Today's Feature

Permit Passed.

City Council, at Tuesday’s meeting, approved the ordinance for a special use permit for operation of a beauty shop at 1816 S. Maple Street as requested by Dianna Sheldon.

Citizen’s participation at the meeting included citizen Randy Kunze, who spoke against the permit saying that to allow the permit would set a precedent. Kunze questioned the basis for issuing such a permit.

"You have to have a reason for the variance," said Kunze.

Mayor Kenneth Johnson interjected that the request was for a special use permit which is different from a variance. Johnson said Sheldon had taken the proper steps necessary to allow for the permit.

Harlan Short, who shares a driveway and fence with Sheldon, spoke in favor of the permit.

"I have absolutely no objection to it," said Short.

The vote was 7 to 3. Those in favor were; Bill Johnson, Bill Welch, Tom Flanigan, Jim Woestman, Claude Newport, Dave Woods and Mike Harris. Those opposed were Jackie Boyer, Diane Sharits and Ronnie Wells.

Stench Report:
Wednesday,
08/24/05

No Stench

Most folks seem ta be makin’ ready for the end of the summer. Gettin’ back into the schedule of the school year. Plannin’ the last couple a weekends fore the Labor Day Holiday.

Although I’m not ready ta see any snow flyin’, knowin’ that Fall is just around the corner doesn’t hurt my feelin’s any.

‘Course, if you’re a bargain hunter, now is the best time ta be buyin’ anything to do with heatin’. Stoves and fireplace accessories tend ta show up at garage sales for cheap prices. There are prob’ly some good prices on electric blankets, too. I’ll bet tire chains would be at an all time low right now, if you could find any in these parts.

Ice scrapers. That’s what I’ll be lookin’ for. I’m still carryin’ that one with the broken blade. At least I think it’s still in the trunk.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin.

Dear Tom and Ray:

My husband has a habit that drives me crazy. When we’re stopped at a traffic light or a stop sign, he eases his foot off the brake just enough to make an annoying grinding noise (he doesn’t let it off enough to enter the intersection or hit the car in front of him). The sound really gets on my nerves. I haven’t been able to get him to stop doing this. Is he harming the brakes or the car? - Lianne

RAY: Sadly, he’s not harming anything except his marriage, Lianne.

TOM: One day when your husband was but a lad, he was taking a bath, and he discovered that if he held his right hand over his left armpit in just such a way, he could then flap his left arm and create a sound much like flatulence. He was deeply amused by this.

RAY: And now, many years later, he’s amusing himself by making farting noises with the brakes.

TOM: He’s not doing any harm. When you’re stopped, each pair of brake pads is squeezing the disc rotor between them. If you then release the pressure on the pads just a little bit, they’ll make a little noise as they "jerk" or skip along the surface of the rotor. You can do the same kind of thing with your finger and the top of a Coke bottle.

RAY: So the "You’re harming the brakes, moron" argument won’t work here, Lianne. Skip right to the "You’re ticking me off, moron" argument. And if necessary, accompany that with an occasional dope slap. It might work overtime, Lianne. Best of Luck.

RACING
By Greg Zyla
Sponsored by Curry Automotive

Oscar Koveleski Still Going Strong

If you were a fan of road racing back in the ’60s and ’70s, the name Oscar Koveleski rings a familiar tune. Behind the wheel of several fast race cars, including Can-Am McLarens, Koveleski raced to a 1970 National Championship in SCCA competition.

However, it was his company called Auto World that specialized in slot cars and model cars that truly put Koveleski’s name on the racing map. We recently sat down with Oscar and asked how things were going, and how many catalogs of Auto World he produced back in the heyday of slot cars.

"We published millions of catalogs over the years, sold hundreds of thousands on the newsstands and as many as 10,000 a month by mail," he said.

As for current business, Oscar is doing well. He recently appeared on the "Tonight Show" in a skit with "The Sopranos" Steve Shippiro to promote his popular Kidracers battery-powered race cars.

"Our Kidracers cars are going very well, and it is a great way to introduce children to well-built, small, battery-powered racers. We’ve run lots of events everywhere, from Indianapolis to Pocono to other big tracks, all with the child in mind. It’s been a lot of fun, and the kids learn early on to drive properly."

His Web Site is filled with information on Kidracers, so check it out at www.kidracers.com.