Mandatory Recycle Charges Dumped.

The City Council, during its regular meeting Tuesday, voted 6-4 to eliminate the curb side recycling option scheduled to begin in October 1999.

Opponents objected to the option for several stated reasons. The program would have cost the citizens of Carthage approximately $7000 a month for the next four years.

Council Member Trisha Brewer, a strong supporter of the plan, again stated that the city was "getting a good deal." She said she already pays for mandatory services she does not use and queried, "Why not pay for this too?"

Region M of the Solid Waste Management District assistant director Elizabeth Spears spoke to the Public Works Committee during their July 7th meeting. According to Spears there are other options to curb side recycling that include pre-purchased bags, composting and drop off sites. Spears stated that curb side participation is only 2-3% if it is not mandatory. She indicated that Webb City is having some success with the pre-purchased bag option. According to Spears "takes time to educate people about recycling and even then it may not be right for Carthage."

Council members Larry Ross, H.J. Johnson, J.D. Whitledge, Art Dunaway, Don Stearnes, and Lujene Clark voted for eliminating the curb side option. Bill Fortune, Charlie Bastin, Jackie Boyer, and Brewer voted against.

City Parks Director Alan Bull drew some laughter during his regular report about the duck population at Kellogg Lake.

"I’ve had a lesson in supply and demand," said Bull. " The requests for ducks was greater than the supply."

It was reported in one media that if prospective owners couldn’t pick up the fowl they would be delivered, which was an erroneous report and Bull was besieged with requests for delivery.

"I’m here to tell you, we do not deliver," Bull stated emphatically.

Although the resident domestic duck problem is resolved, the Canadian Geese population at Kellogg Lake still lingers. Bull looking at options to control the Canadian population.

The Council voted to direct Director of Engineering Joe Butler to put the construction of the interior of the south fire substation out for bids. After some confusion, the Council approved an amendment to the motion that would halt all engineering work by Algeier Martin and Associates on the exterior site plan. Butler has recommended that the contracted City Engineer be used for that portion of the project.

Butler said he plans to combine the construction of George Phelps Boulevard and the drive for the station and feels this will be less costly.

Bastin put forth a motion to stop all work at the substation tower and relocate the fire unit saying it would cost less. The motion died for lack of a second.

The Council approved less stringent audit requirements for the Chamber of Commerce .

During the original emergency meeting between the Chamber and the Finance Committee, the Chamber agreed to an independent audit with certain stipulations as set forth by the City. The Chamber requested that the City pay for the audit. That request was denied.

The Chamber hired Mense, Churchwell and Mense of Joplin to do the audit.

The charge for a standard audit is about $3,000. The City requested a totals and transactions, or line-item, audit which raised the cost of the audit to about $9000. When Chamber President Dexter Friesen brought the matter of cost to the Finance Committee, which met three hours before the Council meeting Tuesday night, a recommendation was approved to request that the Council change the type of procedure to a test of transactions audit with stipulations that the City be allowed to make note of areas of concern that might be scrutinized.

letters to the editor

Good Morning Editor,

At the risk of being considered one of those "crack pots" who continually write in complaining about everything, here I am again.

My topic today is the Kellogg Lake and Spring River area in general, and the duck and geese population in particular.

I have always felt that the area is an undeveloped asset of the City, it has a natural beauty that should be enhanced.

Each morning I "ease" myself into the work day by driving by the lake/river once. I enjoy the geese and ducks a lot. In the spring I take my family through frequently to get the first glimpse of this years hatch. I have occasionally seen traffic backed up on 96 as the fowl amble across the highway.

It is true that it would be unpleasant to step in their droppings, and there certainly is a lot of it, but it would be better than stepping in the broken beer bottles or human excrement that can be found down by the dam. I think the trashy unkept appearance is much worse than the fowl problem. You can find the same or similar "water weeds" on area ponds and lakes that don't appear to have waterfowl.

The Canadian geese are protected, people like Bill Lishman have achieved national recognition for their efforts to protect waterfowl and wetlands, the movie Fly Away Home is loosely based on his efforts.

Americans spend millions of dollars to protect waterfowl through entities like Ducks Unlimited, etc. Is this one of those things that it is okay to be concerned as long as they live somewhere else?

Rather than trying to get rid of them, we should be proud that we have an area that attracts them, it is nature working.

If we are serious about that area, let's clean up our own act first, it would sure boost the City's credibility. And it would be a lot better than herding them into a pen and covering them with dirt, as was suggested. I would hate to explain that to some of the kids that go to the lake to see and feed the ducks.

Regards,

Mike Harris

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

I’m not a big believer in superstition, but I do think that the pull of the moon affects more than just the ocean tide.

I’ve heard that there have been some statistics gathered that indicate that criminal activity is higher durin’ a full moon. More accidents, emergency room visits and the such seem to reinforce this "wives tale."

I’m not puttin’ out any scientific info here, maybe just an excuse for folks bein’ a little on edge ever now and then.

I heard several comment last Tuesday ‘bout it bein’ a weird day. I had "one a those days" also. Maybe one person had a bad day and it spread throughout the community. Maybe the hot weather is startin’ to take affect. Maybe the moon just likes ta mess with us ever’ now and then.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Click and Clack Talk Cars.

Dear Tom and Ray:

I keep reading that air bags are dangerous and are responsible for a number of deaths, especially in children and short people. Since, of course, air bags are supposed to be used together with seat belts, I wonder if any or all of the reported air bag deaths have involved failure to use seat belts. -Marvin.

RAY: Most of them have, Marvin. NHTSA (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) keeps tabs on all crash-related fatalities in the United States. And clearly, MOST of the people who have been injured or killed by air bags were not wearing their seat belts.

TOM: Since 1990, there have been 45 children whose deaths were attributed to the deployment of an air bag in a car crash. Of those, only five were properly restrained at the time. And of those five, two were so small that they should have been in child seats (instead of in lap belts and shoulder harnesses).

RAY: For adults, the numbers, while not quite as striking, lead to the same conclusion. There were 37 adults killed by a so-called safety device. So clearly, the transition to the "second generation" air bags that inflate with less force, and eventually, the "smart air bags" that sense how much force is needed, should be carried out as quickly as possible.

RAY: In the meantime, it's important to remember that air bags have saved many, many more lives than they have taken. NHTSA estimates that more than 2,500 would have died in crashes, had it not been for their air bags.