Committee Considering Survey.

The Public Works Committee plans to recommend to the full Council that the City conduct a survey to determine citizens’ interests and needs before renewing the City’s solid waste contract which expires in September. Dennis Siders of the Midwest Assistance Program, speaking at the meeting, suggested the survey and volunteered to design and tabulate it at no cost to the City. The City would be responsible only for postage.

Committee members discussed a request for proposals at their meeting Tuesday afternoon which included two recycling options in addition to basic waste removal. The first alternative requests haulers to provide residential curbside recycling with a minimum of one pickup per month. The request is deliberately general so that each hauler can submit the best plan his company can provide.

The second alternative is for containers to be placed at the closed landfill to provide a drop-off site. The site would be manned and open to the public on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Items to be recycled in each of these options would be determined by the haulers with the City’s agreement.

After discussion, Committee Member Trisha Burgi-Brewer requested that a third option be included which would be modeled after Webb City’s "pay as you throw" program. In such a program, each household pays a basic rate for trash removal and is allowed a specified number of bags per pickup. There is no limit on the number of bags of recyclable items which may be picked up. Residents purchase stickers to go on any extra bags of trash which they need to have removed.

If residents choose to recycle, the amount of trash they have can be reduced. If they don’t choose to recycle, they may have to pay for stickers for extra bags of trash.

"I think a truly fair system would be a pay as you go system," said Burgi-Brewer.

The Committee agreed to include the pay as you throw system as a third recycling option and voted to recommend the request for proposals to the Council with the changes discussed.

Committee Chair Bill Fortune will also ask the Council to approve a survey to receive citizens’ input prior to final decisions on recycling. A sample survey Siders showed the Committee contained questions about interest in recycling, willingness to pay in order to have recycling, when recycling should be picked up and how much trash a household normally has per week. If the Council agrees to the survey, a similar questionaire designed specifically for Carthage would be distributed.

The Committee plans to have proposals from the haulers back by July 13 and to make a final decision on July 21 which would then be recommended to the Council. Surveys would be distributed in late June to be turned in and evaluated by the time the proposals are due back from the haulers.

Dates To Remember

Tickets are still available for the Royals game Sunday, June 14. Cost of the tickets is $26.50 which includes transportation to and from Kansas City and the game tickets. The bus will leave the Over 60 Center parking lot, 404 East Third at 9:00 a.m. the day of the game. For more information call 358-4741.

Tuesday, June 9, at 10:30 a.m. there will be a presentation on "Keeping Women Healthy."

Thursday, June 10, there will blood pressure checks from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Friday, June 12, at 5:30 p.m. is the Over 50 Potluck.

Wednesday, June 17, is Bingo.

Thursday, June 18, will be the June Birthday and Anniversary Celebration.

The Center will be closed July 3.

If you would like information on any of these events or would like to know more about the Over 60 Center, call 358-4741.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

Noticed a lot of convertibles with tops down the last few days. There was a time that I thought the idea of havin’ an air-conditioner in a convertible was really silly. I have, of course, since reconsidered that position.

I haven’t personally owned a convertible for a number of years, and I have ta assume that there have been improvements to the mechanics and function of the "rag top." The back window used ta always be a sensitive contraption. They zipped in place and got scratched easily as I remember. I do notice that there hasn’t been any easy solution to puttin’ on the "boot." Most of the vehicles I’ve seen run with that protective and aesthetic coverin’ not in place.

Havin’ a few days of favorable weather to run with the top down is fun, but thinkin’ back, it sure was work.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

CLICK and CLACK
TALK CARS

by Tom & Ray Magliozzi

Dear Tom and Ray:

I have a brand-new baby and I'm looking for a new car. Trucks are cheap, and I've always wanted one, like maybe a Ford Ranger. The trouble is, I can't find any nfo on kids and trucks. Are they safe? Can you put an infant car seat in them? Should I forget the idea and go with a car? In other words, would I be a "sporty new '90s-style mom" or "killer mom risking child's life in deathtrap on wheels?" - Susan

TOM: Unfortunately, the latter, Susan. Pickup trucks are not safe for little kids.

RAY: The bottom line is that kids, and especially kids in child seats, should always be in the back seat. There are two reasons for this. One is that there's no air bag in the back seat that can blow up in an accident and snap the little kids' neck (and yes, we know that some trucks now have on-off switches for the passenger air bags - if you remember to use them).

TOM: But as important, if you're in the back seat, in an accident, you'll hit .. the front seat! If you're in the front seat, you're closer to the windshield, the dashboard, the engine compartment and whatever you've crashed into. So the back seat is intrinsically a safer place than the front seat.

RAY: And since pickup trucks don't have back seats (and the cargo space behind the seats in "extended cab pickups" doesn't count), they're not really safe vehicles for kids. So go with a car, Susan. Or at the very least, a truck with a real back seat, like a Ford Explorer.

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