them the right to put it on the ballot"

"I think it’s very safe to say that the city will not be approaching the community about any kind of sales taxes for our benefit in April or June or August, " said Boyer.

Discussions of previous Budget meetings have indicated funds for the coming year are going to be limited.

City Administrator Tom Short said "I think it’s fairly safe to say that we can’t do any major improvements especially with the economic condition the way it is now."

"And I would imagine," Boyer continued, "we will have to go through the budget process to see what projects are not going to get funded this year and next year and what priorities are for some of those projects."

NASCAR to the Max

The first week of testing from Daytona International Speedway came to an end with a few surprises. The tests were held for the teams that finished the season in the odd number positions in last year’s season point’s championship.

Teams finishing in the even positions are testing this week. The Daytona test sessions, though not mandatory, do count against each teams limit of five tests whether they attend or not.

One of the surprises was Mike Wallace driving the number 09 Dodge for James Finch. Wallace and the team are only scheduled to run in five races next year, the four contested at Daytona and Talladega and the season finale at Homestead-Miami, unless further sponsorship is secured.

Wallace topped the speed charts when all sessions were completed with a top speed of 184.053 mph.

Also surprising was Jimmie Johnson who started last years Daytona 500 from the pole and led the point’s championship for a brief period before ultimately finishing third could only muster the 20th fastest speed of 181.558. Last season’s champion, Tony Stewart, finished out the week in a respectable 7th with a speed of 182.997.

In a closer indication of how the cars will compete in race trim, a drafting practice was held with the cars running in tight packs. In drafting, the lead car breaks through the air creating a vacuum that actually pulls the cars behind it along allowing all cars to go faster.

The completion of drafting practice found Kurt Busch in a Ford atop the speed chart with a speed of 184.999 mph followed closely by Rusty Wallace, whose team has switched to Dodge, at 184.794 mph.

Upon the test session’s completion, Tony Stewart jetted to Tulsa to defend his Chili Bowl Nationals title. The race is an indoor sprint car race held at the Tulsa Fairgrounds. Stewart was running second with four laps remaining when a hard charging Dan Boorse passed him relegating him to third, his final finishing position. Boorse continued his charge and took the lead on the final lap for his second career Chili Bowl crown.

Former First Ward Council member Mike Harris is returning to the City political arena. He filed for his old position after bein’ off the Council for a couple a terms.

There are still no candidates filed for the open positions for the Third and Fourth Ward. The Fourth Ward position is for the unexpired term of Jim McPheeters who resigned for health reasons. Ron Ferguson served several months of McPheeters term, but filed this time for the other Fourth Ward regular two year term. That leaves the one year remainin’ on McPheeters term open.

Current Council members Jim Woestman of the Fifth Ward, and Ronnie Wells of the Second Ward have filed for reelection.

Candidates can file at City Hall.Time’s runnin’ out. Only $25 or 25 signatures.

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 you are both big fans of the Toyota Camry, so I’m hoping you can help. I have a 2000 Toyota Camry LE with 48,000 miles on it. Last week, I had the front brakes replaced at a Toyota dealership. I was driving on a busy freeway in Michigan today, when everyone in the right lane stopped suddenly. I, too, slammed on my new brakes, and my car swerved back and forth and finally spun around into oncoming traffic. A truck heading right for me hit me on the front driver’s side, but luckily I walked away from the accident without a scratch. My question is: Why did the car swerve when I slammed on the brakes? I don’t have anti-lock brakes, and the road was bone dry. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! — Carrie

RAY: Geez. That’s frightening, isn’t it? There are a few things that’ll make you evacuate yourself faster than sliding backward on a highway, looking straight at the people who WERE behind you.

TOM: But my guess is that the recent brake job had little or nothing to do with you spinning around, Carrie. Here’s my guess as to what happened: You slammed on your brakes. Since you don’t have an anti-lock braking system, your brakes locked up and your car started to skid, with the back end coming around.

RAY: You then tried to correct and steer into the skid. But, like most people who don’t skid a lot, you overcorrected. That sent the back end the other way. You overcorrected again, repeating this process, with each correction getting bigger due to the momentum of the car, until the car spun all the way around.

TOM: So you are a walking, breathing advertisement for anti-lock brakes.