Today's Feature

Council Hears Hospital Update.

The Carthage City Council met Tuesday evening in the Council Chambers of City Hall. McCune-Brooks Hospital CEO Bob Copeland was present at the meeting to give his quarterly report to Council.

Copeland said that the construction of the new replacement hospital is currently 60% completed. Copeland brought swatch boards to illustrate some of the colors and materials to be used in the interior design and noted on the neutral "tone-on-tone" color scheme.

Construction work including the glass installation has been delayed somewhat due to the cold weather, according to Copeland. The completion date is still set for later this year, with staff testing to begin in November.

Council also heard the first reading of the ordinance approving the Peachtree Community Improvement District (CID) agreement. Public Works Committee chairman Tom Flanigan elaborated on the agreement saying that the businesses inside the CID would be subject to an additional 1% tax, which would be split 50-50 between the district projects and the City.

Total expenditure on the projects in the CID is not to exceed $2.2 million and the agreement has a 15 year life with a City review every 5 years. All improvement items must be approved individually through the Public Works department.

Another first reading was heard for the ordinance approving the sale of the Certificates of Participation for the sewer project on the south end of Carthage. The project will include roughly 17,000 feet of sewer line with a total project cost of approximately $4 million.

Council during the same meeting approved the second reading of an ordinance increasing the Carthage Public Library revolving fund to the amount of $36,000.

Stench Report:

Wednesday,
2/13/07

Stench Detected Tuesday evening.

‘Course Double Bubble was the choice of serious bubble blowers of the time. Don’t know of any other brand that promoted the art of bubble blowin’ back then. If I remember correctly, that stuff ya got in ball cards did a decent job for bubbles, but didn’t keep its texture like Double Bubble. Then ya couldn’t even get a marble sized bubble outa Dentine. Most all gum ended up on the bottom of the soda shop tables anyway. ‘Cept, of course, the globs that stuck to your shoe.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Dear Tom and Ray:

Please print this to save my daughter’s (and other learners’) lives. She drives with the back of her seat positioned so far back that she’s almost lying down. She insists that because she leans forward, she is in total control. Regardless of my attempts to insist that she have back support, the practice continues. - Danny

TOM: Danny, this is one of those situations where you’re the parent, she’s the child, and what she wants is tough Shinola.

RAY: The rules of law and society put us in charge of our kids until they’re 18. Why? So we can keep them from killing themselves or anyone else until they’re old enough to assume that responsibility.

TOM: I can’t begin to understand why she wants to set her seat back like a building contractor’s (you’ve seen them leaning way back with a cigar in one hand). But she can’t do it.

RAY: If she’s in an accident without a seat back, one of two things will happen. The momentum will send her forward, then backward; when she goes back, there will be nothing to support her back or neck - one or both of which might then break.

TOM: Or, if she’s hit from behind, she might go backward first, end up in a reclining position, then slide out under the seatbelt.

RAY: When engineers design safety equipment for cars, the start from the assumption that the driver will be properly belted in against a rigid seat back.

TOM: So don’t ask her anymore. Put the eat up in the correct position for her, and then take the fuse out! And if she refuses to cooperate, let her take the bus. Last time I checked, the seats on the bus don’t recline either.

RACING
By Greg Zyla
Sponsored by Curry Automotive

2007 Nextel Cup Predictions

It’s time for our yearly predictions as to who will make the NASCAR Nextel "Chase for the Cup." This year I’m going to pick 12 drivers because NASCAR has expanded the Chase field from 10 drivers to 12. So, here are my 2007 predictions of drivers who will make the Chase for the Nextel Cup field, in no particular order, with early odds on winning the Cup title:

1. Matt Kenseth: steady, pro who can win on any track, 4-1

2. Jimmy Johnson: defending champ always in contention, 4-1

3. Tony Stewart: best pure driver out there, knows how to win, 4-1

4. Kevin Harvick: if anyone can win big in 2007, it’s Happy, 5-1

5. Kurt Busch: ‘04 Champ rebounds after failed ‘06 Penske effort, 10-1

6. Jeff Gordon: steady and always a threat, 8-1

7. Jeff Burton: 2006 not a fluke, and he’s back again, 8-1

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: makes the field regardless of contract squabbles, 4-1

9. Carl Edwards: Roush driver scores several big wins in his return, 9-1

10. Kasey Kahne: another great year for a future champ, 4-1

11 Denny Hamlin: young star’s future on the rise, 5-1

12. Kyle Busch: a more mature Busch emerges, 5-1

Those just missing: Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray. All are 12-1 picks to win the championship if they get in.

I’m sure you noticed there are no Toyotas in the Chase. With the exception of guaranteed starters Dale Jarrett and Dave Blaney, all other Toyotas will have to qualify for the first five races on speed (or win a Twin 150 to make the Daytona 500). If you miss even one of these initial five races, you probably won’t make the Chase field, be it 10 or 12 cars. Miss two? You’ll be lucky to finish in the Top 35 in points for 2007, and the whole scenario starts over again for 2008.

Remember what happened to Scott Riggs last February? He missed making the Daytona 500 field, and it was a yearlong uphill battle for Riggs to finish as well as he did.

Now, with all this said, I do believe Toyota will win a race this year, possibly a Car of Tomorrow event on a smaller, non-restrictor-plate venue. I also feel Blaney and Jarrett will run well, and may even win. Making the Chase lies in how quickly Toyota adapts to the series and making those first five races.

Other predictions:

Rookie of the Year: Paul Menard noses out Juan Pablo Montoya

Most Improved: Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman

Biggest Disappointments: Major sponsors who see their cars not make the field

Biggest Surprises: A.J. Allmendinger, David Reutimann and part-timer Todd Bodine

First Car of Tomorrow winner: Kurt Busch