Trash Contract to be Bid.

Assistant to the City Engineer Joe Butler told the City Council last Tuesday night that the specification for the solid waste removal contract have been made available to bidders. The contract will be for five years and generates approximately a half million dollars per year in revenue for hauling over one thousand tons of solid waste out of the City.

Currently residential customers with two or more occupants pay $7.07 per month for garbage collection. Residential customers account for approximately 472 tons of solid waste removal each month, just over 54% of the total. Commercial concerns account for 46%.

Under the guidelines for the new contract, collection of residential solid waste must be provided at least once per week per residential stop. The contractor would be required to pick up up to five bags of leaves or grass clippings at a residence twice a month in addition to the normal residential solid waste.

No residential collection will be allowed earlier than 7 a.m. or later than 3 p.m. The majority of commercial collection will take place between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Contractors were invited this year to submit an alternate bid that allows for recyclables collection at least twice a month on the same day as other waste is collected. The Council will determine if such a plan is practical. The City, as an alternative to curbside recyclables pick up, is also considering the establishment of a drop station for voluntary recyclable collection. This will be determined after the bids are evaluated.

The following is a list of City regulations concerning the responsibilities of residential and commercial customers:

1. Every house and establishment generating solid waste shall provide sufficient and adequate containers.

2. Every house and establishment shall place all solid waste in proper containers.

3. Residential solid waste shall be stored in containers of not more than 35 gallon nor less than 20 gallon capacity.

4. Solid waste containers shall be leakproof, waterproof and with fly-tight lids.

5. Containers shall have handles, bail or other suitable lifting devices.

6. Containers shall be of the type, originally manufactured for residential solid waste storage.

7. Each container and contents shall not weigh more than 75 pounds.

8. Galvanized metal containers, rubber or fiberglass containers and plastic containers which do not become brittle in cold weather may be used.

9. Heavy duty plastic bags may be used.

10. Residential pick up will be once per week.

11. Garbage containing water shall be drained and wrapped before depositing in solid waste containers.

12. Solid waste containers shall be maintained in good condition, clean and in a sanitary manner.

13. Unapproved containers will be picked up with their contents.

14. It shall be unlawful to deposit hot ashes in any solid waste.

15. Solid waste containers shall be returned to their normal storage location as soon as possible after collections have been made.

16. Commercial solid waste containers shall be waterproof, leakproof and shall be covered at all times except when depositing waste therein or removing the contents thereof.

17. Tree limbs less than 3 inches in diameter and brush shall be securely tied in bundles not longer than 48 inches long and 18 inches in diameter and shall not exceed 75 pounds and shall be placed at point of pickup on day of collection (not to exceed two bundles).

18. Yard waste shall be stored in containers to prevent spillage and shall not exceed 75 pounds and no more than two per pickup.

CNC at Carthage Tech Center

Press Release Carthage Technical Center

Carthage Technical Center has set the dates to continue the innovative Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Operator/Programmer Certificate Program for adults beginning August 4, 1998. The program is designed to prepare individuals for high wage, high skill precision machining employment as entry level CNC operator/programmers. Students will be given a training certificate from Carthage Technical Center at the end of each of the three certificate levels. The certificates will be based on skill level competencies developed by professionals in the manufacturing industry.

The Level I CNC Certificate will include a 24 hour Blue Print Reading, Inspection & Gaging class and 72 hours of CNC Turning and CNC Milling Operation classes.

The Level II CNC Certificate will include 36 hours of training in a CNC Setup and Tooling Fundamentals class.

The Level III CNC Certificate will include 48 hours of training in Conversational Language and G-Code Language Programming classes.

Instructors for the program will be individuals who are engaged in the CNC machining industry. If a student wants to work toward a two-year Associate of Science Degree, college credit can be issued for the courses taken at Carthage Technical Center in cooperation with Missouri Southern State College and Crowder College. Carthage Technical Center, Mazak Corporation and Concept Technical Sales have entered into a innovative partnership to meet the challenges our manufacturing sector faces as we fast approach the next millennium. Mazak Corporation and Concept Technical Sales have supplied to the Carthage Technical Center one CNC turning lathe and one CNC milling machine to use for training of adult and high school students. The machines will be rotated annually or semiannually to allow flexibility in training. This will also maintain the highest degree of technology available to meet changing business and educational requirements in the Tri-State area.

Sandvik corporation and Tri-Star Industrial Supply are furnishing the cutting tools for the above machines. Simpson-Perry Oil Company will furnish cutting fluids for the machines in the program.

For information on class schedules and costs of the program, please contact: Carthage Technical Center, 609 River, Carthage, MO 64836 or call 417-359-7026.

Enesco Care-A-Van Makes Chapel Visit

Press release from Precious Moments

Precious Moments artist Sam Butcher created his first Precious Moments art with the mission of "Loving, Caring, and Sharing." That mission has not changed in the 20 years since the artist's work became one of the world's leading figurine collectibles. The Enesco Corporation, the Precious Moments licensee responsible for producing and marketing Precious Moments figurines, has developed the Enesco Care-A-Van to celebrate the anniversary. Beginning last April the Care-A-Van embarked on a nationwide tour and will visit nearly 200 locations in the United States and Canada.

In honor of Precious Moments Week in Missouri, the Care-A-Van will be in Branson, Missouri at Shepherd of the Hills on July 6th. Precious Moments artist Sam Butcher will be on hand to sign figurines beginning at 11:00 a.m. The Care-A-Van will move to the Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage, Missouri on July 7th and remain through July 12th.

Enesco Chairman and CEO, Eugene Freedman said, "Now we're inviting everyone to join in our celebration with what may be the most traveled party ever." The Care-A-Van is a 53-foot-long museum. Capturing the essence of the much loved Precious Moments collection, the exhibit gives the history of many of the figurines created over the past 20 years. The display features displays of highly collectible figurines, one-of-a-kind figurines, suspended and retired pieces, and original art work. According to Freedman, "The Care-A-Van showcases how Precious Moments figurines capture and celebrate every facet of life's most precious moments."

The Care-A-Van is also celebrating the 20th anniversary by collecting canned food in its stops across the nation for Second Harvest. Second Harvest is the nation's largest charitable hunger relief organization. The Care-A-Van hopes to collect 20,000 pounds of food helping to feed people locally and across the nation. Those interested in touring the Care-A-Van are asked to bring one canned good to donate.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

Council member Mike Harris, who is also the Public Services Committee Chair, told other Council members Tuesday night that he was goin’ to push to make skatin’ on the streets legal. He says that currently skatin’ is only allowed on sidewalks and a good portion of the City doesn’t have sidewalks at all. The sidewalks that are in place, says Harris, don’t lend themselves much to skatin’ anyway. If ya remember, Harris also pushed to allow bicycle ridin’ on sidewalks. His thinkin’ seems ta be if folks can walk on streets, it doesn’t make much sense to keep ‘em from roller bladin’ or roller skatin’ there also. The Council was given copies of the anti-roller skater ordinance and he asked that ever’one look it over.

We still have an anti-skateboardin’ ordinance also. Don’t suppose that one is far behind.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Click and Clack
Talk Cars

Dear Tom and Ray:

Hey guys, I like your column. But I have a question about Tom's suggestion of using "Reverse" gear in a manual transmission car for parking. I've heard that if you park your can and leave it in Reverse, you could run down your car's battery because you are activating the "backup light switch" even though the car is turned off and the key is out. Is this true? And can this happen? - Eric

RAY: Eric, if I ever decided to open an ice-cube franchise at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, you'd be just the kind of customer I'd be looking for!

TOM: You're right that when you put the car in Reverse, you do activate the backup light switch. And if you leave the car in Reverse, the switch remains in the "on" position. But once you turn off the ignition switch, the electricity stops flowing.

RAY: Power from the battery flows through the ignition switch to almost all of the car's accessories. So when the ignition switch is off, the battery cannot be drained by those things.

TOM: There are a few notable exceptions: the parking lights, brake lights, headlights (on many cars) and the interior lights (like the dome light) are not affected by the ignition switch. But the backup lights, like the windshield wipers, air conditioner and engine's ignition system itself, all cease to get power once the key is in the "off" position.

RAY: So leave your manual-transmission car in Reverse when you park. No harm will be done, and no battery power will be drained. And with very few exceptions, Reverse's high gear ratio will do the best job of keeping the car from rolling should the hand brake unexpectedly fail.

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