Today's Feature

Task Force Contamination Ordinance.

The City Council Public Works Committee met Tuesday and heard a presentation from Tony Moehr of the Jasper County Environmental Task Force. Moehr asked the committee for support in the form of a memorandum of understanding for an County ordinance which would require areas with known mining contamination to be tested before new building permits are issued.

The committee agreed to bring the memorandum of understanding before Council with a recommendation. According to Moehr if the ordinance is approved by the County areas known by the Environmental Protection Agency to contain contaminants from mining would require testing and potential cleanup prior to new construction. The Environmental Task Force is seeking support from communities in the county prior to the adoption of the ordinance.

Fire Chief Issues Burning Ban.

News release.

As of January 17, 2007, outside burning will not be allowed. No burning will be permitted within the City limits of Carthage, Missouri or in the Carthage Fire District. Although we have had some rain, it has not been enough to permit any burning.

Conditions still remain dry and until we receive a considerable amount of rain (several inches), burning trash, brush, fencerows or any control burns will not be allowed.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Chief Cooper at the Carthage Fire Department, 417-237-7100.

Stench Report:
Wednesday,
1/18/06

No Stench Detected

Although not frequently identified as a legitimate "old saying," I’ve always been humored by the quip, "I heard it outa the corner of my ear." A sense of irony maybe, or just sophomoric humor. Either way, I find it funny.

I’ve got an uncle that I was always told had a dry sense of humor. As a kid, I categorized it as "corny. ‘Course I figured any parent to be a little corny. Not hip with really good humor like elephant jokes and really tough tongue twisters.

I hope that my appreciation of humor has matured somewhat, but I still get a kick outa swappin’ elephant jokes with grandkids. The real surprise sometimes is the depth of understanding youngsters have about humor. You’re never too young, or old, for a good laugh or two.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Dear Tom and Ray:

Last week my neighbor gave me an 11 page treatise on the benefits of putting a small amount of acetone in your gas tank: an increase of 25 to 35 percent in gas mileage with NO damage to the engine. The article tells how much acetone per number of gallons and gives rationale for why it works. I am NOT knowledgeable in the workings of engines, nor do I have knowledge about fuels, so I can be snowed by people who may or may not know what they are talking about. I value your opinions. What do YOU think about this? - Wil

TOM: It’s bo-o-o-o-gus, Wil. With four "o’s." Don’t put acetone in your gas tank.

RAY: It does absolutely nothing to increase your gas mileage. We spoke to a fuel-systems engineer who works for one of the major oil companies. He said that because of all these rumors floating around on the Web, his company tested acetone in its own labs and found no increase in mileage. None. He said the equipment is precise enough to detect anything over a 1 percent difference.

TOM: But it’s worse than useless - it’s also harmful. Acetone is the primary ingredient in nail-polish remover. And while it will burn and is a high-octane material, it’s also a very powerful solvent. So while it’s in your fuel system, it’ll be eagerly dissolving all of your rubber components... like gaskets and O-rings.

RAY: In fact, some cars have a rubber hose in the fuel line that goes between the fuel-cap assembly and the tank.

TOM: Final reason not to use it; It dissolves paint. So if you spill a little bit outside your fuel filler door, you’ll have an nice, unpainted line running down your rear quarter panel. When we see you drive by, we’ll know you didn’t take our advice

RACING
By Greg Zyla

Audi hopes to continue its domination of ALMS in 2006 with its new R10, powered by a 12-cylinder twin-turbo diesel engine.

A Look Ahead -- Open-Wheel and Road Racing

This week, we continue our look at the major racing series for 2006.

Indy Racing League: It’s funny how quickly things can change. The IRL, under Tony George, was very strong entering the 2005 season. There were 21-car, 22-car and more fields, three engine manufacturers and, of course, the Indianapolis 500, where a full field of 33 cars started the race.

At present, Honda is the only engine manufacturer that has renewed for 2007 and beyond. Chevy is gone, Toyota is going to leave, and the race schedule has been cut back. It still has the Indy 500, but what a turn of events!

Champ Car: Then there’s the IRL’s competition, Champ Car (formerly CART). It was close to total bankruptcy in 2005, yet still fielded a formidable 18 to 20 cars each event, expanded its schedule and is still around with the Cosworth engines powering all cars. This group looked to go belly up, but it didn’t. I was wrong in my earlier predictions, and now look for Champ Car to do OK in 2006.

ALMS Road Racing: The American LeMans Series is some of the best road racing around, and is growing year by year. Competent executives, great cars, a good TV package and a novel scoring system keep fans coming back for more. If you haven’t seen ALMS, check it out.

Grand-Am Road Racing: Although somewhat similar to ALMS in makeup, this series is flourishing and is also a must-see for those who want professional road racing at its best. All types of cars, from prototypes to more recognizable Porsche 911s and Pontiac GTOs, make up the impressive fields. They kick off every February at Daytona with the 24-hour Rolex event. It’s top-class.

SCCA Road Racing: Still the oldest of the road-racing groups, SCCA is known for some of the very best club racing in America and can be counted on in your area for great racing. Check the regional races, and if you want to see tomorrow’s stars, get to an SCCA club event in 2006.

Formula 1: Still regarded as the premier high-tech series, there are lots of changes coming in F1. Unhappy team owners, Michelin tires not renewing, and the big rumor that five teams still unsigned are aiming to join an all-new league set up by disgruntled owners. Haven’t we heard this somewhere before?