Council Business.

A somber City Council met Tuesday night in regular session under the guidance of Mayor Pro Tem J.D. Whitledge. The condolances of the Council and City were expressed during the invocation for the passing of Mayor Johnson’s wife, Doris.

The Council authorized the Mayor to sign a contract with Hunter Appraisals, of Joplin, for $3,500 to appraise proposed new airport property just north of City limits. A related Council bill for appraisal review services by the Valuation Group, of Springfield, for $7,500 was denied in an 2-8 vote. Council members Brewer and Dunaway voted for. City Administrator Tom Short recommended the bill be defeated because he considered the review cost to be excessive.

The Council also voted 10-0 to authorize the Mayor to sign a contract with APAC-Missouri, Inc. (Masters & Jackson) of Springfield for asphalt products and services. The company submitted the low bid of $21 per applied ton of asphalt.

Public Works Committee Chair Bill Fortune reported that the committee conducted a public hearing concerning the future operations of the Post Office in Carthage. Fortune reported citizen support from those attending the meeting for the Post Office to maintain retail operations at its current location. The next Public Works meeting May 18th will include a public hearing on the sidewalk repair and maintenance ordinance under consideration. Mr. Gary Smith of the Missouri Forestry Department will be present to discuss how trees impact sidewalks. Fortune urged anyone interested to attend the hearing.

Finance Co-Chair, Lujene Clark, reported on several motions that passed in Committee. The Committee recommended the Council change the current phone service plan within ATT to a lower business rate. The Council approved. Clark also reported that the Committee was recommending, with a 3-1 vote, modifying Accounts Receivable forms submitted by outside agencies for reimbursement. No action was taken by the Council because the modification will need to be in the form of a Council bill.

Public Services Chair, Larry Ross, put forth a motion for the City to pay $355.60 for one-half of the cost of a plaque honoring KOM Baseball League. The motion passed 10-0 and the plaque will be placed in Municipal Park. He also invited the Council to attend the next meeting at the golf course on June 7th. The Committee will discuss a one-dollar per diem surcharge for golfers. The funds would be used only for capital improvements at the golf course. Tree USA will also be discussed at that time.

A resolution put forth by Budget/Ways and Means Committee Chair, Jackie Boyer, to allow Police Chief Dennis Veach to purchase summer uniforms to be worn during special events was passed. The cost of the uniforms will stay within the current department budget.

Council Member, Don Stearnes reported that the library needs volunteers between May 31-June 5 for the upcoming Heartland Chautauqua event. Needs include chauffeurs for tours, someone to greet and hand out programs and sledgehammers for raising the tent. The Boy Scouts will occupy the tent overnight for security purposes

Former Council member Donna Harlan addressed the Council and requested that a regular bus route be established since the recent closing of Consumer’s Market has placed a hardship on many older residents. She further pointed out that the bus versus taxi savings could amount to as much as three-dollars per trip and could be better spent for groceries or medicine.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

I grew up hearin’ and usin’ the phrase "that’s corny." The term was typically used to describe a "corny" joke, or in some instances a person that either told corny jokes or just acted corny. I’m sittin’ here tryin’ to define the term without tellin’ a corny joke. I suppose it’s like ya hear, "I can’t describe it, but I know it when I see it."

In school, there was always a corny teacher or two, tryin’ to tell jokes or be humorous. The kids would laugh and this would only encourage more corn. It was a vicious circle. Usually the term wasn’t intended in a harmful way, just matter of fact like, just accepted. The truth was, most folks seem to enjoy a little corn now and then, speakin’ of the verbal kind of course, and that ain’t chicken feed, pop.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing Services

Click and Clack Talk Cars

Dear Tom and Ray:

I have a significant mystery on my hands. I installed a completely rebuilt 500-cubic-inch (1975) Cadillac engine in my 1981 GMC Suburban. I then towed a travel trailer 11,500 miles and it used a quart of oil every 300 miles. I'm not leaking any oil. The Suburban does not smoke on start-up or during normal driving. A compression and leak-down test was performed and the results were normal. The PVC valve was replaced.

I also tried switching from 10W-30 to 20W-50, and still no change in the oil consumption. I then replaced the umbrella valve stem seals with official Cadillac valve stem seals. Still no change. Any ideas? -Charlie

RAY: Yeah, I think you need some official Cadillac rings, Charlie. I think the rings on this engine never seated properly.

TOM: When engines are new, the metal oil-control ring take some number of miles to mold precisely to the walls of the cylinders. That usually happens during what we call the break-in period.

RAY: If the rings don't seat properly, oil will - forevermore - sneak around the rings and get burned in the combustion chambers. And that's what's happening in your engine.

TOM: During the break-in period, you're supposed to drive the car especially gently, in order to allow the rings to seat. But instead of driving gently, you towed a house around behind you! And towing is probably the hardest thing you can ask an engine to do.

RAY: So I think you ruined it, Charlie. Unless the engine was not rebuilt properly, you cooked it by towing with it during break-in. The good news is that you're driving a Suburban, and you can throw a 55 gallon oil drum in there and set up a drip feed!

ARCHIVES Index