Today's Feature

Approved the Parking Ordinance.

The Carthage City Council met Tuesday evening and approved the ordinance which will ban parking vehicles in City front yards. An amendment to the ordinance was proposed by Council member Mike Harris setting the fine at $10 per violation. Harris said he was contacted by many citizens some of whom expressed fears of being fined $500 for a first violation. Harris said that the $10 fine establishment should put those concerns to rest. The amendment was approved.

Council heard from citizen Regina Wells who voiced concerns about the parking ordinance. Wells said that the ordinance was intimidating and caused a hardship for those who were elderly or living on a low income. Wells also said she felt the Council should ask for more public opinion and input on items that affect all citizens.

Council member Ronnie Wells spoke in opposition to the ordinance, saying he thought it was improper for the City to designate what citizens are allowed to do with their property.

"I think it’s wrong," said Wells, "We need to vote this down."

Wells cited further reasons for voting against including the amount of time used by Police Officers in enforcing the ordinance.

Council member Claude Newport spoke in favor of the ordinance. Newport said that it would protect against citizens having their property value lessened by the poor condition of the neighborhood.

"I think it’s our responsibility to look out for the well being of all persons," said Newport.

Council member Bill Welch also spoke in favor of the ordinance saying it would improve the appearance of the City.

The ordinance was approved in a 7 to 2 vote. Those in favor were Jackie Boyer, Diane Sharits, Bill Johnson, Bill Welch, Claude Newport, Larry Ross and Mike Harris. Those against were Tom Flanigan and Ronnie Wells.

Mayor Pro-Tem Jim Woestman filled the mayoral position in the absence of Mayor Kenneth Johnson.

CORRECTION: An incorrect phone number was printed in the February 14th Mornin’ Mail article "Relay For Life Registrations." The correct number for Roger Kirby, Team Recruitment Coordinator is 358-3654.

Stench Report:
Wednesday,
2/16/06

No Stench Reported

The front yard parkin’ ban isn’t about storm water run off or emergency vehicles. It’s not about pullin’ your car into the front yard to wash off the dust. It’s not about havin’ too many cars parked in the street when ya have a family get-together. It’s about whether the community wants to legislate keepin’ up the neighborhood.

It’s not about whether it’s legal for the City to have the ordinance. There are many communities that have such ordinances on the books. The only debate is whether the community, represented by the City Council, wants to keep automobiles, travel trailers, boats and trailers and such out of view to the general public. As of Tuesday night, it’s a ten dollar question.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Dear Tom and Ray:

I have a 1989 Mazda B2200 pickup. When making a left turn, the front wheel will only turn about 15 degrees. On the right side, it turns all the way to the stops. When I raise the front end off the ground, I can turn the steering wheel freely left AND right all the way to the stops. I cannot see anything that is loose or bent. The upper and lower ball joints have been replaced. Do you think that it could possibly be a worn-out idler arm? I would like to know if you both could "steer" me to the problem. - Fred

RAY: Fred, if you’re still alive to read our response, go out and get yourself a new steering box.

TOM: The steering box is a gearbox that converts the rotational motion of the steering column into the side-to-side motion of the tie rods, which push the wheels back and forth to steer the car.

RAY: There are a bunch of small ball bearings inside the box that circulate when you turn the steering wheel. My guess is that some of your balls are broken, Fred. And that’s really all I’m going to say about that.

TOM: You want the really bad news? A rebuilt steering box costs about $650 - plus another $150 to install it.

RAY: Actually, if I were you, given the age of the truck, I’d just look for a used box in a junkyard. You might be able to find one there for a hundred bucks. Even if it’s also bad and you end up paying to install two of them, you’ll still have spent less than you would’ve on a single rebuilt box.

TOM: But be careful. Do not drive this truck when you go to the junkyard - it’s not safe. Plus, if left unattended, the employees there would easily confuse it with new inventory.

RACING
By Greg Zyla
Sponsored by Curry Automotive

Jeff Gordon Will Win It All

It’s that time of year again when we predict which drivers will qualify for NASCAR’s 2006 Nextel Cup "Chase for the Championship."

First Place: Jeff Gordon. Gordon just missed the Chase last season, but his very strong finish positions him to qualify easily for the Chase in 2006. I’m predicting he’ll finish first with 10 races to go. He won four times last year, including the Daytona 500. Can be very consistent, and run up front from road course to superspeedway.

Second Place: Matt Kenseth. Kenseth is your modern-day David Pearson. His great run to make the 2005 Chase was exciting, but bad luck found its way in front of him during critical Chase races that followed. Kenseth is the real deal.

Third Place: Jimmy Johnson. In a Hendrick team car similar to Jeff Gordon’s, with Rick Hendrick and Gordon as part owners, Johnson has been oh-so-close twice now. He’s sure to be a future Nextel Cup champ, and it could come in 2006.

Fourth Place: Tony Stewart. The defending champ will ease his way into the chase, and then watch out! With a 10-race Chase schedule, "Smoke" may well be considered the favorite. He’s similar to Gordon in being able to win anywhere, and his USAC and open-wheel background is second to none on the circuit.

Fifth Place: Greg Biffle. Although we’ve slotted him in 5th place, Greg is going to look real good in ‘06, just as he did in ‘05, when he led the pack with six wins and finished second overall. He’s a winner, and a future champion.

Sixth Place: Ryan Newman. An ultra-fast qualifier who has to turn in better race results on a consistent basis. Newman will be there in the Penske Dodge for sure.

Seventh Place: Kurt Busch. I feel Kurt will be a steady, winning driver for Penske, and show consistency as the key to his success. As for all his past troubles, learning not to commit these offenses again will be key to his success. Can he do it? We think he can.

Eighth Place: Mark Martin. Sentimental favorite again qualifies for the Chase in his truly final, last attempt after finishing fourth overall in 2005. Nothing would be better than to see this class act sitting at the main table come December’s awards banquet in New York City. It CAN happen!

Ninth Place: Carl Edwards. A class act whatever way you look at him. If both consistency and hard charging are the keys to the championship, he can win it all. There are few drivers out there as exciting as Edwards, and the fans love him. Finished third overall last season.

Tenth Place: Kevin Harvick. Look for Harvick to rejoin the Chase field in 2006 after finishing 14th last season. You just can’t keep a solid Richard Childress team down for long.

Honorable mention: Look for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, Jeremy Mayfield, Kyle Busch, Joe Nemechek or Elliott Sadler to make the chase. Our longshot picks include Casey Mears and rookies Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex.