Today's Feature

Committee Meetings Eventful.

Two City Council committees met on Tuesday, the first of which was the Public Works Committee meeting.

This committee heard from citizen Kathleen McKinzie who requested a rate reduction for trash service. McKinzie stated that she is living on government disability at a fixed income, not dissimilar from that of senior citizens. McKinzie requested that she be allowed to pay the same rate as senior citizens for trash collection due to this reason. The trash collection rate increase was approved by City Council on October 24, 2006 at the request of collector Allied Waste. A senior rate of $6.50 was allowed for those on fixed incomes.

Committee chairman Tom Flanigan told McKinzie that the committee would take the item under consideration and respond when an agreement had been reached. Public Works Director Chad Wampler advised the committee that if approved the billing would be relatively easy to adjust.

The committee also reviewed the new figures provided by Peachtree Development owner Dr. Michael Woody supporting his proposed changes to the Community Improvement District agreement. The agreement imposes an extra tax on businesses within the development to be used for streets, sewer, lights and maintenance on the property. Following the review of a draft agreement for the CID, Woody proposed a change in the amount of expenditure due to increased construction costs. The committee subsequently requested revised project construction cost figures so that the proposed changes could be studied. These figures were provided and in Tuesday’s meeting had been incorporated with some of the original figures to calculate an estimated total cost of around $2.6 million. The original expenditure amount was closer to $2.2 million according to City Administrator Tom Short.

The new total figure is to be sent to Woody with the rest of the CID agreement for approval. Short said that if Woody approves then the agreement will be prepared in a Council Bill for the tax sharing agreement.

The second meeting of the evening was the Public Services Committee meeting which was held in the Civil War Museum in part of a comprehensive overview of the parks and recreation system. The committee had no items of business on the agenda.

During staff reports, Tom Short noted that the City had not received grants from the Helen S. Boylan foundation or from the Steadley Trust for the building of skate park.

Parks Director Alan Bull noted that the recent increase in Missouri minimum wage would have an affect on the Parks department, particularly for Municipal pool. Bull said that the pool employees generally work part time for minimum wage and that increasing their pay necessitates an increase in pay for other employees whose wages had already been increased to slightly above the new minimum. According to Bull’s preliminary estimation based on last year’s hours, the increase for Municipal pool employees will cost an additional $1,200 for this fiscal year.

"It is going to impact budget," said Bull, adding that next year’s budget can be adjusted to compensate for these changes.

Leaked Into Dry Fork Creek.

Representative from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) visited the site of Missouri Farms Dairy, Inc. last Friday when contents from the facility lagoon overflowed into Dry Fork Creek.

Missouri Farms Dairy is a confined animal dairy in Golden City which houses and milks over 1,000 cattle. The waste from these animals is kept in a lagoon which is then irrigated onto the property as fertilizer. This method of disposal is approved by DNR.

According to DNR regional officer Tina White the lagoon at Missouri Farms Dairy had not been pumped as often as necessary and on Friday the level raised above the discharge pipe. The lagoon leaked and some of the waste seeped across the property into Dry Fork Creek.

Representatives from DNR were on the scene that afternoon to assess the situation. Samples were taken from Dry Fork Creek for evaluation. No indication could be given by DNR as to when the sample results would be available. White noted that the immediate effects of the leak were not severe.

"There is not a fish killed yet that we’re aware of," said White.

A DNR inspector spoke to the company about management techniques and ways to avoid the recurrence of a similar situation. White was unable to say whether a violation will be issued but said that the DNR is working with Missouri Farms Dairy.

Stench Report:

Wednesday,
1/3/07

No Stench Detected on Carthage Square

My mom used ta relay fond memories of roller skatin’ as a kid.

The small town that I grew up in had maybe four or five blocks of sidewalks. Didn’t do much sidewalk skatin’. Ya can’t roller skate on a gravel road either (or in a buffalo herd I’m told.)

As kids, we did always have a bicycle. This form of recreation and transportation did fit in to the community’s rural character. We of course didn’t limit our experience to merely makin’ idle trips to the drug store soda fountain, we sought adventure.

Concrete blocks with a two by twelve made one of the initial tests of courage. Later we would ride up one side of a teeter-totter and down the other side. I never got the hang of ridin’ a bike on a railroad rail, but then, it wasn’t far to fall.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Dear Tom and Ray:

For many years, I’ve enjoyed your column. Now I have a problem I’ve never seen, and my brother-in-law - usually my Great Guru - is stumped by it. We have a 1993 Ford Taurus wagon with almost 300,000 miles on the odometer. Almost everything has been replaced four times over. About a year ago, it started blowing right headlights. Just the right, always the right, and the bulb actually shatters. We know you can’t touch a quartz bulb when putting it in, and we’re always extra careful, handling the bulb with a clean rag. The car is not run on rough roads. But put a new headlight in, and after just a few hours of use, it pops, the glass is splintered and we’re one-eyed again. It occurs winter and summer. Any ideas as to what could cause this? - Charles

TOM: Well, the first thing you’ve got to do is buy stock in Sylvania. It’s making a fortune selling you light bulbs.

RAY: I think you have some water in the fixture, Charles. We see it a lot. You replace the bulb, but the plastic lens that protects the bulb is 300,000 miles old and has small cracks in it. When you drive in the rain, water gets in and it can’t get out.

TOM: It might not be easy to see the water, but my guess is that the bulb heats up, a bump causes the water to slosh or spray, a drop or two hit the white-hot bulb and kaplow! The bulb shatters.

RAY: Have a closer look and see if you notice any moisture in there.

TOM: Or goldfish. Swimming goldfish are a sure sign of the presence of water.

RAY: And then replace the whole headlight fixture. You can buy aftermarket fixtures for relatively little money. I think that’ll solve the problem, Charles.

RACING
By Greg Zyla
Sponsored by Curry Automotive

Jeg Coughlin Sr.’s Legacy Looms Large

Drag-racing fans will quickly recognize the name Jeg Coughlin Jr., the former NHRA Pro Stock champion and current driver of the Slammers Ultimate Milk Chevy Cobalt Pro Stock. However, the current "Jeg" is actually the son of the original Jeg Coughlin, a former racer and automotive aftermarket pioneer.

Recently named Grand Marshal of the fifth annual NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion presented by DuPont Automotive Finishes, Jeg. Sr. is looking forward to the popular nostalgia event, which will be held June 15-17, 2007 at National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio.

Coughlin’s contributions to the sport of drag racing are many. As a driver, he actively competed more than 30 years in every type of class, from his notable AA/Gas Supercharged gassers to the ultimate Top Fuel division.

He is the founder of Jeg’s Automotive Inc, one of the world’s largest aftermarket performance-parts suppliers. Along with companies like Bill Smith’s Speedway Motors in Lincoln, Neb., Jeg’s legacy dates back many decades. Now retired, Coughlin mentors his sons, John, Troy, Mike and Jeg Jr. He also spends time with the third generation of Coughlin children.

We’d like to congratulate Jeg Sr., who for the past 46 years of successfully balancing his roles as father, entrepreneur and drag racer. He deserves all the accolades that come his way.