No City Detention Funds.

At last Tuesday’s Public Works meeting, Assistant to the City Engineer Joe Butler reported that a regional detention basin for storm water runoff was still being considered in the area of the Hedgewood development at Grand Avenue and Elk Streets. After much discussion, the Committee ruled out financial participation by the City in such a venture.

The subject was raised because of a revision to the plat for Hedgewood relocating the detention area.

Late last year, the Engineering Department had estimated the cost of a regional basin to be about $70,000. Of this total, Adam Hoover, the developer of Hedgewood, would be expected to contribute the cost of his planned individual detention pond. The City portion would be about $55,000.

During the initial discussions, Tom Moore of Tri-State Engineering explained that if the regional basin were built, some improvements recommended in the Carter Branch Storm Drainage Study, completed in 1996 by Tri-State for the City of Carthage, could be scaled back for a future cost savings of $25,000-$30,000. Therefore, the net expense to the City for the basin was estimated to be $25,000-$30,000.

"We need to deal with the cost of what actual dollars go out on any given project," said Committee Member Jackie Boyer Tuesday night.

"Those requirements the study recommended we may not do for 10, 20, 30 years or who knows how long," said Committee Chair Bill Fortune.

Committee Member Nolan Henry suggested that developers and other landowners in the area who would benefit from regional detention work together to build such a basin without the City bearing the bulk of the cost.

"I don’t see why the City should have to pay for it," said Henry. "According to our ordinance, they have to furnish their own detention," Henry pointed out. "If we go in and build it for them, then they don’t have to."

"If it would benefit all these developers to get together and do one pond, then let the developers get together and do that," said Council Member Lujene Clark.

Butler pointed out that based on the Carter Branch Study, people other than developers could benefit from the regional approach. He noted that the apartments in the area are under no obligation to provide detention because they were built before the City enacted the detention ordinance.

"If we can benefit the taxpayers by having a regional detention pond, we may have to put out some money," said Butler.

"The intention (of the detention ordinance) was to have the people who make the profit and develop the property provide for their own problems," said Committee Member Bill Johnson. " If we’re going to go regional, I think it ought to be revenue neutral to the City."

"I think I can see the handwriting on the wall," said Fortune. "I can see 4 or 5 people who think we might be going down the wrong road or too fast, so maybe we should require him (Hoover) to do his own detention right now or work out something among the others out there."

The Committee voted to have Hoover revise the original plat and show plans for the placement of an individual detention area for his subdivision.

Fortune summed up the Committee’s current take on regional detention: "Our help would be design only, basically, not cash."

My uncle thinks that there should be some way ta install a large, spring powered flywheel in a car. He figures it would work somethin' like a clock, ya wind it up and it provides a constant, clean, inexpensive power. I suppose if it was positioned right, it would also act as a gyroscope to keep the vehicle from turnin' over easily.

There would no doubt be some technical difficulties to be overcome, but the idea has grabbed my thoughts from time to time.

The basic premise, of course, is to take advantage of momentum. That mysterious source of energy that wants to continue motion once it is initiated.

'Course momentum is not limited to the strict physical sciences, it seems to be a critical part of sports events, wars, and the political arena. Some might argue that momentum in these cases should actually be called luck, but the force is real none the less.

I've always worried that my uncle's clockmobile would stop short of the top of a hill and reverse momentum would win.

This is some fact, but mostly, Just Jake Talkin'.

by

Carthage Farm & Home Supply, Inc.

The Super Handyman

Dear Al & Kelly: You have suggested turning an aerosol paint can upside down and spraying a quick blast to clean the tiny hole in the nozzle. If you do that very often, the propellant can be gone before the paint is. I just remove the nozzle and put it on a spray can of carburetor cleaner. One blast of that and the nozzle is clean. - T. W.

Dear Al: I kept an old refrigerator in the garage for overflow from the house. It sure came in handy, but it finally died. At first, I wanted to get rid of it, but then decided to keep it. I reasoned that I could fill it with paint, thinner and other items that might be considered fire hazards. I think these things will be safer closed up tightly in the old fridge rather than just sitting around my garage. I have added a hasp lock to the front, to make sure the kids don’t get in accidentally. - H. T.

Super Hint - A good way to bring some life back to a well-worn pair of leather work gloves is to let them sit overnight in a bucket of cornmeal. That should remove most of the grease that builds up on them. If there’s a stubborn stain, try rubbing some cornmeal into it.

Q: The glass door on my oven is very dirty. What product can I use to clean the grime off the door so I can see in again? - B. W.

A: An ammonia-and-water solution should do the job. Have plenty of ventilation when you apply it, because the fumes can knock your head off!

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