Today's Feature

Special Use Addition.

The City Council Public Works Committee met Tuesday afternoon in a regular session. Items discussed included the addition of a new paragraph to the Special Use Permit section of the City Code.

The new sub-paragraph would allow for "restaurants selling liquor by the drink provided that at least sixty percent of their gross income is derived from the sale of prepared meals or food."

City Administrator Tom Short said this is known as a Resort Liquor License. Short also said that all establishments in Carthage that serve alcohol by the drink have a Resort Liquor License which is monitored through the State.

The committee approved the addition of the new section in the City Code. The item will be brought before full Council at the next meeting.

This item was originally presented during the previous Council meeting during the rezoning request for 1926 South Garrison. The rezoning requestor asked for alternatives to a blanket rezoning, which was opposed by area neighbors. The Special Use Permit was an option Tom Short recommended because it allowed for control over certain elements of the proposed business; alcohol/food ratios, options for yearly review, operation hours, etc. that could make the allowance a compromise between the requestor and the neighbors.

The committee’s approval of the new special use permit section is still subject to Council approval.

Other items discussed by the committee included a request for vacation of an alley running North/South between East Chestnut and 9th street.

The vacation was requested by First Christian Church which owns property surrounding the alley including a walkway over the top. According to Public Works Director Chad Wampler the Church plans on doing construction in the alley area at some point in the future.

Church officials have already contacted Carthage Water and Electric Plant to arrange maintenance of the public sewer.

Wampler told Committee Chair Bill Johnson that there would be no negative impact caused to the City by the alley vacation.

"I don’t know why we would oppose it," said Johnson.

The committee approved a motion to ask for the drafting of a Council bill to approve the alley vacation.

Stench Report:
Wednesday,
3/22/06

Stench reported in the morning

I never saw a tear, just a face of determination and possibly some embarrassment. A spark of hope for the next generation.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Dear Tom and Ray:

I live in San Jose, Calif., where the weather is almost always beautiful. The temperature rarely drops below freezing, even in the winter. However, when I walk my son to school in the morning , I often see cars sitting in driveways running, without any driver or passengers. It seems like a waste of gas to me - not to mention the fact that the cars in question are often huge SUVs used to drive a child two blocks to school. My question is: Why do people leave their cars running in a driveway for several minutes in the mornings? Does it serve some useful purpose? - Linda

TOM: No, it doesn’t, Linda. My first thought is that you shouldn’t do anything. These knuckleheads are just wasting their money by burning already expensive gasoline, reducing their already mileage from 10 miles per gallon to nine and a half and slowly going broke. Don’t interfere.

RAY: Well, that’s a little harsh. You might take a kinder approach, Linda, and just move the car randomly to someone else’s driveway. That’ll mess with their heads.

TOM: Actually, they probably just don’t know that warming up a car is unnecessary. Modern cars don’t need to be warmed up at all - even where there IS real winter. You start the car, you put it in gear, and if it goes - and doesn’t stall - it’s ready to go.

RAY: Now, these people might be more concerned with heating up the passenger compartment than warming up the engine. In which case, there’s not much you can do, except let them go broke.

TOM: But let’s assume that these folks just don’t have up-to-date information. In which case, leaving a copy of this article on tier windshield might be a kind way of spreading the news.

RACING
By Greg Zyla
Sponsored by Curry Automotive

Maraj’s Audi Team Ruled in 2005

Dave Maraj, founder of the Florida-based Champion Motors Porsche and Audi dealerships, also heads up one of the top sports-car racing teams in the world: Champion Racing.

Born and educated in India, Maraj (pronounced "mirage") started racing at age 18 in rally cars on the island of Trinidad. There, he managed his family’s precious metals, diamond and jewelry business. In 1988, he bought a Porsche dealership and moved to Florida. Today he is the world’s largest Porsche dealer and the largest Audi dealer in the Southeast.

Maraj and his Champion Racing organization are coming off what many term "Dave’s Magic Season" in 2005, when he fielded two Audi R8 LMP1 Prototypes in the American LeMans Series. Highlights include becoming the first American team in 38 years to win the prestigious 24 Hours of LeMans in France, and winning both the ALMS Manufacturers and Drivers championship for German-based Audi.

Maraj’s plans for 2006 are still incomplete, as 2005 marked the final season for the Audi R8 prototype, as new technical regulations now apply at the 24 Hours of LeMans and in the ALMS. Since its debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2000, the R8 captured 61 victories in 74 races.

Maraj says he didn’t get into motorsports right away.

"In the early ‘90s, the three best races for the IMSA series were here in Florida, namely the Daytona 24-Hours, Miami Grand Prix and Sebring 12 Hours," he said. "We had a lot of customers who went to these races who purchased Porsche Carreras, so I said ‘How about we start a small team?’"

Maraj thus entered GT racing, relying on the "race what we sell" theory of moving cars off the lot.

"We started to grow," he said. "We did the three Florida races, but then Miami stopped. So, we stuck with Daytona and Sebring, and then we did Watkins Glen because a lot of our customers come from the Northeast."

Soon afterward, factory assistance came Maraj’s way, and Porsche loaned him some of its factory drivers. Sponsors took note, too.

"The race team kept growing," he said. "Then we went from GT2 to GT1, and won the championship in the GT1 car."

Following that success, Maraj moved up to the Audi R8 prototype.

"I never dreamed the team would grow to the size it is today and that we would win LeMans. It will be very difficult to duplicate that season, and Audi has not made any firm decisions yet this year."

As for the American LeMans Series, Maraj expects more factory participation in the coming years.

"Everyone is eagerly awaiting the diesel cars from Audi to race in ALMS," he said. "I’ve been told through the grapevine there is another manufacturer coming in to Prototype (racing), and that would be very good. And, French carmaker Peugeot is coming in with a diesel in perhaps ‘07. It’s also great that Porsche is back in the Prototype series and will start supplying customer cars next year."

"General Motors has the Corvette program, and Ford has the Saleen (Mustang) and Aston Martin. Porsche is debuting a new GT2 car, and this year the Ferrari comes back in GT2. We also can’t forget the two Panoz cars, so the series continues to get better and better."

To learn more about Maraj’s team, visit www.championracing.net.